Write Me A Love Story
By
RettaMichaels
“The Queen of Gay Romance”

Write Me A Love Story

Chapter Fourteen:

At 6am, Mike gave me a call. I got up and went in and took a shower. Within minutes, Stu was getting into the shower with me.

“Good morning babe. I was going to let you sleep in.”

“I'm fine.”

I washed him and we made out and got out of the shower. Rich knocked ,“Gotta use the bathroom!”

We went out and he went in. “Are you working today?”

“Yeah.”

“Ok. Is Melissa?”

“She's already out there.”

“Oh! How'd it go?”

“Man!” he said smiling real big.

“I'm gonna tell you what I know....IF you date her four times, you might as well be married because that's the way they believe. IF you get her pregnant, you WILL be married and there's no if's, and's, or but's about it.”

He gave me a smirk, “That might be good.”

“You'll be working with Jerrett today. Watch what he does and you'll know what you'll be doing.

Basicly put, you're going to be a job foreman. You'll oversee the men and you'll be working under Danny who is the main foreman.

My rules are these....so you'll know how it goes.

No one cusses my people. Not you, not them, not anyone. IF they do, they're fired.

No one calls each other names. It's the same as cussing and no, I won't put up with it.

Other than that, IF they ask you say yes....Most likely, they don't ask or complain until they need something, so you say yes and move Heaven, hell, and earth to get it for them.”

“Ok.”

“We're going to have a pay ranking schedule. It's all variable, but the person who makes the MOST money on the entire place is LynnAnne who is the crane operator. She's making $100 an hour and if you want to know why, you see she's damned good...She lifted two houses yesterday and broke just a few pieces of siding.”

He looked surprised and I said, “You're going to see people working in your groups who don't know what they're doing, but they're trying their best. Don't mess them up, but train if you see there's a problem.

Today, we're beginning on laying the asphalt. We're going to be laying it down damned fast and I'll tell you I'm going to be working a crew just because I want a down day.

About 2pm, Stu's gotta take his medication. After that, it's zonking his ass out, so watch him.”

Stu said, “I'm ok Jer'.”

“Babe, here's what I'm concerned about. Yesterday was bad, the day before was a little less worse, and the day before was less than that. The stuff's supposed to be keeping you out of a grave and if it's sliding you closer, I'm not happy with it....so we're going to watch you.

Now, if you'd LIKE, I'll shut everything off and we'll be together every second until I know you're in the clear, but I don't want you feeling like I'm babysitting you.

You can deal with people checking on you, or you can deal with me being there, so take your choice!”

He smiled, “You'll be off at 6?”

“Yeah, I'll be up here getting showered and then, we're going to do something different for dinner even if I gotta cook!”

He laughed, “What do you want?”

“Your ass nude on a platter would be great, but since that's not happening, I guess we'll find something.”

“Do you want to call Rhen and John and see if they'd like to do something?”

“Yeah, that'd be wonderful.”

He nodded, “I'll call.”

I turned to Rich. “Take one of the trucks out to the plane and get your things. IF you need someone, let me know and I'll get you someone.”

“How do I get a room?”

I turned to Stu, “Hon, that's your job. He'll probably want it with Melissa.”

He asked, “Is that why you're pressing marriage on Danny?”

“I'm not pressing anything on him that he's not already thinking. Look at the two of them and you know they're in love big time.

You and Melissa are attracted to each other and think each other are sexy as hell, but Danny's in the league of “I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life”.

You'll get there with Melissa when you have your first kid, but you need to realize this....Her brother is hot. Her Mom is probably hot as hell....and you're going to need to know you're going to be dealing with someone who looks like that for a damned long time.

I'm telling you that because the genes in these hills are amazing. You're going to realize some of these guys you THINK are 40 or 50 are in their 70's...so don't pick a fight you don't want your ass kicked four or five times with one.”

“Really!”

“Yeah....so don't judge a book by it's cover out there, you might just find that book has more grandkids and great grandkids than you can imagine and ALL of them will kick your ass if you mess with grandpa....including your old lady!”

He smiled, “Ok!”

“Another thing....no fighting in the rooms. Leave your boots and grungy clothes outside unless you want to buy a carpet. We'll be doing that at ALL of our motels we stay at and yes, we've got guards who watch things.”

I was interrupted by my telephone ringing. “Hello?”

Paula said, “He's heading down there with a bunch of guys.”

“Do this...Call Bubby and get as much moved as you can. I'll have you the guys to get you moved, but you move everything you want while we've got that time.”

“He says he's killing you.”

“Hon, I'm not worried. I appreciate the heads up, but how long ago did they leave?”

“They just left the city limits. I wanted to be sure he was really going before I called you.”

“Here's what I want you to do....I bought your house yesterday and I'm having Mark make up an eviction notice. When you get it, I want you saying you've had it for a while. Ok?”

“Yeah.”

“Don't worry, but don't accept any phone calls from any jails either. There will be a lot of them but I promise you HIS will be IF they allow inmates to make calls from the hospital out here...which I doubt. Now, I've got one question. Are there more than four guys?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. That's all I needed to know. You call Bubby and tell him that if he did NOT get the keys for that plane from Mark, he should have last night.”

“Ok.”

“Thanks for calling.”

I hung up and dialed Sheriff Patrick. He answered, “Hello?

“Hi, this is Jeremy Blue. I've just gotten a call telling me I've got a bunch of gypsy asphalters leaving the city limits of Hannibal coming to kill me.

I'm going up in my helicopter and I'm going to radio where they are and how far they've made it. When they make it to your county, do all you can to pull over the trucks I tell you, but leave the white GMC dually diesel to drive on...I want that fucker on my property so I can beat him down.

What I don't need is the others he's involved in this conspiracy to commit murder anywhere around.

I'll tell you this....if you do NOT have them pulled over by the time they reach THIS county, you're going to have the biggest fuckin' pile up in your county's history because I'm going to be there driving the concrete trucks which are broadsiding theirs. WHEN the news gets there, I'll not be so kind. Am I making myself clear?”

“Yeah.”

“I want the truck registering to Fogle getting through. You just be advised his truck WON'T make it out of this county...it'll be put through a crusher out at the quarry and shot to the bottom of the pit. He's already been told I'll not take a threat kindly and now, he's going to see I fulfill my promises.”

“There are a lot of charges I can put on 'em.”

“Conspiracy to commit murder keeps them in jail the longest with the highest bail. Racketeering would be another since there's more than four in the conspiracy...and yeah, it DOES involve money. It also involves asphalting equipment.

What you MIGHT do is you might look through their trucks to see if there's one receipt book. IF there is, that's a conspiracy to commit theft unless you find DOT and business permits.”

He chuckled, “Ok.”

“I'll let you know how close he's getting.”

I hung up ,“Stu, plan change. You and me are going up in a chopper to track some idiots.” I turned to Rich. “Eric is your brother in law's boyfriend....It's his Dad who's on his way.”

“OH!”

“I'd tell you the entire situation, but let's just say that the man is pissed because I told Eric the truth about how they've been screwing him out of a lot of money and took the equipment Eric was owed.

Now they obviously have heard there's money to be made someplace, so they think they can come get the equipment and kill me if need be to get go it.

If and when I call you, you get Eric to safety. He's going to look in this motel and he'll look out there where the asphalt's being laid, so take him up here to one of the fast food places.”

My phone rang, “Hello?”

Sheriff Ben asked, “Are you aware there's a death threat being made on you?”

“Yes sir. I'm about to go to the helicopter to see how far they've gotten.

What YOU can do is this...Sheriff Patrick has probably called the information out along usual ways to get here from Hannibal.

I'll tell you now, they don't use usual roads...not even when they're driving without equipment. The way they'll go is they'll go over to Monroe County and head south and come down through Centralia, Hallsville, Columbia and THEN, they'll go over on Interstate 70 to Highway 65 and come on down.

At 70, they'll stop at the truck stop and refuel. They'll do that because they can get diesel on a fuel number that is so worn out that it's probably 7 or 8 years lapsed.”

“Interesting.”

“One time a long time ago, someone went legit and then backed out. When he backed out, that fuel number went out for anyone and everyone to use.

When you check that number, you're going to find the man whose name it's registered to has been dead four years.”

“Want 'em stopped at the truck stop?”

“I want all of 'em allowed to go on until they get to Springfield. The man who's making the threats is Eric's Dad. His wife is leaving him and packing up everything and if I give the heads up with them being gone just a few hours, she doesn't get the place cleaned out and packed into a U-Haul.

It's not going to matter much where they're caught, but it matters more to me that they've driven five or six hours before they've been caught...That means whoever bails them out has to drive that far to come and get them!”

He laughed, “Ok! I never thought of it that way!”

“I want Eric's Dad in this county. I'll tell you now that for making the threat to kill me, I'm going to beat that man within an inch of his life and crush his truck in my rock crusher out there. IF you're interested in finding it, it'll be at the bottom of the old quarry...but I hear you'll be finding LOTS of missing vehicles there!”

He laughed, “Yeah. You're more honest than most. At least I know where you're planning on putting it!”

“I'm telling you so that if you see a new oily sheen on top of the water out there, you know what it was.”

“Ok.”

“Other than that, you might pull them over and see if they've got any pistols or weapons. I doubt if they do other than tire irons.

I think he's going to lose his nerve when he starts seeing everyone getting arrested and picked off, but you never know. He wants the equipment for a reason and it's probably due to him being told someone's making money someplace and he's wanting to go...that's how it works.”

“How does all that work?”

“Ok, you have one who goes out and makes a kill. It's not news until he's made enough kills to work a week and then, that's telling everyone else the Sheriff in that county isn't arresting. THAT gets everyone descending upon that county. Word goes out like wildfire and you'll suddenly see a cheap motel fill up with asphalters.

A NORMAL Sheriff would start running and checking paperwork, but normal Sheriffs don't target them because they view 'em as good old boys trying to make an honest living. If they knew the amount of thievery which happens when a group is in an area, they'd take 'em all in.”

“Like what kind of thievery?”

“It's the “I'm better than you” mentality. IF one makes an honest sale, the other's going to try to make $300 more than the one so he can brag about it. The next is going to try making $1000 more and the next is going to try topping them all off by trying to make $10 or $15,000 more...

You might not hear it in a phone call, but someone's gotten fucked...and old people fearing that they'll come back and burn their house down in the middle of the night go ahead and pay it.

What I'll tell you is this....IF someone tells them they're going in the house and calling the cops, they're out of there like you wouldn't believe. That's when motels find clothes, food, and everything else left because no one's going back to get things.”

“Why?”

“I lost a laptop and some clothes in South Carolina when we had to leave out fast. I was told that the second I paid for that dump truck, I could go get my shit....and to go ahead and figure I was gonna lose both when I got arrested.

I left it, but after that, I packed everything in the morning and insisted for it to be put in a truck. They bitched and finally, I told 'em “Fuck you, I lost shit to your chicken shit fears before, I won't do it again. Either shut it, or I'm catchin' the next bus home!”.

Needless to say, they never bitched again, but they did make lots of fun of me having to pack and unpack....but what they did was they fucked with my stuff just once before I beat asses and totaled his truck beating the fuck out of it with a ball bat all-the-while cussing the man and telling him, “Hey, you wanna fuck with my stuff??? I'll fuck with yours and anyone else's who wants to cross that line!”

Needless to say, the reputation got put out there that I'd kill someone over my stuff and fuck up their shit WAY MORE than they would mine.

Now, have I had to go to various Sheriffs and tell them my stuff was in a vehicle they impounded? Yeah, but they usually let me do that if they see I've got a bus ticket out of there.”

“It sounds like a terrible life.”

“It's exciting because you're living on the road all the time. It sort've fulfills that thing of when they were young and wanted to be a rock star. You'll figure out a LOT of them play musical instruments or are into some really heavy metal music. Me, I can't say I was into the metal, but like last night, I performed and did a so-so decent job.”

“I heard you took over the place and did one helluva job!”

I giggled, “Damn you talk to Donna early in the morning!”

He laughed, “She's excited about getting that truck.”

“Did she tell you that she sang also?”

“Yeah, she said she had a blast.”

“Anyway, now you know the mentality of an asphalter. They work hard, but they make decent money and try to stay out of the hot as much as possible, but it's a helluva life.”

“A lot of them working there love it and can't believe how easy it is.”

“We're going to be working our asses off next week and for 60 days laying concrete.”

“Where?”

“Up between Hannibal and Mexico. I bought a construction company which IF it were allowed to stay as it is, they'd be bankrupt and out of business in 90 days...and that's after being in business some 40 plus years.

What they did was they let the employees run the place and counted on them to pull 'em through. Well, some bad luck and poor weather got 'em into trouble and now, they're going to learn I'll throw everything I have at it in order to pull 'em away from the fire.”

Instantly, I made a mental note to call Newt about having him paint the jets.

He said, “That ought to be some good money for 'em working on that job.”

“Yeah, it's 12 hour days 7 days a week for probably 4 or 5 weeks, but they'll have a real heavy primer on how to build a highway. In the end, they'll see about $20,000 out of it and think I'm great, but they'll look back on it and think they worked their asses off.

What I'll tell you is this....The job is right at $400 million, but in that same 3 months they go past the due date, they could've had to pay that out plus some in fines....which is what they're looking at now.”

“MAN!”

“The man sold the company for $130 million rather than face it. That tells you how scared he is or was...Now, he sees me throwing equipment and people at it and we'll most likely see an extra $100 million in bonuses because we'll bring it in early.

For us, that's a feather in our cap because it gets us some equipment he should've had. It's most likely going to buy us a quarry and mining company up there which is absolutely HUGE.

Once again, you'll see me doing like I'm doing down here....weeding out the gypsies and under the table contractors and getting us out of competing against them.”

“Interesting on the levels you think.”

“It's gotta be. If you don't think on all the levels, you don't change anything and end up competing against those who suck at your bottom line. It's interesting because YOU see it as decreased unreported crimes which have people feeling bad about their fellow man.”

“I'm learning a lot here how it works. I guess I never really thought about it too much.”

“Ben, here's the thing I'll tell you about...When you get rid of the gypsies, and when you know where to look, you can get rid of a LOT of the crimes which are in the shadows.

I'm sure you're dealing with copper thefts and I'm sure you're dealing with a lot of thefts of metals. Really, all it takes is making arrests in those scrap metal dealers and getting people in there undercover who start taking pictures and only pay in checks to those thieves.

I'll guaranty you that if you do that and you take pictures of the metal they bring in, you're going to start finding out who stole what where.”

“Hmm, we're going to have to talk about that!”

“It takes knowing how to look at it from the bottom side. I'll tell you they run from things which they KNOW are setting them up to go to prison, but by the time they're in there, it's already like a trap which has been sprung.

The thing there is this....Scrap metal dealers need to be arrested also. You'd arrest someone for receiving stolen merchandise if it was elsewhere, but for some reason, you protect someone who's supposed to be a businessman.

Well, keep the honest ones in business and root out all the others. It's not that hard for them to be legit and walk away from something which smells wrong...and it's certainly good for them if you tell them they're going to have to document their purchases to keep their asses out of prison.

That man isn't going to go out and pay money to have someone campaign against you because he knows you've got him dead to the wrong. He's going to start doing what it takes to keep HIMSELF out of prison and do what's needed. ALL it takes for you to see if he's actually doing that is putting some suspect metal through in an undercover operation and see if he's doing things right. If not, hold his balls to the wall when you find the thieves are selling to him....OR park a car with a video camera in it at the entrance and see the thieves shy away from him.”

He laughed, “Man you should be in my department!”

“When you use that car, you video tape all sides of it. Some smart ass MIGHT leave that car's front half and the camera sitting there and cut all the metal from behind the camera and sell it OR throw a tarp over it from behind.

I'll tell you right now in St. Louis, they're taking an armored car into crime riddled areas and video taping with it. It's painted up to tell them they're taping with it and thieves and crime are going down with it.

ME, I looked at the news article ,“They're total dumb asses. I'd drive up with a tarp over my pickup truck and throw it over the som'bitch and then do my crime right in front of it and THEN possibly paint the under side of that tarp pink with swine and words all over it just to show them IT CAN be outsmarted.”

He laughed, “You're an asshole!”

“It's a game of cops and robbers to them. If you outsmart me, I'm going to get craftier and outsmart you right back. What YOU DO is you hang a video cam in a tree across the street a few days before you park that truck and they're focusing on that truck so much they forget about that camera. THEN, when they do it, you're catching the ones who think they're slick and it's surprising the shit out of them!”

He laughed, “Ok!”

“You gotta think about how they're going to outsmart you before you do something novel....it's putting steel toed shoes on so that when they stomp your toes, they're the ones who are surprised.

Me. Right now, I'm working backwards and creating the plan to get WHO I want in the trap today and leaving everyone out. At the same time, it's getting Sheriff Patrick up there something he can sink his teeth into so he's got it for future reference.

For me, it's getting Fogle in the trap and letting him know I'm a rotten person to think about wanting to kill....Just don't be too surprised if you're called by the Sheriff up at Marion County asking you to investigate a kidnapping and the theft of a man's truck.”

“Why?”

“Because AFTER I beat that som'bitch half to death, I'm putting him in my jet and taking him back up there! He's going to go to that hospital reporting he was waylaid and kidnapped and flown back up there and the Sheriff's gonna get the report because he's not been told of the situation.

He'll be calling you and that's when you can say, “Man, I'm not going to investigate something I know to be different and if you're smart, you wouldn't be either. The kid's investing too much money in my county and yours for YOU to really be too concerned about failings you should've handled differently”...and then, you tell him what you know and he's like, “Ooh, gotta step back from that!”

He laughed, “Who's the Sheriff up there?”

“A guy by the name of Jimmy Shinn. He's a sweet guy and comes from a background where they were raised in a tough environment, but he's the cream of the crop.

I'll tell you his Daddy was a cop and when he got off the force, he went into residential homes. They worked themselves up and each step of the way, they made money.

Now, he's Sheriff and I'm happy for him, but here's what I'll tell you which is the right God's honest truth.

He sees in black and white instead of grays. He does investigations and the prosecutor gets him arrests, but at the same time, the prosecutor tells him to step away from certain fires.”

“How?”

“Here's how....and it's the same here if you really want to think about it. IF you have a crime you know someone committed, but it's in the gray area, do you arrest?”

“It depends.”

“There you go with that undergarment old people use!”

He laughed and I said, “Here's your deciding factor. IF that person is poor and doesn't have a snowball's chance to lawyer up, you make the arrest. IF that person has the money to lawyer up and fight his way out of the gray into a costly trial which makes you look inept, you step back and so does that prosecutor.

Up there, IF you see arrests happening, it's because the person USUALLY turned himself in or it's such a slam dunk that you know the end result is prison. What he does NOT do is he doesn't do a real good job investigating and I'll tell you that you don't either.”

“Probably not.”

“Right, the money isn't there. You're spread so thin on your budget that you keep people behind the wheel of the cars so you've got presence rather than people behind desks who do the investigations.

My thought is this....Work with your investigators and teach them how to get air tight cases. THEN, if your prosecutor wants to step back, you surge forward and make the arrest anyway and use your grand jury to get your arrest with the evidence.”

“You know the system.”

“It's something I was raised knowing. It's human nature combined with a family who played the legal game every weekend. What YOU should be doing is discussing shop a lot more and teaching some of our people how to be working for you. THEN, it's going to work in your favor.”

“Most of 'em are working for you now.”

“Kids....get the kids into it. That's how we were taught. Right now, my cousin up there is a lawyer and he's telling me that I should've became the lawyer because I tell him how to do things. I'll tell you I find it fascinating, but I love where I'm at now...and yeah, I understand Stu wanting to do his job forever because I love mine...now.”

“I'm glad to hear that, but you're working everywhere. Donna said the conversations you were having were blowing her away.”

“I'm getting people in to delegate to. You see me hopping around, but at the same time, I planned on being a LOT less busy today in order to have a down day.

Instead, I'm running to a helicopter and getting in it and going to waste some time because someone is in his little power and control cycle. Well, I'm gonna have to show him he's not the only one and be a bit bigger of a bastard to him!”

He laughed, “All I care about in this is you. Don't you get yourself hurt.”

“I'm not. I understand the game and how it's played. It's just got me pissed I gotta play it today.”

“Keep me advised of the situation.”

“I am.”

I rang off and Stu said, “I see what you're doing and I like it.”

“What's that?”

“You gave him a whole lot before you straight up told him you were going to be breaking the law.”

“Here's why I'm not handling it different. IF I beat the man down and have him put in the jail down here after going to the hospital, he gets bailed out down here and stays here... fully well knowing that what's happening up there right now happened.

It's all designed to break him up there. He goes home and finds it packed up and moved out while he was off chasing the dragon who bit the hell out of him.

It has him asking the question. “Do I fuck with those people down there again? OR, do I leave well enough alone?”

IF he's smart, he leaves well enough alone and heads a different direction. IF he's not, he'll come back down here and he gets his ass arrested as soon as he steps foot in the county.”

I said, “Excuse me, but I've got a super cool idea for the paint job on those planes.”

“What's that?”

“Hang on, I'm making a call and you'll hear. That way I'm telling you and him at the same time.”

I dialed Newt in Florida and when he answered, I said, “Hey dude!”

“HEY! How have you been?”

“I'm doing well....Do you wanna make some money?”

“Don't we all?”

“Well, here's what I need for you to do for me....so you'll learn I'm making money and now need you on things with me.”

“Doing what?”

“Well, are you familiar with Bronson Construction?”

“Who isn't!”

“I own it now. I also own a few others and need equipment painted. It'll be a full time job for you making damned good wages and it'll also be a damned good job for Lo' if you'll come.”

“Makin' how much?”

“Dude, here's how I'll do this.... IF I tell you to work 6am to 6pm 5 days a week making $25 an hour, you'll be like running to a calculator rather than wanting to talk. I'll tell you that's roughly about $80 grand a year or so right off the top of my head.

IF I tell you that I'll pay you $100 grand a year with full benefits and lots of other things, you'll be like, “Ok, we're on our way without running to the fuckin' calculator.”

“Ok, how much is she gonna make?”

“I'm not sure. What I'll do is I'll throw in an employee vehicle and a house. You pick the house out and then, you pick out the furniture and all that.

You call a moving company and you let me know what it's going to take to break out of that infernal lease you're stuck in and I'll get you money sent so we've got you on the way.

In fact, IF you'll let me play with the moving people who will probably try fucking you, I'll get 'em arrested on top of everything else.”

“How?”

“First of all, they're going to try telling you when you get up here that you owe them more money. IF you've got a voice recording and IF you put some GPS locators in your shit, we'll know where they are when they try doing everything BEFORE they do it.”

“Umm, how do you know this?”

“It's one of the biggest scams in the industry right now if you try to save some money and don't hire the best.”

“Ok, let me hire the best.”

“Then do that. Call Bekins and get your shit packed!”

“You're not telling me how much Lo's gonna be making. She'll wanna stay down here if I don't.”

“Tell her I'll get you into something where she's making $75 grand a year at least. We own enough that I can easily do that.”

“Where will we be living?”

“Branson. I want you guys around us.”

“You and that asshole?”

I said, “Dude, I'm on speakerphone!”

“I'm not apologizing to that asshole...Fuck him!”

“First of all, I dumped the asshole. Second of all, my new guy is smiling because he's already heard from everyone I know what an asshole the last one is.

No, this one is the keeper and he's got my heart totally. You'll love him because everyone else already does.”

“He's in construction?”

“Nah, I'm in construction, but he's got a theater on the strip.”

“He's a singer?”

“Nah, he's makes me wet with other things.”

He laughed, “There can't be TWO comedians in the family! It doesn't work!”

Stu laughed and I said, “He's got the Viennese Waters theater down here. We're remodeling and making it way better.”

“And you bought Bronson to do that?”

“You'll be caught up on everything when I get you here. Let me just say that Doc passed away last week and left me gazillions.”

“Oh man, what'd he die from?”

“Heart attack. There's not gonna be a service because he wanted to be cremated and that's it. Sometime, I've got to take his ashes to California, but I'll get that done after the season.”

“Let me go get her. She worked the night shift last night and is sleeping in.”

“Before you do that, I want to throw something at you.”

“Ok.”

“You're going to hear the sound of my helicopter taking off here in a second.”

“WHAT!”

“Dude, just listen! You're like some old gossip with how you wanna know everything!”

“Fuck you dude, tell me about the helicopter!”

Stu laughed and I said, “It's a Bell 206 something or another. It looks like one of those they fly patients in except it doesn't have the rear body door.”

“Ok. You want that painted?”

“It's already looking like a Coke can. We bought it when we bought the Coca-Cola Bottling plant down in Springfield...and no, we didn't get anything when we bought the one up at Quincy.”

“Uh...you're sort've putting me on overload here.”

“Yeah, and I'm doing it on purpose. I'm wanting you to know that when it comes to potential jobs, I've got all sorts of them we can get Lo'.”

“Do me a favor, don't hire our kid to do a damned thing except stay away.”

“I wasn't thinking about it. I made him a friend three years ago on Facebook and he never once has answered an email I've sent.

I send him all sorts of birthday things and Christmas and holiday cards and not once has he ever done a thing....So no, I'm not extending the olive branch to him except to beat him to death with it. In the land of 'fuck you's', he's at the top of that list or near it.”

“Now you know why we're down here and he's up there.”

He said, “Honey, Jer's on the phone and wants us to go to work for him.”

She'd been sleeping. Her voice sounded like he'd woke her up, “Huh? I'm sleeping.”

He said, “This is important. He's offering a house and everything.”

“I don't want to move up there.”

“Put it on speaker and lay it down by her ear.”

He said, “Honey, I'm putting it on speakerphone. He wants to speak with you.” He paused ,“You're on speaker now Jer'.”

“If you have me in bed with your wife on speakerphone, you deserve to be told you're an asshole by her!”

I heard her giggle and she said, “Ok, he's an asshole. Now tell me what's going on?”

“Doc died last week.”

“Oh man! What of?”

“Too many things on the side....but he died of a heart attack....he must've seen one of his bills.”

She giggled, “Ok, so why do you want us up there?”

“Doc left me everything and I've been buying a lot of stuff. I need Newt to paint equipment and I need you to work up here also.”

“Doing what?”

“I don't know, but I'll pay you $75,000 a year to do it. We'll find you something good that you enjoy.”

“I don't want to move back up there. His grandma is a bitch to me and....”

“I'm down in Branson now. You won't be anywhere near his grandma. We'll buy you guys a house and we'll get it furnished and we'll do a lot, but promise me you'll do this.”

“How much are you paying him?”

“$100 to paint in my shop.”

“THOUSAND!!!”

“Yeah. Full benefits and everything.”

“Please tell me you're not with that creep still!”

I laughed, “Nah hon, I'm on speakerphone with you in bed. Would I do that to my fella!”

“Uh....you're in bed on the speakerphone also?”

“No, I'm on speakerphone and my new fella knows we're in bed together...”

She laughed, “You're ah.....I'm not gonna say it.”

“I'll send a jet down there if you'll come up here. You can put your clothes and personals on it and we'll get you packed up and moved by professionals.”

She was quiet ,“I really need to give 'em two weeks at work.”

“Can I have him while you're working that two weeks?”

“Yeah, he's not working anywhere....but you know that.”

“When are your off days?”

“Saturday and Sunday. They finally gave me the weekends off. What's that sound?”

“Our helicopter taking off.”

“Your boyfriend has a helicopter?”

“As well as his own little jet. But I own six jets which are bigger than his now....Mine used to belong to some airline....Northwest or Republic or something like that.”

“Do you know how expensive those things cost?”

“Yeah, but Mark's going to buy one and then, I'll have the entire fleet paid for from what he pays for just the one.”

“Damn!”

“Don't tell him that though....He thinks I paid a bunch for 'em and doesn't realize I got all of them for $15 million.”

“That's not bad! But what kind are they?”

“Bombardier...They're 40 passenger models.”

Stu said, “44 passenger models hon.”

She giggled and I said, “Oh, that's cool!”

He said, “That one is a 52 passenger model you've got up at Hannibal.”

I nodded, “Ok, but I want him to paint them.”

She chuckled, “He's never painted a plane before.”

“No, but he's painted a lot of other things and it's not gonna be that hard to do. Basicly, you blow up the picture and print it out with a plotter and then, mask it onto the side of the thing.

What I want is a Blue Jay's head looking like it's a Philadelphia Eagle's head but I want flames coming off like it's both flames and feathers all down the side, but I want the plane itself light blue and dark blue and white.

Each plane will be named something like 'early bird' or 'cheep cheep mutha' or something which makes people know they're all different.

What I want to do then is put in special seat covers so they're not all hideous like they look now.”

“What do they look like now?”

“Gray with no real cool design in the fake leather. If they were cool looking, I'd be happier, but they're just yuck....and really, it looks like an econobox because they've got the seats stuffed in there.”

“Ok, I'm up now going to the computer. Tell me what kind of plane it is again.”

“Bombardier CRJ200 XR/LR.”

I heard Newt say, “Don't paint it baby blue. They look like shit as that color. The old Midwest airlines colors look good...I could do something with that....but I'd like to do something between the Eagles logo and a Firebird logo.....”

“I want the head of that Blue Jay to be from the side....not looking like the hood of a Firebird.”

“I know...We'll work on the design, but that's a cool looking airplane though...the only thing I don't like about those is how they've got the baggage compartment.”

“I agree. I sorta expected the hold to be down underneath rather than all the way back in the rear.”

“It is on everything else, but the roots of this plane are in the smaller and regional planes.”

“Whew! Damn dude you know your planes!”

“I'm reading it on Wikipedia.”

“Oh, I've already read that as well as Bombardier's website and PDF pages.”

“It's a well put together plane. With the exception of a few crashes in the 100, they've got everything ironed out. That crash at Louisville was the most notable.”

“And that one was pilot error. I remember seeing that one on the Weather Channel and seeing it was foggy and the pilot was brain dead.”

“What happened?”

“Ok, here's the deal. Louisville has two runways. One of them is longer and one of them is really dinky....something like 30 or 40% the size of the bigger one. The pilot took off on the dinky one and didn't have enough room to get in the air before he ran out of runway....

The show wasn't on the Weather Channel, it was on Frontline or one on PBS where they were talking about the airlines having the larger airline's name on everything but when it came time to sue after a crash, it was suddenly the small regional airlines....a bait and switch which the government is helping to perpetuate.”

“You sure remember things.”

“That's a reason I won't fly these regional flights. If it comes to me driving or me flying, you can damned well be sure I'm gonna drive. With the way they've got them insured, if they crash, your family never sees anything because they're suddenly bankrupt.”

“That's wrong.”

“Yeah, and consumers vote with their dollars, but in this case, the government subsidizes a shoddy business practice and rather than it failing, the government props it up!

Yeah, it's a boondoggle for all the smaller cities who can say they've got a flight to them, but even then, the smaller cities don't know who is the one which are operating out of their airports. Ask them and they'll say it's one of the bigger carriers and when you tell them, they'll pound their desk and tell you you're full of shit....and when you prove it and tell them the situation, they're suddenly fighting mad but have their hands tied....because it's quote good for the people. Tell that to the people who can't bury their dead!

Ok, I gotta get my mouth shut. I've got a pilot from a service flying us and his service is probably not well insured. I'm probably pissing him off and scaring him at the same time! Now isn't a time to do that!”

Stu laughed and I saw Corey smile. Newt giggled ,“That was funny.”

“If I crash and they put on CNN about two billionaires crashing, you tell 'em I was on a rail about regional air providers at the time....”

“BILLIONAIRES!!!”

“Yeah, with the money we've got, you'd be REAL pissed off if you knew how we're so rich.”

“How?”

“AT&T.”

He said, “Oh God damn...”

Stu said, “I take it he doesn't like AT&T?”

“Lo was an operator in Hannibal which suddenly found they'd shut the 1800 call center where you got numbers for companies.”

“Huh?”

“It's like operator assistance. You call 18005551212 and ask what the 1800 number is for a company and they tell you. Well, it used to be in Hannibal and then, they shut it down. A lot of people were about to the retirement age and rather than getting their retirement, they were 'bought out' of their contracts instead.”

“Oh man.”

“Lo was one who'd only been there a couple of years, so she got screwed. If you knew what went on with that building, you'd cringe.”

“What happened?”

Lo said, “Even before we were through using the building, they'd already leased it to a home for alcohol and drug abuse. While we're trying to answer phones, we've got them in there drunk and high in d.t.'s answering the phones and pissing off customers....They couldn't lock the damned door because of fire safety.”

Stu looked shocked and I said, “It was a real mess. One of the operators got sexually assaulted out on the parking lot and that's when the police and other operators started having to guard operators when they went to their cars.

What happened is the place couldn't afford to keep up the lease, so AT&T gave the building to the city who tried selling it for too high of a price. They ended up giving the building to a college and that's what it is now....a satellite campus which STILL has young girls going to it not knowing the halfway houses in the area have drug and alcohol people who could be anyone from sex offenders to murderers.”

Stu looked shocked and I said, “Such is life in a small town. It all gets swept under the carpet and no one's allowed to have an opinion and protect each other going to their cars.

Girls who know all walk together with butcher knives, but one day, it's going to rear it's ugly little head again and be a problem.”

I said, “Newt, we gotta get off the phone. I see the trucks we're looking for.”

“Ok, send that jet.”

“I will. Get everything packed. Don't make her pack your underwear, she'll die from the fumes!”

She laughed ,“Thanks Jer'!”

“No problem!”

We rang off and Stu asked, “What's their story?”

“They're older....madly in love with each other and regretting the day they had a kid. I'll tell you it's not the kid's fault and I'll tell you a lot of it needs to have it's fault laid in their laps.

What happened is they got caught up in the chasing of jobs to Florida....There were no jobs up here and when they heard there were jobs in Florida, they up and sold everything and moved without asking their kid if he wanted to go.

They SOLD the dream to him by telling him he was going to private school. They moved and he went to private school but that lasted about two months until their son dug up his grandma's prize winning rose garden and then, she threw them out of her place.

Well, it went from bad to worse because THAT pissed the kid off and he took it out on grandma's little dog by feeding it to a gator.”

“WHAT!”

“Ok, here's the deal. They lived on one of those canals and at the back of the property was a community walk. On each side of it was fencing and on the other side toward the canal was a boat dock which was her's.

She didn't have a boat, so the gators used it as a place to lay in the sun. They thought it cute that they could go out and dump table scraps right off their plates into the gator's mouths....That went bad when the kid was pissed and decided to chuck poochy over the fence.

Since then, they had a hurricane which took all that fence out and Grandma now has a nervous disorder because she got the privilege of riding out a hurricane with a gator the size of a big log constantly being blown up against her french doors. She got to ride it out wondering if she was going to have it in the house with her and seeing her house blown all to hell, so by the end of it, she was a nervous wreck and in need of massive amounts of Valium. She's since sold the place and married a guy she met who works for NASA, but that's a whole other story.”

“Why's that?”

“Let's just say that I side with their son on a lot of the bullshit which happened. You see, I'd get the phone calls and I'd talk with him and I'd hear everything that was going on and all the while, I'd be telling Newt, “Let me have him up here and he'll be ok.” Well, Newt might think I'm cool, but ask him if he wants his kid to be raised by a queer and suddenly he gets out the hooded white robe and starts burning crosses.”

“What!”

“Yup....it's the “Oh, you're so cool!” thing and then, when he finds out his son is, it's like, “NO HE'S NOT! You're full of shit!” thing!

Well, here's how I handled that...rather than ignoring it, I called him ,“I'm sending you a website. It's for gay men....Like it or not, your son is submitting pictures of himself to the fuckin' thing. IF he's not gay, you might ask him to stop saying he's a bottom and that he'll blow people.”

Stu laughed and I said, “Newt didn't give a reply. He was in denial so fuckin' much that he looked at the website and thought I'd set it up as some sort of hoax or something. His question to Lo was, “Do you think Jer' did this on purpose?” and Lo is a realist. She said, “No, I think YOUR kid is gay!”

Well, Newt still denies to this day he ever saw the pictures and Lo just shakes her head.

What's funny is this....ALL THE WAY up to their son being 18, it was like they raised crossed fingers like they were putting a stake up to a vampire at me and told me to stay away from their kid. After he turned 18 and beat the hell out of his Mom, it's like, “Ooh, we've got a possessed little demon on our hands! Hey Jer, do you still want him?”

Stu frowned, “And you've got hurt feelings.”

“His fuckin' ego ruined that kid's life! His fuckin' problem is he checked out on raising a kid when his son was about 4 years old! His kid told him he wanted to wear dresses when he grew up and Newt totally fuckin' zoned out AFTER he beat the kid half to death!”

When I entered his life, the kid was 12 years old and already learning Dad hated him and Mom tended to only pull her head out of her husbands ass to get a breath of fresh air every now and then....

BUT, here's what's strange.

Lo saw what happened with me and the kid and really got strange with it.”

“What happened?”

“Ok, I started going to their house when I was 18 and he's 12. Newt would do all sorts of odd jobs for his grandma and be gone all day on Saturday.

Needless to say, he COULD have took the kid, but the kid being in sexual identity crisis wouldn't handle getting his hands dirty and Newt wouldn't tolerate the kid being around him...so the kid got left at home.

Well, him being 12 and telling everyone he wants to be a girl sort've got him ostracized by everyone else except for the shrink. That was until I showed up and fell into the mess face first without being told so much as Newt having a kid AT ALL!

I showed up and got told and it's like, “Newt has a kid? Whoa, when did this happen? And did anyone tell Newt? Because he's sure as hell not telling his friends he has a kid!”

Stu smiled ,“Oh man!”

“Yeah, but here's the twisted shit.... I get there and I'm paying attention to the kid and yeah, he's a little strange with the fingernail polish, makeup, and perfume, but he's a lonely kid and anyone who'd pay attention to him was super great.

So I'm there at 2 pm for supper which was at 6 o'clock and having thoughts that I would visit before hand, I'm suddenly entertaining the kid while Lo trucks off to the store!

Anyway, the kid has someone who pays attention to him and I'm fine with it because I very clearly see the writing on the wall and want to help him.
So on Saturdays I'd go and help and then, it got to be that I'd go pick up the kid and do my errands and shopping and somehow, in the kid's mind, he's seeing what we're doing as dating.”

Stu said, “Oh no.”

“Yeah....all that came to a head one Saturday night when we were all downstairs watching DVDs.

Newt and Lo were over on the sofa snuggling and making out and that left me and the kid on the love seat.

Well, we cooked up popcorn and watched the movies and it was dark down there and the kid decides he wants to sit on my lap. I was fine with it at first because I thought, “He wants some affection his Dad never gave him, so that's fine.” and then, his little as was grinding down on my cock which was like, “Hang on....Ass alert! I'm going to see what's happening!”

So needless to say, I had to readjust and that's when he's like sliding up and down on my cock and I'm like, “Sit still!”

He reaches back and the second his hand touched my dick, I was like, “Oh no, I gotta get the hell out of here!”

So I feign being tired and needing to drive home and Lo's like, “Oh, just go on in to his room and bunk with him.” and I'm like, “Nah, I can only sleep in my own bed.”...so I got the hell out of there.”

Stu said, “Good thing too.”

“Yeah, but what I SHOULD have done was I should have had a responsible conversation with the kid and told him that's not what I was interested in. Instead, he saw it like I was his boyfriend and suddenly had broke up with him or something. ..All I know is he was way pissed off at me and all that came bubbling out just a year or so ago.

As I said, they ignored their kid until he was 18 and then, it was like they suddenly wanted him out of the house. Well, back in the kid's mind, he was like telling himself that all he'd have to do was get to Missouri and find me and it'd be fine. Needless to say, I was with Dave and when he got there, I wasn't home and Dave was and Dave ran him off.”

Corey said, “The truck is turning off this road.”

“They'll be turning left as soon as they get through that little town. If you go over there, you'll see what looks like a roadside park. It will take you straight into Columbia.

If you need fuel, we've got time to go get it and get back in the air.”

He gave a nod ,“We're insured, but not that good. I'd advise you to get better insurance.”

“You guys will have to help us with that.”

“You bought some damned good airplanes, but Stu, that little jet is about the worst thing money can buy. If I were to get rid of any of them, it'd be that thing...or bullet proof the sides so that when the engine disintegrates that it's not coming in the cabin and killing everyone.”

I said, “It's grounded until it's sold and that's all I'm saying. Don't let anyone fly it and if Stu heads toward it, trip him.”

Stu smiled ,“All you had to do was ground it and I'd been ok!”

“We landed at Columbia's airport and I said, “Give me a moment and I'll have us some lunch and drinks out here.”

Corey gave me a look and I said, “Computer on telephone....Jimmy John's subs...”

He smiled, “Ok, let's see if they're as fast as they say!”

“They're not. If you're smart,you'll order them when you THINK you'll be hungry rather than when you're hungry because you'll swear you're starving to death when they get to you otherwise.”

I dialed and got our orders made. When they arrived, I paid the driver and we ate in the chopper. I said, “When they get fueled and fed, they're going to go over to 65 and on down.

If you'd like, we can go over and see them leave and then get back to Springfield.

We know they're heading this way still and really, I've got other things I need to do before they arrive.”

Corey said, “Let me make a few calls also. You'll be amazed at how many people I can pull out of the woodwork for this.”

I gave a nod, “We'll probably need 'em if the Sheriff in Green County can't or won't stop 'em.”

“You shouldn't have to let them get that far.”

“The man's wife is packing up his house and moving down there to be with her son while he's out. I don't want to jeopardize her.”

He shook his head, “Not happening.”

I dialed Sheriff Patrick. “Hello?”

“They're just pulling into Columbia now. We're flying back and will be arranging things as we fly.”

“You think they'll be arriving in by 65?”

“Yeah, so far he's not deviated from the directions they usually take.”

“How many?”

“There's the white GMC dually diesel followed by two red dodges with Felicia's Construction Company and then, a White Ford 450.

None of them have DOT paperwork and none of them would know how to go about getting it even if their freedom counted on it. You'll find paperwork all over the ones with Felicia's on them which say they're owned by a man named Virgil. IF you know your DOT, all markings outside the truck have to correspond to ownership and licensing. AND, there's a real good chance ALL of them don't have proper insurance

IF you look at the last truck...the Ford 450. You're going to see a tank in the back of it. Chances are that tank is mislabeled for what's actually in it. The contents are going to be flammable and it's going to say it's corrosive. With as much water he puts in his latex paint to paint asphalt instead of sealing it, the odds of it actually burning are slim to none.”

He chuckled, “So you're saying it's not actual asphalt sealer.”

“No, black paint's cheaper. It's not worth anything, but there's no way I'd seal with it.”

“Anything else?”

“Let me think for a moment...You might run that last truck over some scales. I'm willing to bet you that he's WAY over what that truck's licensed to carry.”

“Ok, I'll have the State Patrol out there to the stop.”

“If you do, you might check the mud flaps on all of them and bumper heights. I'm not saying they're breaking the law...it's pretty evident when you see them that they are.”

He chuckled, “Ok...I think I've got enough to throw the book at them.”

“You've got enough to confiscate those trucks AND throw the book at them. I'm sure with the money you get from them at your Sheriff's auction, you'll smile.”

“Let the first one go?”

“Yeah. His dumb ass has threatened to kill me. You can check to be sure he has no weapons anywhere and do this....IF there's a man named Martin anywhere in the bunch, pull him out and arrest him as a sex offender who hasn't registered to travel through your county.

The odds are if you're not pulling them out of the truck damned fast, they're swallowing a helluva lot of meth or crack. That'd be good for a 72 hour hold in your strip cell for suspicion.”

“Will it be there?”

“If they're in the truck, it's there. That's what they do when they're out on the road.”

“So run a dog through?”

“Run a dog through anyway, but understand that dog's gonna hit on about everything inside that first Dodge. The amount of pot that's been smoked in and around that truck probably would be a bale as big as that truck.”

He laughed and I said, “Here's what I'd do...I'd not hit Virgil too hard, but pull him off to the side and tell him he's getting arrested just for being in the company of the people he's with....and tell him that if he's got any dope in that truck, to forget it and blame it on the ones who have the crack and meth.”

“You know all of them?”

“I've worked with all of them. Out of that bunch, Virgil's about the only decent one, but when put to the water test, he's gonna be a floater like all the rest....You’ll need to wipe after getting done with them.”

He laughed real loud, “Ok!”

“Can I make one other suggestion?”

“Yeah.”

“If there's a guy with the name Cyan Morton in the bunch, let him go...and here's why.

First of all, his Grandpa probably owns the liens on most of that equipment and yeah, there's MORE than enough money for him to lawyer up. Second of all, he's a good kid. He works hard and he hangs out with scum....sorta like me and some of my friends did at that age.

I'll get him back to his Grandpa in one piece and I'll have a sit down talk with his Grandpa about being sure everyone gets legitimate or they don't roll through your county.”

“I'd appreciate it.”

“He'll be obliged if you leave his Grandson alone....so he might ask to get his belongings out of the truck...but be careful and have the dog go through them IN the truck because those other two might've ditched something in his stuff.”

“If it's in his stuff, he gets arrested.”

“And IF you ask him the question like this...”IF I find some dope in that truck and they say it's your belongings it's been hidden in, are you going to claim it, or are you going to tell me it's their stuff?”

He'll tell you it's their stuff and he'll walk away from it...but here's where you're at an advantage.

Cyan has no record. They do....You'll run rap sheets and your dispatcher will take 20 minutes reading them....so sit down and get comfortable, but you MIGHT just have them handcuffed and leaning against the car spraddled because that's one uncomfortable stance for long.”

He laughed, “It sounds like you've done it!”

“Yeah, and my thoughts at that time was “Bitch, talk a little faster. I'm about to fall asleep and you're going through each count like you're a fuckin' bailiff or something!”

He laughed real loud, “I might just have her do that!”

“If you're having your drug dog go through their trucks while it's happening, you're going to have the most thorough search you've ever had!”

He laughed again ,“I bet!”

“Hang on a second, my pilot wants to tell me something.”

I went over and he said, “I've got license plate information if you need it. That way, he can have everything pulled up if he wants it.”

I asked, “Did you hear that?”

“Yeah, tell him to give it here.”

I handed the phone off and went over to Stu. “Are you ok?”

“Yeah. So what's up with Cyan whats his name? Your voice got softened when you spoke about him.”

“Cyan's a sweet guy. He's a Morton, so that means he's gorgeous as the day is long and hung like a stallion.”

“You know all of them?”

“My Mom damned near married his Dad. They dated for a long time and then, he said he didn't want to get married. She dumped him super fast and got together with my Dad.

I've ran around with Pete Sr., Pete Jr., Mike, and Cyan...All of them are super nice guys and all of them are hot enough to be models.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, you'll meet Cyan and think to yourself, “My God, that guy could make a fortune as a model and when you see him without clothes, you'll be like, “My God that guy could make a fortune takin' 'em off...”

“Hon, I'm not going to see him without clothes.”

“Bullshit. If he's down there, you'll see him without clothes just because he's that damned much of an exhibitionist! You'll look out and he'll be like, “OH man, I'm hot...I gotta take off this shirt.” and then, you'll hear him say, “Gotta put on some shorts....I hope you don't mind a Speedo on your crew!”

He laughed, “He's that bad???!”

“Hon, he's so damned good with it that you'll be wanting to throw dollar bills!”

He laughed real hard and Corey came over. “He wants to speak with you for a moment.”

I took the phone and Sheriff Patrick said, “From what I hear, your people might have them before they get here.”

“I've approved it, but to say I have selective memory of that is a different thing.

Just in case, I'm making plans....but here's the thing. IF they get through, I promise you they won't get through when my people ram them with those concrete trucks.”

“They won't get through. Any idea what they're going to do with them?”

“Here's what I know is going to happen to Fogle. He's going to be taken BACK up to Hannibal and put in his house and will sit there until Friday when I tear the som'bitch down around him.

I want that fucker KNOWING I'm psycho and thinking he's going to die before I drag him out into the middle of the street and beat him down again.”

“You know that's against the law.”

“And threatening my life is against the law also. And doing it AFTER he's been told I will not tolerate threats to me or to anyone I know is against his life expectancy. For him to act upon it and drive down to do it is well beyond what I will tolerate as a threat because that's acting upon the conspiracy....and yeah, him being within arm's reach of me...makes me irresponsible for my actions because I'm in fear of him....can't you tell?”

He laughed, “Ok!”

“My threshold to the limit I'll tolerate in any way of bullshit's been crossed when it comes to that man. He's ONLY acting upon it because he thinks all the rest of them can distract me while he plans on his attack. Well, I don't play that way... I'll kidnap his ass and scare the fuck out of him just so he understands that when I tell him that I'm not going to put up with something, it's evident than I'm not playing nice today when I said the other day that I wouldn't.

IF that's against the law, being that fuckin' stupid should be against human nature and he SHOULD be lucky I'm not crushing him in that truck when it makes it to Branson....”

“Ok. I understand.”

“Think about it this way...IF someone pisses you off today, then pisses you off tomorrow, and then routinely ups it a notch just to see how far you'll go before you blow and THEN after you blow, gathers a force to come kill you two days later...are you going to stay sane on him? OR are you going to show him you can be way more wicked than he ever thought about being?

Me, I've blown and I've blown and I've blown. It's gotten to the point that he thinks that's all there is to me. I'll tell you that's all there is when I'm fuckin' your son and want there to be another tomorrow.

Well, his son and I are no longer together and his son now knows the fuck overs he's received from his own father. The man was told to leave the other day and not to think about doing or saying anything.

He's been up there talking non-stop and now, he thinks he's gathered himself an army. Well, I guess it depends which side of the law you're standing on whether it's an army or a conspiracy?

Anyway, we're refueled and we're ready to get back in the air. I'll call you when I know something further.”

“I'll be here.”

I hung up. “Corey, that man's pissed because he's not involved now. His whole tone of voice changed.”

Corey said, “He can have the others. We want the one who's causing you problems.”

I dialed Sheriff Patrick back. “Hello?”

“Corey, my pilot, just said he wants the one causing me problems and that you get the others. We'll radio when they're near.”

“GOOD!”

I rang off and told Corey, “He's happy now!”

“I heard!”

“What I want to do since we're pretty much spinning our wheels up here and wasting time is I'd like to fly up to the Interstate 72/Highway 36 area and see the 60 mile project.

I know you don't know what that is, but I bought the company which is working on it and would like to see how much behind schedule it is.”

“We can do that.”

“I'd appreciate it.”

I dialed Tom Bronson. He answered and I asked, “Tom?”

“Yes.”

“I want to see if we can do a work change order to that interstate. What I'm going to do is I'm going to make it stronger, but at the same time, see if we can build it faster.

Who is on that so I can get to speak with him?”

“He'll be there Friday. I've gotten everyone who's involved planning on being there Friday. What's your plan?”

“First of all, I need to know if you've got the undergravel and the rebar in?”

“No, just the soil prepped in all the areas. Why?”

“I'm going to ask if we can put in asphalt instead of undergravel. Basicly, the only reason they want undergravel is so it doesn't settle and crack. IF it's sturdier and acts as another level of that concrete, it'll be stronger.”

“It'll add to the cost.”

“Not for us. Yeah, we're going to have the expense of the asphalt, but not the gravel and sand.”

He was quiet for a moment and asked, “How do you intend on doing it?”

“Taking a portable and rolling it so that we're dumping everything in and putting it right into the pavers. It'll go on hot and we'll roll right ahead of the concrete, but we can go right in and put the shoulders in now and pour concrete in between.”

“You're going to need something to put the rebar ties into.”

“Not if we use fiberglass reinforced concrete.”

“That's WAY expensive!”

“Right now, I'm doing all I can to think around the box you've built us. I realize it's expensive, but if I can get some variances, I can get us through to the other end.

I don't THINK we're going to be in a pickle, but give us a bunch of rain and we're going to be in severe problems. I can lay asphalt in the rain, but I sure as hell can't lay gravel and mud it in.”

“True.”

“I know I've got people who can lay asphalt damned fast. I've got the machinery and I've got everything we need, but what about your slip forming machinery? Is it operable?”

“We've got several pieces leased and it's all operable. Then, we've got another which is a bit older and has been known to breakdown, but that's a Perkins diesel for you.”

“Do you have the mechanics available to put a new one in?”

“Yes.”

“Let's get one ordered and installed. I've got some leased myself and will be bringing all my available manpower up from Joplin, Springfield, and Branson.

I've YET to call Skip at the bank to see how everything's going in regards to the purchasing of the St. Pete. Inn, but I plan on housing them there. I realize the pool and sauna area isn't fit to live due to smoke damage, but it shouldn't be that much to get it remodeled and usable.”

“I've been out there as have my sons Tyler and Laramie. From what I've seen, it's NOT that big of a problem. It looks terrible, and the metal for the walkways above that (sauna) door is warped causing the walk above to be all twisted and canted, but if you ask me, I'd cut that walk off and build a new walkway which is free standing rather than being cantilevered out from the wall.

What I've seen is the smoke damage...Their problem is they built it so it's all indoors and have that atrium. All the glass is smoked and everything has a tendency to drain to the pool which is where that sludge from the fire went.

It's going to take a trash pump to pump out that pool and then it can be Shop Vacuumed, but I doubt if the brick is damaged. It's just going to take power washing and keeping the ShopVac filling in that pool.”

“So maybe a week at tops?”

“May I offer a suggestion?”

“Yeah.”

“It's rustic in theme right now. There are several ways to go. That walkway can be built reusing bricks and covering up steel, but right now, steel can be built if you use metal shelving units bought and making wooden floor walkways.

Really, I don't even know why you'd need it because all that's up there is an arcade/pool hall and some storage rooms which used to be old man Pennewell's offices.”

“Interesting, because my Dad bought Mr Pennewell's farms and I'm buying his businesses now.”

“The Mark Twain Dinette and the Twainland Express are for sale.”

“I might just take Stu down there Friday and if he's not dead from the heart failure of their prices, he might see it for the investment.”

He chuckled, “They ARE high priced, that's for sure!”

(Author's note: It's a Maid-Rite franchise. 3 ounces of scrambled hamburger on a bun is $3.99...that's the same amount of meat as a double cheese burger at McDonald's. The 6 ounce with a bit bigger bun is nearly $7.00.)

I asked, “Have you seen 'Trip Advisor' on the web? It says “McDonald's would be better!” and lots of people lambasted it.

For me, the price is terrible. When I think about $12 for one person, I'd better be sitting in a much nicer restaurant.

It USED to be nice when they remodeled and then, they built those plywood boxes they call booths which are big enough for six and yet, so tight to sit in I was squeezed between the table and the back.

My Dad couldn't fit in it. They had to get a chair and put him at the end!”

“He's not a big guy at all! How'd they do it for overweight people!”

“Sit 'em in the smoking section. That's why everyone complains.

For me, it'd have to be brought back to the old way of things before they built all those booths. Then, I'd have to go back to 1982 pricing because all I've ever known was high prices there for as long as I've been alive.” (The booths aren't normal booths. They're made from plywood and look about as cheap as they sound. Routinely, diners get splinters from them as there's no pads.)

“I've not went that often. I DID go when they first remodeled and thought it was quite nice.”

“It was. Go there now and you'd be horrified at what they did to the place. They took out all those nice tables and chairs and built booths everywhere to fit more people.”

“Oh no....”

“For me, I'd rather go to Logue's. It has the same feel they had and tables and chairs.”

“We usually eat at Fiddlestiks, TJ's, or Lullabelle's.”

“All of those are nice, but Fiddlestiks is noisy as hell during lunch. That's why I requested the banquet room, so we can shut all that out.”

“I agree, but it's the closest to the office and that's why I tend to go there.”

“I understand.”

“What are you going to be doing with these offices?”

“We're keeping a division office up there. I'm THINKING about having all the accounting in Springfield and having everything for our planning in the Ord offices, but I'm also seriously considering a build of new corporate offices here in Branson so we've got everything under one roof.

I realize that'll be a stretch for up there, but not really with all the computerization we can have moving information around and putting things on plasmas so it's seen like bulletin boards and having the ability for conferences to be held with our field managers.

For me, I've got the jets and the helicopter and right now, I'm about to head up there to see the 60 mile project and see what we're facing.”

“It's going to be a somewhat easier pour than you'd expect. The bridges and on ramps are poured. The retaining walls and barriers are poured as are the guttering and off road enhancements.”

“Good, that'd slow us down big time.”

“Do you mind if I have Laramie call you? He can look over the contract we've got and tell you what variables we can consider.”

“That's not a problem.”

“Off the record, I HEAR some news in regards to Huntington which MIGHT be what you are doing.”

“What's that?”

“I spoke with someone who said he thinks the Cruikshank's portion sold. From what I hear, the person paid enough the others are seriously throwing offers to see if the person will buy their shares for that price.”

“I'll do so gladly.”

“Can I pass that along?”

“Do so, I'll be happy to have all of it I can get.”

“I'll tell you now that I can't speak with Letterer's wife. She hold's a grudge from years ago and wouldn't speak with me at all.”

“How much does she hold?”

“30%...I know she'd be willing to sell it because it's not doing her any good since he passed away and I don't think the investment is paying her enough to be worth anything to her.”

“I'll call her. My Mom and she are friends...of sorts. She's a bit distant even with my Mom because my Mom and Dad were friends with his first wife and him when they were married.”

“That's to whom I'm referring. His new wife didn't get much when he passed...he had it Willed to the first.”

“Ooh, I bit that pissed the 'gold digger' off!”

He laughed, “Is that what you think of the new one?”

“Tom, let me tell you how she is...When my Grandmother passed away, she was working at the bank and I went in to handle the business of my trust and all that.

That day, she was wearing a zippered sweater which zipped all the way from here to there...and to say it was tight is an understatement and to say she wasn't wearing a bra should tell you that you could see nipples and everything through the material.

I'll tell you I was grubby as hell and sitting there wondering if my ass had asphalt on it and whether I was going to stain the leather of the chair, so you know I wasn't looking none too good.”

“Yeah, I've had days like that...”

“Well, here's how it went...For the first hour, we worked on this and she didn't know I was inheriting $400 grand because I didn't either.

After we figured out that's how much it'd be and that I'd have the house and everything debt free and still have over $370,000, that zipper started working it's way down.”

He started laughing.

“By the time it was time for us to break for lunch, she was hanging her boobs over the table doing all she could because the zipper was damned near to her navel.”

He really laughed.

“That's when I said, “Uhh hon, I'm gay and your zipper's coming down....” and she got embarrassed. Since then, I've called her the 'zipper girl'....but I'll tell you that's not the only one who's done that.”

“Really???”

“Have your sons go get their eyes tested out at Walmart. This girl is beautiful and she wears what looks like Hillary Clinton business suits, but she keeps her shirt undone enough that when she sits down to have you look through the thing so she can stare into your eye and adjust the thing to get a prescription, she lifts 'em up and she might as well have the eye chart there because that's all you see from there on out.

Now, I'm gay and I'm like, “My God!” so you know it's bad.

I told a friend of mine about it and he thought I was lying, but I went in for a check up and took him. Sure enough, he saw that happening and did all he could to keep from laughing, but it's a bit much when you were a breastfed kid because you see that and she asks, “Read me that line” and you're going 'num num, nuk nuk!”

He busted out laughing, “You're a nut!” He paused, “Listen, Laramie is out there on the project over by Brookfield.”

“It's CLEAR over by Brookfield?”

“That's a different project. We're not behind on that one. Our problem one is between Monroe City and Macon.”

“Ok...”

“What I was going to say is I can have Laramie fly with you guys and show you what is what. You can land right there on the job and I could have him turn on his strobe so you'd know where he is.”

“Let me ask my pilot.”

I turned to Corey. “I'm on the phone with the guy who I'm buying the construction company from. He'd like to know if we could land on an unfinished highway and pick up his son to show us a project. It's not anywhere near a traveled highway as that goes a different direction over there.”

“Tell him I can do it, but I'm not going to be responsible for debris which gets blown up or around. If it damages this chopper, we're grounded.”

I thought ,“Tom, we're going to try it. Tell Laramie he's to stand clear because there will probably be debris blown up until we're set down. I'd rather see what problems there are first hand rather than guessing on Friday.”

“Ok, I'll give him a call.”

“We're in Columbia now, so it won't be that long for us to get there. Cross country, we're probably 40 or 50 miles from where he is.”

“I'll give him a call.”

I rang off ,“He's over by Brookfield. We're going to be going to Highway 65 and going North. IF you cut up Northeast, we'll get there in no time.”

He gave a nod, “I've flown to Chillecothe many times. That's where Mr Zangerlese is from.”

“Tom Zangerlese?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know him?”

“He's one of our clients.”

“My God, what's he doing now?”

He smiled, “He's buying and selling plutonium and making a fortune.”

I smiled, “Ok, it's good to hear he's doing good.”

He chuckled, “Did you know him before he got wealthy?”

I calmed myself, “I knew him when he asked me if I wanted to get into the stripping with him...if that's what you mean.”

He chuckled, “He's damned good looking and built.”

Stu asked, “Who?”

“It's a guy I used to work with asphalting. He's Italian and is known for the size of his cock.....let's just say a foot long pounder hot dog is what he's working with....but he's Italian and built like a brick shit house.

We worked together for four months and he thought I was fit and toned enough that I could've went into stripping when he put together his troupe of guys and started stripping.

Now, he's wealthy enough selling plutonium that he can afford a pilot.”

Stu asked, “Where's he getting plutonium?”

Corey said, “Southeastern Missouri. They found a source while drilling water wells which wasn't worth much until this new style of oil drilling happened. Now they can go in like they're drilling for oil and fracture the rock and pull it up like it's a slurry...It's something like 70% plutonium and making poor folks down there who are leasing their land overnight millionaires.

It's safe to say that if Mr Zangerlese comes knocking on your door, it's not IF you are a millionaire, but that you're already one and don't know it. From what I've heard, if you own a small farm down there, you're a multimillionaire and if you own a large one, you're going to be nearly a billionaire. People who couldn't afford a used car last year are driving Cadillacs and Rolls Royces this year...go figure.”

I shook my head, “I'm glad he's being honest with them, but that's the way he is....He's one of the most fun loving people I know.”

He smiled, “Did you know him in any other way?”

I shook my head, “No! As I said, I only knew him for a few months and that's when I first started.”

Corey smiled, “He and I were partnered for about 6 years.”

I looked shocked, “REALLY!”

He chuckled, “Yeah, I imagine you're asking how I took it all!”

“No, I was going to ask how you put up with him stripping!”

He shook his head, “He wasn't stripping when we met.”

“Oh ok! I don't think I could handle it if my partner were a stripper. Call me selfish, but I'd prefer to have what's private be private between us.

Yeah, I realize everyone has their pasts, but I'd prefer to forget all that and leave it in the past.

Now, call it a double standard, but here's what's ironic....IF I were a stripper and he were a stripper, it'd be different...isn't that strange?”

He and Stu laughed, “Yeah.”

I shook my head, “Well, you've got FINE tastes in men, that's for sure!”

Stu smiled, “So you're saying you would've if you could've?”

“No, to be honest, his build didn't excite me at all. He's fine, but I don't like 'em muscled like that. He's fine from the neck down and I'll admit that, but from the neck up, he's a helluva lot finer....especially what's inside his head and heart.”

Corey nodded, “I agree. It wasn't him who split us up.”

“What was it then?”

“His mother came to live with us. She's a bitch.”

I'm sure I looked surprised, “What the hell happened to his Dad!”

“He passed away from a heart attack.”

“My God, that had to've ripped Tom's heart out! They were SUPER close!”

Corey nodded, “Yeah, and in his grief, he invited her to come live with us. I tolerated it and tolerated it and finally, I told him, “I'm not going to ask you to choose between us, but I'm not giving you the option of having me stay. I hope some day you can find someone who will love you both, but I don't love her at all...She's mean, vile, manipulative, and disgusting and those are just the nice things I can say.”

I said those things in front of her and him both and then, while I was getting called names and dealing with her being in my face, I packed. He didn't even have the consideration to tell her to stay back.

Finally, I packed what meant the most to me ,“Tom, you can pack the rest and if this bitch touches my stuff, I'll sue the both of you. I fully expect there will be beer and whatever she's drinking spilled on my things, and when that happens, I'll not wash a thing, it'll be drug into court and it'll be used as evidence.

You COULD HAVE asked her to give me the privacy and didn't...That tells you why I'm leaving.” and left.

I shook my head, “I don't get it. He couldn't stand his Mom!”

He nodded, “I know. One second he's cussing her on the phone like she's a dog and the very next day, he's inviting her to live with us. I was like, “WHAT! ARE YOU INSANE!”

I turned to Stu, “Everything he's said about the woman is the truth. I could tell you some things Tom had told me in privacy about the way he was abused and you'd puke.”

Corey said, “The toast?”

I turned, “Yeah.”

Corey said, “He told me that and I DID PUKE!”

Stu asked, “What about it?”

I shook my head, “Hon, I'll have Corey tell you. When you go running to that ditch upchucking your lunch, you're going to hate a woman you don't even know so bad that you'll race me to punching the bitch in her face.”

Corey laughed, “Oh hon, I was there....believe me! It took every ounce of resolve I possess not to!”

Stu said, “Just tell me!”

I said, “I'm going to call Skip. You two talk.”

I went over and dialed Skip. He answered, “Hello?”

“It's me, how goes it!”

“Slow and steady. You now own the St. Pete. Inn.

I'm working on the Cruikshanks but don't know how it's faring.”

“Well, they're telling people it's sold. I was hoping it's you.”

“Then they're milking me for more money.”

“Tell 'em it's the final offer and while you're doing that, I need Lana Letterer's phone number.”

“OH! Do you think you can get her shares?”

“I know her enough I think if I ask, I can get them.”

I watched at Stu took off running and didn't make it to the end of the tarmac before he was puking.

(The story is this...Tom's Italian...He had a severe acne problem and his bitch of a mother chose to pick at his face over breakfast and FORCED him to sit there and tolerate it.

When she'd get an oozing pimple, she wipe it on his toast. She'd say, “Now eat your pizza...FACE!”

All that came to a head one day....literally...when his Dad found out and slugged the woman so hard it broke her jaw. He cussed Tom for tolerating it and told him that if his mother ever did that bullshit to him again he had full rights to beat her down like a dog.

Tom being the nice guy he was wouldn't do that and she chose to violate him in MANY other ways.

Fortunately, his Dad was smart enough to get him to a dermatologist which gave him a real good antibiotic and cream which did miracles. There were some scars, but his skin was real clear after that...BUT...he was super tanned because he used tanning booths AND working outside to keep his skin dried and clear.)

Stu finished, stood up, and stalked over to the chopper and wiped himself with a napkin. I asked, “Are you ok?”

He glared ,“Yeah, but you're right...you'll have to race me on that day!” His face crumpled and I could tell he was tearful.

Skip said, “Here's her number. She's home most all the time. I think she's only known to go out in public with your Mom and a few chosen friends. The only time I've EVER seen her out at night was with your Mom and Dad.”

“It's going to take me handling her with kid gloves to get it, but you tell the Cruikshanks that IF they're reporting to people you've over paid, they need to shut their fuckin' mouths. Our advantage is they're telling other shareholders who are now saying that if you'll pay them that much per share, they'll gladly sell.”

“Really?”

“I heard it from Tom Bronson just a second ago. He's making some calls to those shareholders himself.”

“Interesting....it's good to hear this from someone who's hearing what I haven't. They've told me they've got to decide and that it might go up for auction.”

“Bullshit. They're bragging and the second they realize I'm the other shareholder and they want to run a fraudulent auction, I'll fracture that son of a bitch apart into so many pieces with lawsuits, they'll own what USED to be a quarry!

You just tell them that Mark is going to be laying out a lawsuit the second an auction is decided and that was your final offer. I'll sit on it, but you just be prepared to go full speed on that cement plant because I've got to have rock!”

“The cement plant has a board meeting at the beginning of the month. They've received our offer and it has to wait until then.”

“Bullshit....you tell that CEO or CFO that he CAN convene a board as soon as he receives an offer. Maybe he doesn't know his bylaws as much as me, but you tell him that's his DUTY and the second I'm made to wait, I'm going to fire that man!

We could be in CLOSING at the beginning of the month and taking possession!”

“If you'd like to speak with him, you may.”

“I'll do so. Let me have his number.”

He gave it to me and gave me the man's name. I said, “Ok, I'll call.”

“It's not going to behoove you to upset them. They ARE the sellers and you're the buyer.”

“And THEY are the one who is making their creditors sweat....What did you offer?”

“$140.”

“I'll offer $155 and tell him I'm going to contact the largest shareholders to let them know he's not convening the meeting. THEN, I'm going to tell him the second he decides to wait until the beginning of the month, that offer goes back to $140.”

“That would probably get it.”

“I'll fire the man anyway for the decision to wait right now. His responsibility is to his shareholders. Had I not wanted it so much, we'd walked. Now I'm gonna play rough.”

“I was worried how you'd react.”

“Now you know. You need to understand I'm using that as a gauge to see what construction and concrete companies are in trouble and can be bought. If they're late on a payment, I'm going to be staring at them to see if they're in trouble. If not, I know all is good.”

“Interesting...I hadn't thought of that!”

“Use what you've got to see...Little things mean a lot when you're dealing in business.”

“I'm going to ask you if you'd be interested in a different company.”

“Possibly. What is it?”

“Leighton is interested in selling IF it's to you.”

“I'm interested IF it's including the property, concrete, construction, AND that quarry out there behind the old headquarters. Because it's a quarry and it's on their asset sheet, it should be able to be quarried right now. Them owning that lands all around it up on that hill should be fine....AND, you tell them that if I'm buying that waste site which used to be where they made the dynamite, I'll do so, but you'd best understand I'll clean it up by running it through an asphalt plant and burning it.”

“What made that place a waste site in the first place?”

“Ok, here's what they did and then, you're going to understand it was a mess from the word go.

Because it was the original quarry, and it drained out and down that dry creek if it rained, they found it to be suitable for mixing the ingredients for dynamite.

They did so and if you go back in there, you'll find there's a bunch of long wooden warehouses built up on pilings which...if you must know....I could film a concentration camp scene and not have to change a thing.”

“Really?”

“That's what I thought it was the first time I saw it. Then, I saw the mining equipment and thought, “Man, they used this as a mine and had people from the war working here!” and then, I found out it was all storage for the ingredients to make dynamite and they needed wood building so no sparks would happen.”

“OH!”

“Well, what happened is the stuff went from being shipped to them in wooden kegs to being shipped in burlap bags....ALL of them porous.

The wood rooves leaked and got into those kegs and bags and when OSHA inspected, they called in another inspector who checked the floors and under those buildings and declared it contaminated and shut 'em down.

What you'll learn is somewhere around here, there are four guys who have some form of paralysis from that ground. The stuff leached into them as they lifted those kegs and bags and paralyzed them. That's why OSHA was there in the first place.”

“I never knew this!”

“Hush hush'ed....they settled out of court and fucked those guys by not paying them that much.”

“Where's this located?”

“Ok, drive out there to the old headquarters and right before you get to the fences, you're going to see an old road which goes back to a pipe gate. IF you go on back up in that ravine, you'll get to the old quarry and where all that's located.”

“Oh ok!”

“Some of the best damned mushroom hunting on this planet is right in that ravine...but beware because there's mountain lion tracks all over the place on those hillsides.....I'll tell you I outsmarted them and would trade them tit for tat....I'd go buy a five gallon bucket of chicken livers and gizzards and let it thaw and then, I'd open it out on around the bend and let it scent the air with the blood. THEN, I'd go hunting.

It never failed that I'd go back to get the bucket and it'd be devoured....A few times I saw the she cat.”

“Oh man, that'd be dangerous!”

“Nah, they're as afraid of you as you are of them. If they're hungry, you'd better watch out, but the way I see it, there's enough wildlife there it's not going to be a problem. I mean, if I can trip over lots of rabbits and squirrels, they've got plenty to eat.”

“...But still.”

Corey motioned and I said, “You're going to hear the chopper starting up here, so I better get off here.”

“Ok, make those calls and I'll be glad to hear what you find out. I'll be dealing with the Cruikshanks.”

We rang off and I got in. Stu said, “Good conversation?”

“One which sort've pisses me off, but I'm making a call now.”

I dialed the number and when the guy answered, I said, “Hi, I recently had Skip Barnes call you and make an offer.”

“Oh, ok, it's you who he was referring!”

“I'm telling you the bylaws of your corporation right now. As you being the primary financial officer, it's your duty to convene a board meeting when an offer has been made. I'll sweeten the offer to $155 if it's convened, but if we've got to wait until the beginning of the month, it's going to be back to $140.”

“I've been told by the board not to convene any meetings.”

“I'm telling you I know two of them and I'm about to make a couple of calls. I think you and I BOTH know that me being the buyer that if I don't get that meeting convened, you're fired as soon as I take ownership.

If I were you, I'd think of the future of having an owner who can AFFORD the place and pay it's bills rather than a bunch who can't seem to get things done.

Personally, I know what the problem is there and I know how to get it turned around....and IF I've got to start my own short line railroad, you can best be damned well advised that's what I'll do.”

“I'm not sure why it's not making as much.”

“You've got people who would buy rail cars full of the stuff, but can't afford to send a truck. When they hear it's going to take them putting a truck on their asset sheet, hire a driver, and pay for the fuel, it's not economically feasible.

Many of these places have sidings they can put a rail car or few on and it sitting there being unused is senseless....so they buy from sources which WILL ship to them.

Right now, you're seeing a LOT of the ones who WILL do business with the place hiring Gully Shipping to get their cement from the place. If Gully can afford the trailers, it would seem that we certainly can, but somehow, you guys found that to be impractical and sold off the equipment from your trucking company...which was beyond stupid....that financially is what sliced your own throats!

Now, if it's financial worries, you know I can afford it. If it's you being worried about whether they're going to appreciate being inconvenienced, I'll inconvenience the whole lot of you when I put you all out the door after it's bought.

Just the same, they're going out the door. It's being taken private and will be absorbed into my company.”

“It's worth a lot more.”

“It's worth whatever it'll take to buy it! They can hold out for more and I'll wait until they're out of business and get it for HALF the valuation!

You know as well as me the second you go out of business, it's going to take a ticker tape parade through hell to get the government to allow it to be reopened as a quarry and mine. You're at those doors right now and it'd seem you knowing the condition of the books that if I KNOW you're going to be out of business by New Year's, a lot of others do also.”

He was silent and I said, “No, I didn't hear that from Skip Barnes, I heard that while getting my hair cut from one of the officers of your company.”

“Who?”

“I'll allow that to be known the second I take ownership. Now, let's keep the doors open and let's get that meeting convened for Friday afternoon at Fiddlestiks. I'll book it, but you best know that if I've got an empty room, I'm going to have your pink slip handed to you in front of those fuckers at the same time I'm asking to see the books...in front of them before I make the offer.

Now does that sound like I know how bad of shape financially it's in? OR are you trying to hide that from them?”

“They won't listen to me. I'm making it a purposeful thing that I get the financial statement made a part of the minutes of the meetings so that when it's out of money, they can't say it was me who wouldn't tell them.”

“Convene them. I can't ask you how bad it is, but if you've been telling them, it's time for them to wake up. The second their creditors would've heard that, you'd all be drug up on charges!

I won't fire you if you get this done, but I'm telling you now that the second you EVER withhold information or the second I'm too fuckin' busy to hear something, you punch me in the nuts and when I'm down, you yell in my ear I'm being a dumb fuck!

Now, it's up to them if they won't sell but I'm going to go from that meeting on Friday right to the press with an announcement. Either it's that I've bought, or that I offered and they are in sad shape financially and for the creditors to beware. If I can't get them, you'd better know I'll start nailing the coffin lid shut. And yes, as soon as I hear I've not gotten it, I'm going to be on the phone with the Attorney General's office.”

“I'll convene them, you just get it bought.”

“Will it sell for $140?”

“It's the only offer they've got!”

“That's what they bought it for, so I thought it'd be the price to offer.”

“They've added improvements.”

“Yeah, and let that be the penalty they pay for being so stupid as to operate it the way they have. I know if I offer $155, it's right at what they've got in it...but that's ONLY if we're closing by the beginning of the month!”

“Make the offer for both. If they know the ramifications, I think they'll take it...but you're going to need to infuse in some capital for us to make it beyond July.”

I exhaled. “How much?”

“We're losing about $17 million a week. Our orders will take us until July, but if they don't pick up soon, we're not going to make it beyond that and going into the off season is NOT a possibility. I'm figuring that for us to make it until September, we're going to have to sell off some assets.”

“Ok, take the offer to $100 and $140 if they sell on Friday. I'll keep you on, but we're going to have to do a lot of finagling to get it to where I want it. I realize we can't raise prices because they're already where the market is, so either we start doing something creative or we stop selling concrete.

I'll tell you before we stop selling cement, we're going to start packaging it different and selling it at Walmart. I realize our problem currently is we're competing against ourselves, but selling it in bags is sorta outta style. It gets hard and solid in bags and once it's opened, it's gotta be used.

I'm thinking we sell it in 5 gallon buckets. I'm not sure how much you get of a bag in it, but maybe we can do that and get a customer to buy it.

Other than that, what do we offer in ways of discounts?”

“None than I know of.”

“As soon as I buy this, I want you on the billing department sending fliers and pamphlets to every concrete company in the world advertising two things. You advertise that we're giving a 10% discount for all contract buyers and a 25% for all first time orders.

What I'm going to tell you is this...IF that order comes in which is a first time buyer, I expect us to break the bank on finding a way to get it to them quicker than the other guys. I don't care if we have to have it flown in a jet, I want that stuff getting to them so quick that they're wondering how in the hell they missed ordering with us all this time. Whatever we do, I want follow up from them people. I want us there and advertising they bought with us and how they liked their product.

Also, IF someone's canceled their orders or has stopped ordering with us in the last 15 years, I want the name of that company sent to me directly and a personal phone number of the owner. I'll sell to those people directly.”

He chuckled, “Man!”

“Hey, it's business lost and me getting it back. IF I gotta go and sit down with them over coffee or learn Portuguese or Swahili, I'll do what it takes to find out what pissed 'em off so bad and to beg for them to try us again.

You don't know it, but I'm the customer everyone hates because I'll tell you to your face what pisses me off and exactly how fast I'm move my business elsewhere if I'm continued to be allowed to be pissed off. The way I see it, the squeaky wheel gets the oil, but it take a pretty dense motherfucker to realize he's lost a wheel and goes on.”

He laughed and I saw Stu smiling. I said, “Ok, you call 'em and let me know if you've got 'em coming in.”

“I will.”

I hung up and dialed Fiddlestik's number by memory. When the phone got answered I asked for the banquet room to be booked on Friday. The girl said, “I'm sorry, it's reserved.”

I said, “Hon, I reserved it. It should be reserved for Bronson Construction, is it not?”

“It is.”

“We're only using one room, but I want both rooms reserved. I'll be holding two meeting simultaneously and need both of them. One will be for the cement plant and the other will be for Bronson Construction.”

“They're not owned by the same company.”

“Hon, this is Jeremy Blue. I own Bronson Construction now. I'm meeting with the board of the cement company on Friday to do the purchase of it there. I WILL OWN it by the time I'm finished with that meeting or they'll be sorry when I'm standing in front of the press at that time. And yes, I'll be using that room as a press conference also.”

“Let me have you speak with the manager.”

“Do you have it booked for me already?” I was speaking to myself...I'd been put on hold!

The manager came on. I said, “This is Jeremy Blue.”

“Oh hi Jeremy! This is Carla!”

“Hey babe! The girl didn't understand a word I had to say....You seriously need to tell her to put her finger in the other ear so shit will stay in.”

She laughed, “What can I do for ya!”

“Ok, as I was telling her, I need both rooms on Friday.”

“They're booked.”

“Honey, put your finger in the other ear.”

She said, “Why?”

“So you can hear me clearly.”

“I understood you and it's booked!”

“I booked it. It's booked to Bronson Construction. Right?”

“Yes.”

“I own that now.”

“REALLY!”

“Yeah. On Friday, I'm taking possession. With some luck, I'll be taking of quite a number of things on Friday also.

I believe he ordered for us to have one room. I need the other room booked for me to hold a meeting with the cement plant at the same time. In THAT meeting, I'll be doing the purchase of IT.”

“Ok, so you want both banquet rooms?”

“Yes. Now, what got that girl in a tizzy is I told her I'd have press there to do a press conference at that time. YOU can have something behind me to get the publicity, but I plan on having newspapers, television, and whatever there to make the announcements....Lord knows if I'm spending damned near a quarter of a billion, I better be able to tell SOMEONE about it!”

She laughed, “You could tell me how you got that much money!”

“Hon, I'd love to tell you I blew the balls off of a man by the name of Reddington, but you'd think I was referring to the Prosecuting Attorney and there'd be no way. My Mr Reddington is from Branson and has prettier balls.”

She laughed, “They're all nasty!”

“Nah, look down at your shoes. If your balls ain't polishin' the fuckin' things, you bought new underwear! You've got more than most men put together!”

She laughed real loud, “You asshole!”

“Anyone who'd throw mashed potatoes on a customer who's involved in an argument with his boyfriend deserves a back pat in my book. That was one for the records.”

“The man mentioned the word bitch at the table when I was there. I REALLY thought he was referring to me!”

I laughed, “No, he was referring to me...but I'm glad you did that because THAT argument was over those mashed potatoes.”

“Why?”

“Ok, here's the deal....He had this thing about eating. That night, he said all he wanted was mashed potatoes. I told him Fiddlestiks has the best in town, so we went out there to eat.

When we got there, he ordered EVERYTHING BUT mashed potatoes and that instantly had me pissed because he was being a bitch.

When I ordered, I made it a point of ordering a baked potato AND mashed potatoes because he was going to eat them whether he liked it or not by that point.

When they were forgotten, if you remember I said, “Make 'em to go. He'll get 'em for breakfast, lunch, and supper until I'm done being pissed!

That's when he called me the fuckin' bitch and you went and got the throwable kind. When you threw 'em, I was like, “Yup, you got your fuckin' mashed potatoes the way I wanted you to...prick!”

She laughed and Stu was really smiling. She said, “He was a drama queen. I hope you're done with him.”

“Done with him and moved on. I couldn't tell you WHAT his nuts looked like, but this one's are gold plated...with little diamonds spelling out 'For Jeremy Only”.”

She laughed, “You're a nut....No, really, how'd you get the money?”

“Doc passed away and I inherited it.”

“OH, I heard he passed and that there's not going to be a funeral or memorial service.”

“He didn't want one. A lot of people disagree with that, but I had to abide by the man's wishes.”

“I'm glad you got it.”

“I'm glad too, but please try to keep food off my other half this time!”

She laughed, “Tell him not to call you or me a bitch and we'll be fine!”

“He won't. Now, I need to ask you a question.”

“Sure.”

“Has Lana Letterer been in there today?”

“She's here now.”

“Would you tell her she'll be receiving a phone call from me.”

“Would you like for me to have her come to the phone?”

“No, I'm going to need her in a quiet area to speak. Whoever's doing those dishes in the background sounds like he's breaking the hell out of them.”

“He is...those are our chipped ones. We break 'em before we put 'em in the dumpster so no one can pull them out and reuse them.”

“Ok, I was thinking...Man, when's she gonna throw that guy out! He's the worst dishwasher I'd ever heard!”

She laughed, “Kid, you're crazy! I'll go tell her to go to our side porch as she's going to receive a phone call on her cell.”

“I'd appreciate it.”

She said, “Whatever you're doing, you sound like you're in a helicopter!”

“I am. We're flying from Columbia to Brookfield right now to pick up Laramie Bronson”

“Now there's a babe, but I think he swings for your team.”

“If he does, I'll let you know. If he doesn't, I'll steer him clear.”

“Now listen, I've not cussed a customer in a long time!”

I laughed, “I'll let you know....”

“I'll go tell her. You're probably doing her a favor because she's having her Bridge Club here.”

“Yuck.”

“Do you play?”

“Hon, if you do, let me know what I missed. My Grandma loved the game and I couldn't ever figure it out....”

“Me neither.”

“Ok, I'll give you a reprieve and give her a few minutes.”

I hung up and waited a minute and dialed Lana's cell number. When she answered, I said, “Lana? This is Jeremy Blue.”

“Oh Heavens. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah, Mom had a heart attack, but they put a stint in and she got out of the hospital yesterday.”

“HERE?”

“No, down in Branson.”

“Oh, I never heard about it. IS she ok?”

“Yeah, you know how it goes....wild sex and my Dad being a beast and all that...”

She laughed, “You lying sack of.... You had me going there!

“Nah, she really had a heart attack, but didn't want anyone to know....She was afraid of stirring everyone up.”

“Well, I'll give her a tongue lashing later.”

“The reason I'm calling is this....You own 30% of Huntington Stone. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“Are you interested in selling?”

“I don't know. Is it worth anything?”

“It is to me, but the Cruikshanks would have you think otherwise the way they run things.”

“I never saw eye to eye with that man.”

“Here's what I'm paying Cruikshank for his 51%. I'm paying $40 million. For your 30%, I'll pay you $15 million.”

“My God!”

“Are you interested?”

“Sweet Jesus...YES!”

“Ok, on Friday, I'll be up there at Fiddlestiks having a luncheon in the back there. You're invited because Mom and Dad and a lot of people will be there for me to announce that I've bought Bronson and quite possibly Huntington as well as the cement plant.”

“Ok, wait a minute....Where'd you get this sort of money...”

“Doc passed and I inherited everything.”

“So it was you who got everything!”

“Now you know....”

“Who from the board at the cement plant have you spoke with yet? I'm not on it and haven't heard a thing.”

“How much do you own?”

“20%.”

“I'll give you the good news and the bad news. The good news is I'm offering to buy. The bad news is this....IF you've been going to the board meetings and you've not been allowing the CFO to speak, you should have.”

“I don't go to those things.”

“You should have. You're probably thinking your 20% is worth something and I'm telling you now the books say you'll be lucky if it's open by July 1^st.”

“WHAT!”

“You heard me. They're hemorrhaging money and no one's wanting to listen to the man. I'm offering them $140 if they'll meet there on Friday. If they refuse, I'm offering $100 at the board meeting. Your 20% is worth $28 million on Friday, but only $20 at the beginning of May and by July 1^st, it's going to be worthless.”

“How are they losing money?”

“They've lost customers. They shut that trucking company. And they don't have the ability to haul out towards St. Louis by rail. In order for them to haul out to St. Louis, it takes a whole lotta maneuvering and all that's going to cost you money.”

“You're offering $140 for it by Friday?”

“Yeah hon. We'll make the offer on Friday and by the beginning of the month, we'll be closing and you'll have your money for both sets of shares.”

“I'll vote mine to sell to you. I had no idea what any of that was worth, but I'm glad to know I can get something for it.

Now, do you want me to have 'Tunia Gardner speak to you? She's got some of the cement plant and some of the Stone company also.”

“Is that one of the Gardners from Quincy?”

“Yes. She and her brother are one of the last remaining who are still alive. Both have shares in both, but not that many.”

“Sure, I'll speak with her.”

“One moment...”

It sounded like she walked through the entire restaurant and when she got to the table, she said, “Tunia, it's Jeremy Blue. He needs to speak with you. Go to the powder room, it's quiet in there.”

I chuckled and Tunia asked, “How do you speak into one of these things!”

She said, “Just put it up to your ear like this...”

I heard Tunia say, “Hello?”

“Hi Tunia, this is Jeremy Blue. I was told you have shares of Huntington Stone and the cement plant I could buy.”

“I'm not interested in selling dear.”

“Ok, you and I will be partners then. I'm trying to help you not to lose your money.”

“What's going on that I'll lose my money?”

“By July 1^st, the cement plant will be out of business if it's ran the way it is now.”

“My man hasn't mentioned this to me.”

“Ask your man if the Financial Officer has asked to speak at those meetings and he's told him not to speak? IF he had listened, he'd heard they're losing money to the point that someone's going to have to come up with $68 million a month to keep it open.”

“WHAT!”

“Yes ma'am....Ask to get minutes of the meetings. You'll see it's all been there and no one's wanted to listen.

On July 1^st, he's going to have to start selling assets in order to keep it open. By September, there won't be anything left...It'll be broke and that's when he's gotta slap the padlocks on it.

I'm offering to buy it, but when they won't sell, I'll wait and buy the assets for about a third what I'm offering now.”

“What are you offering now?”

“How big is your percentage?”

“15%. My brother has 14%.”

“If you sell on Friday, it's worth $21 million and your brother's share is worth $19.6 million.

I'm asking for a meeting to be convened there at Fiddlestiks in that conference room on Friday to make the offer, but IF I have to wait until the beginning of May to use the board meeting, I'm only going to offer $100 million and you'll lose $6 million and your brother will lose $5.6 million....BUT, if you wait until July 1^st, it'll be worth nothing and you'll have to start paying in to keep the doors open.”

“Heavens, we weren't told anything! You say you're wanting this meeting on Friday?”

“Friday right there in that conference room. I'm buying Lana's shares in both Huntington and the cement plant and I'll gladly do the same for you and your brother, but you're going to need to vote for me to buy them, they won't sell them if you say no....

At that point, I'll wait and make a lower offer at the beginning of May and if you say no, I'll walk away and let the doors shut. At that point, I'll buy up the assets for about $20 million entirely.”

“I'll sell to you. I'm going to make a call as soon as I find a way to have her call. My brother's been a fool and I'm not liking it very much!”

“Be at the meeting and I'll have the books there to see. The CFO has been trying to get people to listen and no one's wanted to hear it.”

“And they should have! My Daddy always said to listen to your money men and now, I know I should've been there!”

“I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but if I can buy it and have the risk of turning it around I will.”

“What are you going to do different?”

“Are you aware they sold off the truck line which delivers the stuff?”

“WHAT!”

“Yes Ma'am...Schwerman's (silent ch) is no longer in business. They dissolved it and made the rail lines only be available to be used for the toxic waste coming in....Nothing can go out by rail.”

She sounded flabbergasted. “When did THIS happen!”

“Mid to late 1980's. Now you know why everyone's going to other cement plants and buying their cement.”

“How are they selling it?”

“Barge and mostly by bags. IF it goes out in trucks, the customer has to buy their own truck.”

“Well, no one wants to do that!”

“The board made those decisions. Now you know why they're going broke.”

“My GOD! Anyone in their right mind would see you don't cut off ways for the customer to buy something!”

“You and I both know that. Now I've got to get it all corrected and it's going to take a lot of money....Money they don't have and money the board is going to have to find.”

“I should've known something was wrong when my checks kept getting smaller. They kept telling me there were less and less people buying concrete.”

“I think we both know that's wrong. More and more highways are being used all the time.”

“I'll be here on Friday. I'll have both MINE and my brother's shares in hand.”

“Tunia, this is just for the vote. If you agree to sell on Friday, you'll have to turn over your shares at the board meeting at the beginning of the month. At that time, you'll get a check for the shares...That's the way it's done.”

“Can you hold them?”

“Yes ma'am, I certainly can, but they're worthless to me until I have a receipt showing that I paid you for them.”

“I'll have our Huntington shares in your hands at that time also. Now, do you want our Cruikshank shares?”

“You own Cruikshank shares?”

“Our Mother was a Cruikshank. We're the only two people left who have any.”

“Your brother is making the deal right now to sell those to me. He's got me so upset about that, that I'm about to walk away from the deal.”

“What's he doing?”

“He's bragging that he's putting the screws to me. I've decided to buy the cement plant and open a quarry in order to buy stone from them for Bronson and Leighton rather than do business with you!”

“WHAT!”

“You heard. I was about to tell him to get screwed on all that. Yeah, I'd bought Lana's shares, but your brother's not keeping me happy at all.”

“I'll tell him to get it sold to you and to be quiet! I think he's probably worried because that leaves us with very little shares left.”

“You don't think your Marblehead shares are worth a lot?”

“No, they're not!”

“Want to sell them? I've been led to believe by your brother that they're worth a LOT!”

“Oh for Heaven's sake, he's fibbing to you! He's been telling me they're worthless for years! He said that when we had to dissolve the company in 1972, there wasn't anything left, but we hold the shares and pay the property taxes in order to hold onto the land. He and I own that in halves. I'll sell it to you for what I pay per year in property taxes....$72,000.”

“You have yourself a deal. To make it so you've got a profit, I'll pay you $100,000 and will do the same if your brother wants to sell....and yes, I'll have the cash there for that since I'm not having to have a board's decision.”

“Good, we'll be there.”

I rang off and shook my head, “Stuart? IF this helicopter falls out of the sky right now, you'll see my dead ass smiling from the deal I just got.”

“What's that?”

“Marblehead Stone. She thinks it's worthless.”

“Is it?”

“Well, let's see....Look it up on the internet here. She's thinking because she pays $72,000 a year in property taxes and see's nothing, that it's worthless. I'm buying 50% of the company for $100,000.”

I pulled it up on my phone's internet and while I was doing so, I said, “Corey, down there at that work project. When you see the truck with the flashing strobe beacon, that's where he's located.”

“Ok.”

Stu said, “Let me get this clear. Marblehead owns all these companies and no one's seeing a thing from it? HOW?”

“Either her brother is the biggest liar on the planet, or he's the most gullible person on the planet....I'm beginning to wonder which.

First of all, he doesn't allow the CFO to speak at the cement plant board meetings. Second of all, she's not seeing much coming in from either the cement plant or Huntington Stone....when they're expanding and expanding.

I have a feeling that because they're living off the Gardner Foundation's money, he's letting the money roll over in those companies without asking what they're doing with it.

I'll tell you right now she's BRINGING me those shares and HIS shares for everything and wanting me to buy them right then.”

“Call Skip at the bank and get a short term loan. Get them in hand and have her paid so she's happy. I can't believe she thinks this company is worthless!”

“IF you take a look, this subsidiary sells the grit that goes into Spic & Span, Comet.”

“Really?”

“Yeah, they just built a new plant right there in Quincy.”

“Interesting.”

“If you look further into the money and ask my Dad, he'll tell you Marblehead SOMEHOW is owner to a bunch of Pfizer shares.”

“WHAT!”

“Yeah, but that company right there is oil and gas drilling everywhere.”

“My God....she doesn't KNOW!”

“No hon...IF she knew, she'd not be selling 50% of the company for $100 grand.”

“Oh my Lord!”

I chuckled, “Now do you see why I offered to pay for that in cash!”

He laughed, “Oh man....What if he learns about it!”

“Then they pay us the money we were going to pay them and most judges are going to smile at the boondoggle we damned near pulled off. If not, you and I are going to be laughing our asses off Friday afternoon.”

He shook his head and stared at me, “How do you get so lucky!”

“Friends and friends of friends. If it's right, it's right. If it's wrong, you can't believe the turmoil it causes you.”

My phone rang. “Hello?”

“This is Laramie. Tell him about 2 more miles east. My guys saw you.”

“Ok.”

I hung up ,“Two more miles east. His guys saw us and called him.”

Stu said, “It looks like this is all on schedule.”

“This one is....It's the 60 mile project which is giving everyone fits.”

“This is a different project?”

“Here's the way Missouri does it's road projects.

Unless it's a federal job like this, they break it apart into 10 different bid lettings.

One year, you'll get a mile of highway here. The next, you'll get the next year's worth. Then so on and so forth until you've got all 10 parts of the 10% finished. Usually, the first part is ready to be rehabilitated, so you start all over....That's the reason construction never ceases and that's the reason we've got some of the worst roads in the country.

Personally, I'd rather build decent roads and offer them a warranty than I would to be known as a shady contractor, but they see it as a life source of constant money coming in.”

I saw the strobe ahead and Corey apparently did also because he began to descend. We approached and then, flew down into a median where we landed. Once we'd landed, Laramie ran over and hopped in smiling. He held out his hand, “Hey!”

I shook his hand, “I'm Jeremy. This is my partner Stu. And our pilot up there, his name is Corey.”

He turned, “Hi Corey.”

Corey said, “Hello!” and then turned ,“Jeremy, you need your headset on for a moment.”

I took it and put it on. He said, “Yes or no, but is that guy good looking or what!”

“Yes and he's family.”

“Really!”

“That's what I hear. I'll know here real soon.”

I took off the headset ,“Let us know when we get to the 60 mile project. We'll be flying fast, so feel free to let Corey know.”

He nodded ,“You're not going to be happy about the project. It's got a lot started, but a lot isn't done.”

“I'm told that. Now what's it going to take to get a spur in your guys' asses to let them know that I'm going to own the equipment whether it's bankrupt or not?”

He stared and I said, “Don't think I won't go bankrupt on it and buy myself back out. If it requires me to do that and lay a helluva lot of people off and hire people who REALLY want to work, I will.

It seems to me everyone ought to be working their asses off for the sorts of money they're making on these jobs, but from what I've been told, you're either the most lenient bosses on the planet, or you're the dumbest. With my people they show up and WORK on rainy days...You tell yours to consider it a lay in bed day and take the fuckin' on the contracts.

Like it or not, that's about to change. Like it or not, the second your men slow down and fail to get the lead out, I'll hand out pink slips by the thousands and hire people who actually know what they're hired to do....WORK!”

He shook his head, “We've had a lot of bad weather.”

“I understand that, but if I can lay asphalt in rain, you sure as hell can also. It's PROBABLY going take us laying asphalt to get the bed in on this so we can pour concrete over it. If that doesn't tell you the fuckin' I'm willing to take to get it so we're making money rather than paying it in fines, nothing will!”

He nodded, “We can do that, but what are you going to do about the concrete on top?”

“If I have to do continuous pour 24/7 and go with fiberglass strand, I will. It seems I have 60 of my trucks here already and whatever we can get from your side of things to do the work and we've got 12 power pour slip form machines to do the work.

We can, but your men better be willing to work 24/7 and they had better be ready to do what it takes. IF I get told NO by you or any of them, I'm going to point and tell you that your men and you are fired. I'll finish the job with my people and I'll be all too happy to give them their share of the bonus money when we bring it in on time.”

He stared and I said, “Yeah, I pass along the bonus money. It buys loyalty at times like this and it assures me that in times like this in the future, we never see times like this.... I'll tell you right now that I'm in the process of buying out Leighton. That gives me the BEST of the big 3 up here...Martin can go fuck himself.

Where we go once Leighton is bought is this...Bronson does the road jobs. Leighton does the contracting jobs to build things. And when needed, Ord or Green County come up and helps. IF you have to go down and help Ord or Green County do the work, that's what we gotta have done, but right now, you're getting Associated up here and you're getting Ord and Green County. You're also getting my people and you need to tell your men this...

MY PEOPLE do not get cussed. The second they do, they have phones to call this phone right here and I show up and fire the person who couldn't keep a civil tongue in his or her head.

My PEOPLE do not get called names either....Once again, if it comes about that someone gets stupid, I'll be there to see that stupid is what stupid gets...fired. They will NOT run to one of the other guys because I'll own them...unless it's Martin and then, I'll smile and let him have all he can handle.

IF you can't treat my people right as their foreman, manager, or whatever, I'll replace you. If you choose to not listen to them, I'll fire you as soon as I'm called...and if your people want to voice complaint, they can join you on the unemployment line.

On Friday, I'm having the meeting with you guys at Fiddlestiks in one conference room while I buy the shares which are needed to OWN Huntington and the cement plant. I'll own ALL the quarries in Northeast Missouri, and Southwest Missouri....IF that doesn't tell you what I'm going for, nothing will...

The other guys MIGHT get some contracts, but in doing so, they'll buy from me....Me being the supplier gets them to buying my concrete, my stone, my gravel, and my sand. They'll buy my asphalt as well.”

“They can go across the river and buy from Diamond.”

“Diamond is mine. That got bought in a phone call right before we picked you up. I'm paying the woman for 100% of it and a lot of her companies on Friday.....in cash.”

He sort've had his eyes bulge out. “Where'd you get the money!”

“I inherited it. Now I'm making a run and seeing to it that I get the bulk of the business. When I make a deal, I keep my word and when I don't, I'll do all I can to find a way to make a dollar out of your labor....”

He shook his head, “That's pretty smart, but they're about to shut down a lot of the road projects.”

“On Friday, I'm going to unveil a new plan. When you hear what it is, you're going to shit yourself as to how I can make them give me jobs.”

“HOW!”

“Be there Friday. I'll tell you right now I've told the county road commission down in Green County and they're willing to give us everything we need to do it.”

Stu said, “Go ahead and tell him. He's not going to tell anyone....”

Stu leaned forward and held out his closed hand. “Family?”

Laramie gave him a look, “Family?”

Stu said, “Either I'm an idiot or you live under the rainbow flag also.”

Laramie gave a nod, “I do, but no one knows.”

I smiled, “Are you available and interested in seeing someone who's already saying you're hot as hell?”

He gave me a look, “Who?”

“Corey, that's why he wanted me on the headset.”

He smiled, “Yeah, I'm available!”

I said, “Corey, let's refuel in Macon.”

“Ok.”

I said, “Ok, here's the plan. It's called Lend/Lease....Are you a history buff?”

“Nah.”

“Ok, I'll tell you what it's about.... As you're aware, the state goes in and buys all the land they need to do a job well in advance, right?”

“Yeah. They're buying land for the new interchange out there right now.”

“Right and within a year, we'll be building that interchange.”

“HOW?”

“By Lend/Lease....What it means is this.... The State or Federal government lends us the land. In return, we build their highway and then, we lease it back to them for 10 years.

At the end of the ten years, we sell it to them for what we would've won the bid for right now.”

He gave me a look, “And they're going to go for that?”

“Yeah.”

“How much money are you going to be paying up front?”

“Let's see....I control cement. I control concrete. I control sand, stone, and gravel. I need to buy rebar or I need to buy fiberglass strands to go in my cement....those are cheaper than rebar. I provide labor and I provide all my materials I get free of charge and I build the roads.”

“You'll have to have bridges.”

I smiled, “Let me make a phone call and see how that's coming along.”

I dialed Skip and when he answered, I said, “I've got Lar Bronson with us and you're on speakerphone.”

“Ok, what's going on?”

“I'm about to ask you that in regards to the place in Keokuk.”

“It's yours.”

“Ok, now I'm going to ask you how much I can get short term....I've got Cruikshank shares bought...He BETTER have told you he's selling by now because his sister is about to break her foot off in his ass as soon as she learns how to work a cell phone.”

He laughed, “How in the hell did you get that one!”

“Here's how....Lana Letterer plays Bridge at Fiddlestiks today. Tunia Gardner is a part of the Bridge Club. Tunia is Cruikshanks sister.

I bought Lana's shares of everything and then, she told me about Tunia's shares. She put Tunia on the phone and needless to say, Tunia's a done deal...She'll drag her dumb ass brother to the meeting kicking and screaming if she's gotta.

Now, are you sitting down?”

“Yeah.”

“Tell me about Marblehead.”

“The town?”

“The company....”

“Uhh.....What do I need to know about it?”

“So you don't know either???”

“No, I'm afraid not...Tell me.”

“Ok, here's what you probably don't know or remember, but over across the river is the little town which USED to be owned by Marblehead Stone and Lime. ALL that farm land is owned by Marblehead right now.”

“Ok, I'm aware of that.”

“Look further up toward Quincy and you'll see a lot of companies all owned by Marblehead Stone and Lime. I'd give you a name of a company, but it'd start you on realizing all the subsidiaries and divisions of subsidiaries we're dealing with, but ALL THAT is owned by Marblehead.”

“Ok, I'm now looking on the internet.”

“Look a little deeper and delve off into the ownership of Pfizer.”

“Pharmaceuticals???”

“Yeah.”

“Oh-kay, what's going on?”

“Marblehead....You gotta chase the money, because it's like quicksand....you look in, under, around, and in the back deep dark recesses and when you realize it's a whole ecosystem....you realize how big it is for supposedly being a defunct quarry.”

“Ok.”

“Are you aware I just bought Marblehead for a total of $200,000 cash?”

“WHAT!~”

“Tunia Gardner and her brother own it. She thinks it's worthless because she has to pay $72,000 in property taxes per year on it. I told her I'd pay her and her brother $100,000 each if she'd bring those shares to the meeting on Friday.

As soon as I do, you're going to handed those shares and that's when I want you go to on a hunt for everything in that company....and then, I want you to find out when and where the money's going.

I'll tell you I know what they're doing and I'll tell you it's the bubble they were afraid was going to pop. It didn't pop and it wasn't inherited....It was sold for $200 grand....now tell me how many billions I just bought!”

He laughed, “My God kid!”

“All because of a little phone call where an old woman wanted to kick the shit out of her brother by the end of it. I tell ya if I look hard enough, I don't think I'd ever find a deal like this again in my life.”

Skip laughed, “I'm looking and it goes on and on and on! There's oil and oil companies and all sorts of divisions!”

“Laramie asked me about Diamond across the river and I told him I just bought it. That's correct right?”

“Yeah, it's here as a division of Huber which is a subsidiary of Marblehead.” He laughed ,“I can't believe this!”

“I'll tell you I really don't believe they know what they own. I think they're making the money off Gardner Trust and living off that. Yeah, they go to board meetings, but really, when it's all said and done, they don't really WANT to hear about the financials.

I'll tell you I spoke with the CFO of the cement plant out there and he's telling me that if he's not given a life line on July 1^st, he's shutting the doors or he's gotta start selling off assets.”

“It that bad???”

“$17 million a week....It's hemorrhaging out. We've got to stop the flood of money and it's going to take me not being afraid to step in and make some decisions and fire some people.

I'll tell you right now, I'm going to need to buy a LOT of trucks and trailers and get the truck fleet back there. I'm also going to tell you Gully is going to scream blue blazes when I do that because he's got at least 18 trucks and trailers traveling every day just as fast as they can haul out of there.

It's going to take a massive campaign to rejuvenate and win back the business. It's also going to take me rebuilding the rail spur and getting it so that I'm hitting that main line which goes to St. Louis.

I can do that, but it's going to take us buying locomotives and it's going to take us buying rail cars....All of it costs money and all of it's gotta be so we win back the customers.”

“It's all a pretty penny.”

“Yeah, but I'll do it....Now tell me about that 51% of the cement plant?”

“It's yours...They're not even worried about the rest of the percentages, they know the writing on the wall says it's bad, but they're willing to do the deal on Friday.”

“Ok, we own 100% of it for $140....Do we pay then, or do we wait until May 1^st?”

“I'll have you the money short termed. Do you want to roll it into the Huntington buy also?”

“Yeah...call Cruikshank back and tell him his sister's already sold the shares to us at the price he was offered. Tell him he'd better be bent over when she gets to his house because she's gonna be too pissed to chase his ass around that house to break her foot off in it.”

He laughed, “How come I get the feeling you struck a chord with her?”

“I told her the truth as I saw it....By July 1, she'd have worthless shares and by May 1^st, she'd have shares worth only $100 million because we were going to devalue while we waited.”

“Do I tell him you bought Marblehead also?”

“Tell him I made the deal to buy ALL of Marblehead's shares for $200,000. Tell him I'm just crazy enough that if he brings those shares to you this afternoon, I'll pay a quarter of a million.”

He laughed, “Let me off here. I'll do that!”

I hung up smiling and Laramie shook his head, “Are you kidding me!”

“No, it was there for the taking and I took it. She thinks I'm buying a worthless company....You and us now know different.”

He shook his head, “I can't believe the luck!”

“Here's the deal....Her Daddy told her to ALWAYS listen to their money men. He died and she put all her trust in her brother. Had it been me, I'd be ASKING why I'm paying $72,000 a year in property taxes when we own all that farm land and it's being farmed.

I'll tell you that if they'd looked or even thought about it, they'd realized something was fishy because they sold off most of that town in the 80's and STILL paid taxes of $72,000 each!”

He said, “Maybe the $72,000 is on the quarry property alone....You do realize it's still open, right?”

“Yeah, and let me tell you something....I had no idea how damned big it was until I went on Google Earth and saw the pictures.”

“Really? You had no idea?”

“No, I've never been back in there, but when we get a chance, I'm going on Google Earth because I'm going to show Stu here the Leighton property and all that we're buying with that.”

Lar shook his head, “It's a bunch....Are you getting the old dynamite plant also?”

“Yeah, and I'm running the place through an asphalt plant. It's only a dump site until it's incinerated and once it's done so, it'll be good for asphalt to be mixed and laid.”

“I never thought about that, but you're right. We did that down at Times Beach!” (Look Times Beach up on Wikipedia if you don't recall all that from the early 80's. It was the poster child for toxic waste for nearly 20 years.)

I asked, “Did you do that job?”

“Yeah.”

“Get tested for cancer.”

“It's not that bad.”

“Bullshit. Get tested. I'm telling you right now my Aunt's kids and her grand kids have had a lot of cancer which is attributed to what they had down there.

Are you familiar with any acne products in the 60's and 70's called Phiso-Scrub? It was a little sponge you used to scrub your face to keep acne gone.”

“No.”

Stu said, “Yeah, I used it all the time!”

“Don't ask yourself where your cancer came from, get in on the lawsuit. It's the commercial application of the same stuff they sprayed down there. It was also manufactured in Missouri someplace, so you know they considered it cancerous down there and yet, didn't bother telling the employees a damned thing.

You're going to also see a little town called Verona which is right up the road from Branson. You'll probably realize we know a lot of the people who worked there and probably bought a lot of the stuff they made or took it off their hands thinking it was some nifty stuff because it worked so damned good!
Well, it did the job...It kills things. That acne, the hand washes they say is antibacterial, baby shampoos, the whitening toothpastes all have it in it....They don't bother telling you that it's commercially made of something they consider dioxin or breaks down to be dioxin in your system.

I'll tell you right now Stuart, we only use baking soda on our teeth and we only use lye soap on our bodies. If it's a shampoo, it's a shampoo we educate ourselves on what's in it BY the chemical name and chase all of it down until we know.

My DAD has to use all that antibacterial soap and now, I'm reading on the internet that all of it has carcinogens in it as well as Johnson's Baby Shampoo.

As I said, we're not trusting anyone or any THING because it's a chemical and they tend to lie.”

He said, “I've been sitting here thinking about how I could've gotten it and now I realize I played on those streets there....We lived right by it!”

I asked, “Where?”

“Eureka...right down the road was Six Flags!”

I shook my head, “Ok, I can't say anything....I'm just as prone to it as you. We used to play on the streets of a little town called Frankford, Missouri and now we're learning that all the roads around there got sprayed down with stuff by the same man also.

I'll tell you I ran barefoot down those streets and I'll tell you I had a bike wreck which face planted me and gashed open my chin to the point I'm STILL digging gravel out of it 20 years later!

So when it comes to thinking I'm different, I realize we all have chemicals around us and right now, I'm doing all I can to buy a plant which burns all that dioxin and toxic waste....so no, I'm no different.”

I looked over at Lar ,“I want you tested. You're not Superman and I'd prefer to know you're going to be healthy....as a friend, not anything else.”

I turned to Stu ,“IF that doctor doesn't call by 3:30, you call him....or I will.”

I looked over, “Stu has cancer in his kidney and pancreas right now. We're fighting it with a doctor who does his work at St. Louis University Hospital. He said he might know something by today or it could take up to 2 weeks, but he has a way of fighting cancer by mutating it's genes so that it thinks it's supposed to go kill the unmutated ones inside your body.

It leaves all the healthy ones and only kills the bad ones, so we're wanting to go that route. “

He said, “I've heard of that. I didn't know where they were doing it, but it's supposed to be the new way they're doing things.”

I gave a nod and saw we were to Bevere which is 5 miles out of Macon. I said, “Stu, we're about to Macon.”

When we got to Macon, I said, “Corey, outside of town here about 3 miles is where the four lane ends and becomes two. We need to get low and we need to see where the project is going.”

We went down low and rode along until I saw it go a different way. Corey asked, “Which way?”

“To the left.”

We routed through and I got the headset on. “Would you go back around so I can see where it's supposed to tie in. IT looks like they don't even have the land cleared.”

“They don't.”

I took an earpiece off ,“Lar, get some people over and clear that land and prep it to be laid.”

“They don't want us clearing it until it's been inspected and made ready.”

“Is that on the contract?”

He nodded.”

“Ok, if I'm told we gotta pay a fine, they'll see my ass in court before I do...providing we have the rest finished.”

I said, “Corey, take us on along this....and try to get us within 150 feet. I doubt if there are any power lines in this area.”

We went down and went along. I said, “Corey. Do you see where that washout is and that huge crack is? Land right there. I want to inspect it.”

We landed and I got out. Lar and Stu got out and I walked over ,“Lar, had we had gravel laid here, this wouldn't have happened. An inspector going to reject us for this?”

“We'll fill it in.”

“You didn't answer my question. Are we going to get a fail on this?”

“They let us fill in and as long as our concrete passes, they're fine with it.”

“I don't want to see it again. We could've had asphalt laid here and had the water running to where it was supposed to.”

He gave a nod, “How soon until we're laying asphalt?”

“Five days. Within a week, we'll be laying. Now tell me how much we've gotta lay?”

“We're going to need to call Tyler and see. It's changing a lot when you change it from from gravel to asphalt and from rebar to strand.”

“We'll work with the state on it....Are they going to be available to inspect 24/7?”

“They HAVE to have people here when we're on the sight laying whatever, but we usually forewarn them.”

“Forewarn them that in a week, I'll have our people laying. You have the batch plants forewarned we're going to be running wide open expecting them to keep up with us.

We'll be bringing at least 27 trucks from Branson and I'm not sure from Ord or GCC. How many will you have?”

“We've got 30 dumps of varying sizes.”

“All of ours are semis and trailers. I'm not sure what Ord or GCC has, but I know we haul and we lay fast. Just the same, we'll have the same equipment eventually. We'll make an order once a year and we'll keep an extra shift open at either Cat or Mack.”

“What sort've equipment do you want?”

“I'm to the point with most equipment Cat is the way to go. With trucks, we just bought a bunch of Macks and they're enough to make you WANT to get into the cab and work!”

He nodded, “We've had Macks for years.”

“I realize that. Leighton is pretty much catch as catch can and although I respect their ability to get a deal, I do not respect their ability to keep it looking the same on the line.

We're at a point where we're covering a large area and can order enough to get discounts from one company for a long term commitment, or we'll take it elsewhere.”

“A lot of them won't deal that way.”

“The companies will. They realize an order of the size we're making affects their bottom line.

We're reopening the trucking company out at the cement plant. We're buying trucks for five different concrete companies now. We're buying for five different construction divisions now. We're buying for nearly 6,000 employees, so yeah, I'm gonna flex that muscle.”

He gave me a look and I said, “Lar, I'm not getting in a pissing contest with you. There's a reason I bought it and there's a reason I could. We're standing ON the reason I could buy it and buy it so cheap.

I've already told your Dad we're moving and consolidating except for zone supervisors and to be honest, I'll tell you I think you're a supervisor for one reason...you were the owner's kid.
Since you were told I'd gladly get rid of you unless you got me results, you've been pouting. You're NOW showing me bullshit and expecting me to pass it...just because the state approves it. To be honest, that's not how I do business.

I'm selling a company's products which say this.....I'm building a highway which will be in AS GOOD SHAPE in 10 years as it is today when you lease it. That requires we build things better and get USED TO building things better. It's not skating on shit like this and it's not allowing things like this to happen in the first place.”

As I was speaking he was getting progressively more and more agitated. It was obvious in his appearance and I could tell he was about to blow.

I continued, “Our obligation to our employees is this...That we provide the jobs, that we get the bids, that we DO the jobs and move on, and that we don't waste time when we've got the dates open to work.

We're going to have a meeting with our employees which tells them, their supervisors, and you and the rest of my supervisors these things....you don't accept bullshit and unless mother nature throws up something we can't deal with, a little rain isn't going to hurt us in the slightest.”

“They won't work in it!”

“Bullshit, you tell them they work in it or they don't work in CONSTRUCTION!”

He shook his head, “They'll go to St. Louis then.”

“Bullshit, that man and I are in too good with each other.”

He gave me a look like I'd slapped him. I said, “If you're referring to Alberici, you'll see equipment on my books which gave me my start. You'll see an old man who's going to be smiling his ass off because I bought everyone out rather than took the time to run them out of business.”

“So you're in cahoots!”

I stared, “Did I fuckin' say that?”

Stu interrupted ,“Nowhere in this is Mr Alberici's money. Nowhere in this are agreements which Jer's not been honorable and made himself a very good offer and put him in a good position.”

I said, “Here's our agreement...and so help me, if you misinterpret this when you choose to spread it, I'll break your fuckin' jaw.

Alberici gets 61/40. I get 36/72. He gets 66/44 to the Fort Leonard Wood exit and I get it south from there. ALL OTHERS are competition baby.

Now take a look at 61/40....is it nearly completed? Yeah. I think I got the better deal. On 36/72, it's being completed but after that, we've got quite a bit we can do. In regards to 66/44, it's maintenance. It's older and it's going to require maintenance.

Where WE beat them and create jobs is we're doing the lend/lease thusly BUYING our own jobs. For the next 10 years, we'll have those jobs being pulled out of the hat where THEY are asked, “Can you do that?” and YOU and LEIGHTON would have been asked that also.

The reply you WOULD HAVE given would've been, “Who can afford to?” and I'd be there smiling with my $7 billion and more ready to get my people jobs. IF THAT wouldn't have ran you ALL out of business, I beg to differ.”

“It's unfair.”

“Bullshit. It's the way the economy is moving. Look at the way the police get their cars now. They do it because they get more cars and the cars stay fresh.”

“But they also give the cars back. You're not doing that.”

“No, I'm making the agreement they buy them and IF THEY DO NOT buy them, I slap toll booths on them and take it so that anyone who wants to drive on it pays me to do so, but they give up the right to say the land was 'LENT' to me....it was bought from my labors, they gave that up when they didn't move to buy it from me. Once again, maintenance is mine....there are no contracts and we work.

In regards to the future, they keep designing and they keep letting them out for bids. The same agreement rides and you see us having that foot in the door and all the rest either having to PUT UP or shut up in order to compete.

Once again, IF you compete, you do so on a slope where I make money through the cement, through the quarries, through the concrete, and through bridge decking and trusses up in Keokuk.

Each step along the way, I've got my hands in not just my competition's pockets, but the pockets of construction companies and concrete companies across this nation and world.

Each step, I'm making the money because I've positioned myself. Whereas you guys were looking at the little picture, I was looking at the big and nodding to myself, saying that's what I want to be in because it makes more sense.

Now you see me moving and having the money to do so. I'm not afraid to use the money and I'm not afraid to make it either.

IF you see me having attitude, it's for this....I realize if you cost me money today and think that because you put us into bankruptcy that I'm going to roll over and play dead, you're an idiot. I'll pay the fuckin' fines. I'll fire you and anyone else who doesn't want to put up results. And I'll get people in who DO.

My agreement with your Dad is this...I buy the company without his divulging what the problems were and me asking a whole lot of questions. He's now aware I can work around him and he's now aware that if I gotta, his ass goes out the door and I move people around to replace him.”

“They won't stay faithful.”

“Want to challenge that?” I shut up and stared. “I'll start with you. You're fired!

Now go get another job in construction and see how many people are willing to go off the job to get a paycheck or an unemployment check. NOW see us continue to work and see it move on down the road without you, your opinions, or your input.

As I see it, your Dad and Tyler are going to see two things. They're going to see that I'm not afraid to fire someone and show the men I WILL start at the top and kick asses out who have been keeping them from getting promoted. And that I'm not afraid to use their brains and ideas which move us ahead.

The other thing I show them is their asses can go out the door also. I'll absorb and I'll make the competition so rough that they'll not go into it again.

As a consolation prize, I'll throw you the landscaping business. You can plant trees and flowers and beautify things and gulleys and wash outs which were ok and acceptable with you. You can plant grass and you can do all that up to my standards, or you can be told to stay off my projects and we'll find someone who WILL do them the way they need done.”

I motioned, “Call your Dad. Tell him I just fired you and see how fuckin' loyal he is. He'll apologize and tell you, “Sorry, but I'm determined to see this through until the end or I don't recognize it anymore.

I'll tell you right now, I'm respecting the man, but I'm not allowing it to stay the same. We're moving OUT of leasing our equipment and we're buying whatever we can and moving it to wherever is needed.

YOU can make the call to get yourself a ride. Do NOT call my people because I'm about to put the announcement out that you no longer work for us. IF you're so pompous as to think people won't shake their heads and smile who are supervisors, think again....They've had opinions and had to swallow them and let you get your way until it was fucked up and they finally got to show you their way was the way of 'tried and true'...They'll smile and think to themselves, “Yeah, the new guy's getting rid of the right people....It shows how long the owner's kids last when the owner's no longer in.”

That's the way it always is. Stu and I have it built into our organization that not even us gets to be secure. The second I step out, people who know the business can step in. The second Stu steps out, people who he's taught and trained can step in.

In each of our divisions, we have that. We're not firing people out, we're utilizing them and seeing if they'll stay, however if they choose not, they're at the disadvantage because we've got 50 year non-compete contracts which states that IF they choose to violate those, it's multi hundreds of millions of dollars to pay me before they even get a good foothold.

Now, try getting your Dad to do so and you'll see him give you a horrified look and ask you if you're nuts. Try getting anyone who I've bought out to do that and you'll see the same reaction. I've got the size and momentum and you're going to be starting and acquiring...THAT is why I bought existing and didn't start up around here. I now own 2 of the big 3 I intended on putting out of business and really, IF you want to work for Martin, great...go do it.”

I turned to Stu...”No holy grails?”

He shook his head, “None....leave the relics to be worshiped in the churches they built. It's a different kind of reformation.”

I turned ,“Lar, you've got one chance to get back on board with me before I get in that chopper and leave you here. Would you like to see if your Dad or any member of MY company will step out to come get you?”

He gave me a look and I said, “I'm not blinking, I'm offering you this one lesson as to how I could give a fuck less if you are in or out. You'll be amazed at how fast I get back in that chopper...and how fast I'll tell you to get off this property because you're officially trespassing when you don't have reason to be here.”

I turned and went to the chopper. I opened the door for Stu and helped him climb in. I turned, “In or out!”

He stood there and I dialed Tom. He answered and I said, “Laramie is fired. IF you or anyone wish to give him a ride from where he is and you think you can use my equipment to do so, you'll be fired also.”

“What happened?”

“He apparently thinks I'll keep him or others around just because they're a supervisor. He's been told he's going to produce results and each step of the way, I've been getting challenges and arguments.

When he got fired, he was told how I'm moving forward and building it so he's kept out. He was told to go to work for Martin because Leighton is now mine as well as Huntington and the cement plant.”

“Really!”

“Yeah, he knows that and he knows Marblehead is mine, so all the divisions and subsidiaries are mine also. In this area and in construction, that means he works for Martin or he doesn't work.

He SEEMS to think people are going to step out and go onto the unemployment line beside him out of loyalty. I think you realize he's quite wrong.”

“Let me speak with him.”

“Call him, but don't think I'll give him the respect to get back in this helicopter and ferry him to wherever. A part of this is the lesson that I'll take you to the middle of nowhere and dump your ass and move on.”

“It's a lesson he needs to learn, but let me speak with him because he was under the impression all this started on Friday. So was I.”

“Call him. I'll give you until Friday, but IF misinformation is given to the employees, I'll sue you to oblivion and kick your asses out of your own homes when I am awarded them.”

“That's not going to happen. I've already spoke with enough people who like the way you do things that I know we're moving in a different direction and think it's needed.”

“I'm not saying I won't use your input.”

“I understand that. I think that's what I like best. You're amassing a lot of good minds and using those collectively.”

I rang off and Lar's phone rang. He answered it and when he hung up, I said, “In or out? My advice is to get in, but then again, you might just walk because I said it...If that's your way of thinking I'll put up with things in the future, you'll be wrong.”

He walked over, “How is it you want things?”

“Be at the meeting on Friday, but you already know. If you weren't listening, you'll hear it again then. IF you don't think I'll hold you accountable for getting it passed along, you'll be fired again.

With the exception of Friday, I'm not thinking one thing about what happened. I don't hold grudges. You and I will learn how each other works within our worlds and now you understand me.

Here's what you should know...On my chest is a scar. It goes from my back to my front. It's from a doctor who LISTENED whereas the doctor I had for a bunch of years did NOT listen and did NOT even do a chest xray which would've told him I had a baby's lung in a 20 year old's body.

I'm so small from all that bullshit...I think. I pay the price daily and wish I was your size but I'm not....Yeah, I think it's from malpractice and neglect and someone NOT doing their job right.

When I work, I do the job right. People all over town will tell you I'm the only person who cleans their pools the RIGHT way...because I actually cleaned them. When someone doesn't do their job or it's not done right, I immediately think of a doctor and what he didn't do which put me through pain needlessly.

For you to tell me we're going to half ass something.....Well, it's not going to happen. You now know my reasons and personal reason.”

“What happened?”