Guardian Wolf Ch. 07

"Yeah," Jessica sniffed, "that is very neat-o".

This caused the girl to give her a winning smile. Without invitation Molly gave her crutches to 'Uncle Marcus' and hopped towards Jessica. Before Jessica could even think about objecting the girl had scaled her knees and placed herself firmly in Jessica's lap. She was immediately enveloped in the arms of a child's embrace as Molly wrapped her arms around Jessica's neck and stared with determination at Jessica. Jessica was starting to feel self conscious when Molly nodded her head and announced:

"Yep! You'll be just fine. But you should have Uncle Marcus look after you until you get better," Molly said. She gave Jessica another squeeze with her little body and turned at the voice of the nurse's voice.

"Molly, honey? Your mother is awake and asking for you. She is very excited to see you!" Jeri said as she picked up the small white girl in her black arms.

"Yeah! Mommy's finally awake. Aunt Jessica, did you hear that? My mommy's finally awake. I'm going to go see her now. I hope I see you again Aunt Jessica, I love you," Molly said with excitement.

"Okay sweetheart," Jessica said as she choked back a sob, "I promise I'll come back and see you."

"Pinky swear?" Molly asked with childlike sincerity.

Jessica couldn't help but laugh at the girl's exuberance. "Pinky swear!" Jessica said in conviction as she wrapped her pinky around the girl's smaller finger.

"Okay! Remember you promised!" Molly said as Marcus handed Jeri Molly's crutches. Jessica watched as the black nurse carried off the tiny girl.

"What happened to her?" Jessica said with real concern in her voice. She was losing a battle with her emotions.

"Molly was with her mother on their way to a soccer game in Everett when an eighteen wheeler crossed the center divider and hit their SUV head on. Molly was in the front seat, even properly belted and the air bag deployed, but the force of the impact sent her through the windshield where her leg was caught in the glass. She suffered a compound skull fracture and had to have her leg amputated just below the knee. The SUV front crumple zone absorbed enough impact to save their lives. Molly's mother Denise was trapped behind the steering column; my mom says it took rescue crews six hours to remove her and transport her to Bellevue. She has been in a coma for the last two months. I guess she finally woke up," Marcus said as he held a small boy named Toby who had Leukemia. The bald child was content to be held and played with Marcus's pony tail.

"Gods! And here I thought I had problems with a damn concussion," Jessica said to herself more than anyone.

"Consider her one of the lucky ones; most children wouldn't survive a crash like that," Marcus said returning Toby to a nearby bed to rest. He took a moment to rescue the boy's favorite teddy bear from beneath his bed. Toby grasped at the bear greedily before rolling over and falling asleep. Marcus walked back over to resume conversation with his mate-to-be.

"She called me Aunt Jessica. I'm not related to her," Jessica said in confusion.

"Children like Molly don't make distinctions about relations. To them calling someone 'Aunt' or 'Uncle' is a term of endearment. Congratulations! You just got yourself a new friend," Marcus said as he smiled at his mate. Too bad he would have to wait so long to tell her the whole truth. He wanted so much right now to take her in his arms and make love to her.

"Did I hear someone passed the MPT?" a voice said behind them.

Jessica turned around in time to see Rachel carrying what looked like a tiny mummy.

"What's the MPT?" Jessica asked as she tried desperately not to stare too much at the bundle in Rachel's arms.

"That's the Molly Personality Test. Everyone who passes is immediately adopted into Molly's family. You passed, therefore you are 'Aunt' Jessica now," Rachel said as she sat on a chair Marcus brought her. Rachel turned and smiled at Marcus. Jessica felt a pang of jealousy as the girl looked at Marcus. What the hell was that all about?

" Jessica? I would like you to meet Abigail Michelson. Abby this is Jessica Hamilton," Rachel said. Rachel noticed a small flicker of recognition at the family name.

Jessica was having a hard time looking at the tiny girl. Again she was not older than five or six years. Her hands and forearms were covered in what looked like white gauze booties or mittens. Her face was covered in gauze completely obscuring her face, only her eyes, nose and ears were uncovered; a small slit was cut in the bandaging to expose her mouth. There were no lips to be seen. Her legs were also covered in bandages from feet to just past her knees. Abby had a long mane of dark raven hair that was slightly singed in places as it connected to her scalp. Her dark green eyes looked innocently at Jessica through her medical shroud.

"Hi Abby, I'm Jessica," she said trying to keep up a cheerful demeanor. Hearing the family name brought about some strange and mixed emotions. It also brought back horrid memories she wished she never wanted to remember and wished she could forget.

************

Terrance Michelson was another industrialist not unlike Robert Wolfe and Jessica's father Augustus Hamilton. Terrance dealt primarily in raw goods manufacturing. He was one of the few American steel manufacturers still operating, not only on the western seaboard, but in the entire United States. He also had several other businesses that dealt in cotton production and harvesting, bauxite mining for aluminum production, coal mining, oil interests, and silicon production. If you need raw materials, Terrance Michelson was the man to see.

When most of the competition had moved their operations overseas, Terrance was among the few industrialists who refused to sacrifice hard American workmanship for third world labor prices. Because of this fact his employees were fiercely loyal to their employer, helping Michelson during both the fat and lean years. They gave as much back to their employer as he gave to his employees.

Instead of joining national or local labor unions that would have demanded large membership fees and collective bargaining, Michelson created a new chief officer whose sole responsibility was employee relations, a CRO if you will. This unique officer and his office were responsible for overseeing employee healthcare and benefits, safety records and federal OSHA compliance, and employee questions and complaints. Instead of being beholden to some anonymous national labor entity this officer allowed the employees to create their own mini union with a company spokesman elected every year. They had quarterly meetings that discussed several issues including yearly performance appraisals and salary increases. This officer would also set safety and quality control quotas every year; if met, the employees would receive a percentage of their wages as a bonus. For the last three years, Michelson Manufacturing Industries had the lowest safety violation and the highest quality control averages in six of its seven divisions for the entire nation.

Terrance Michelson was a man that believed in forming alliances with like- minded entrepreneurs who held their companies to higher ethical standards than what is common in America. Terrance gave favorable pricing to those companies who employed American laborers and to those that were known for superior employee relations. Men like Robert Wolfe were counted as close friends and associates; Michelson actually provided Wolfe Industries their entire Silicon inventory that was far favorable to any other supplier for their computer components. In turn Wolfe Industries gave favorable deals to Michelson Industries on industrial and commercial electronics and robotics to increase productivity and efficiency.

Augustus Hamilton met neither requirement to garner such favor. In fact Augustus Hamilton despised Terrance Michelson. He saw Michelson and his fellow ethical industrialist clique as weak minded degenerates; crusaders for a lost cause that was nothing more than a revenue draining pipe dream. August was also extremely jealous and envious of Michelson's resources, industry, and profitable market share. He was also angry and rather disgusted that Michelson Manufacturing was an absolute necessity to Hamilton Industries. They supplied a great deal of steel and other raw goods needed to create Hamilton's flagship textile looms. Michelson also sold a great deal of raw cotton that was used in Hamilton textile firms.

Augustus Hamilton had tried to use every underhanded deed in the business book to gain leverage over Michelson and therefore bargaining power to demand more favorable prices: industrial espionage, sabotage, employee bribery, etc., etc. Nothing seemed to work and only caused Michelson to raise his prices for Hamilton's raw materials every time. Hamilton also tried to buy out Michelson, offering obscene amounts of money to Terrance to relinquish control of his holdings. Essentially Hamilton wanted to control every aspect of production from mine to end consumer. Again Terrance refused, raising prices once more on Hamilton's raw goods. Augustus grew more agitated with every scheme. But Augustus refused to quit; he had to find something to bring Terrance Hamilton to his knees. It had become a personal grudge match to Augustus Hamilton. Finally, after years of trying to tear Michelson down, Augustus thought he finally held the key to Michelson's downfall: his daughter Jessica. If money wasn't a strong enough motivator, maybe sex and blackmail were.

Troy Michelson is Terrence Michelson's eldest son. At seventeen years of age, he was the poster child of clean living and scholastic supremacy. The boy was a born academic prodigy and Quarterback for CHHS. He helped lead the CHHS Miners to three consecutive state championships and a national division playoff; he was slated to lead his team to a fourth championship in his final year at CHHS. It was a given that he would be Terrence Michelson's eventual successor. He was every much the man that Augustus wished he had in a son. Troy only had one weakness it seemed: Jessica Hamilton.

It was well known that Troy was in love with Jessica from the first moment he laid eyes on the buxom blond. For two years, he pursued Jessica without so much as a single date. Every time he asked her out, she would shoot him down faster than a triple-A battery emplacement with a paper airplane. But Troy was relentless, determined to get at least one date with the school's most popular beauty queen. His pursuit was now bordering on stalking. After a particular angry exchange with Troy, Jessica went home and complained to her father about the annoying golden boy and his amorous endeavors. Augustus knew an opportunity when he saw one. This was it! This was how he would finally bring Terrance to his knees!

Augustus immediately told his daughter that she would indeed go on a date with Troy; it was a perfect opportunity for the future of his empire. If Troy courted and married Jessica, it would be a perfect solution to his previous failures at gaining control over Michelson's manufacturing empire. It wasn't about love; love was a stupid and undesirable emotion. This was about business and business was the only thing that should be important to a Hamilton. Jessica flat out refused. She told her father that she didn't give a flying fuck about daddy's empire and told him to shove his idea where the sun didn't shine. Disrespecting her father was one thing, but disrespecting the family empire was the closest thing that came to actual heresy in Augustus's book. How dare his daughter deny him an opportunity to expand his holdings? Didn't she understand that his entire life's work was paying for her extravagant lifestyle and all her material possessions? This was a golden opportunity and he would be a fool to pass it by (and Augustus was most definitely not a fool).

When Jessica again refused and effectively told her father to fornicate with the closest barnyard animal, this sent Augustus into a blinding rage. He grabbed his daughter by the hair and slapped her repeatedly, calling her a worthless cunt just like her mother. Despite the fact that Jessica would agree to her father's assessment of her mother, she wholly resented the physical punishment her father was now dispensing. It was the first, and thankfully, only time Augustus would lay a hand on his daughter. By the time Augustus was finished dissipating his anger upon his only child, Jessica had several bruises around her face and a split to her lip. When Hamilton finally released his daughter with a final curse, Jessica fled to her room in panic stricken horror. Augustus followed close behind and locked her in her room until she came to her senses. He then threatened a maid into helping his daughter with her injuries; swearing he would dispense her miserable corpse in the most unholy ways if the maid breathed a word of this to anyone. The threat was more than enough to motivate the terrified servant.

Needless to say Jessica was sufficiently cowed into doing her father's business. The following day, with a thicker layer of makeup to cover the bruising around her face, some liquid skin to hide the split in her lip, and sun glasses to cover her red and puffy eyes from repeatedly crying through the night, Jessica Hamilton sought out Troy Michelson and asked him for a date. It should be known that Jessica had to repeatedly swallow to keep the bile out of her throat.

Troy was ecstatic. The object of his desires for the last two years had finally capitulated to giving him one date. They immediately set upon a date for two weeks after completing their junior year; it would be summer and a perfect time to date (really it was to give Jessica's wounds time to heal). They agreed upon a double feature at the local drive-in theatre. Troy was determined to make this date one to remember by any means necessary.

Unbeknownst to Jessica, Augustus had personally spoken with Troy Michelson about dating his daughter. Augustus had asked Troy Michelson to his estate as a personal invitation. The only stipulation was that Troy said nothing to his father about their meeting. Upon arriving at the Hamilton estate, Augustus beckoned the young Troy into his study for their meeting. He handed the young boy a very good 12 year old single malt scotch from his personal bar. Augustus knew nothing greased the wheels of bargaining like good liquor. But Augustus already knew bargaining with Troy Michelson was the equivalent to fighting an infant for a heavy weight boxing title. The boy had no idea what he was getting himself into.

"I know you like my daughter Troy. I agree that you and she are a smart match and would make a good couple. She doesn't see it now, but I'm certain she will eventually see the light. Who knows? Maybe one day you can make Jessica your wife. I'm sure such a strapping and virile young man as yourself would make fine sons with my daughter; sons that would carry on your father's legacy after you left the helm. Just think of the possibilities what our companies could do together; the endless resources that would be at your disposal. Just think of the astronomical profit our businesses could generate, think of all the things you could buy my daughter with such riches. Wouldn't it be worth almost anything to make Jessica yours to see such a reality?" Augustus asked temptingly.

Unlike his father, Troy was all about the money. He enjoyed everything money could buy; he enjoyed the doors it opened to him while remaining shut to people that was beneath him. Troy was thinking of what he could accomplish with Mr. Hamilton's money; he thought about it a lot. It made sense that he and Jessica should be together; the simple logic of business surely demanded that he merge his father's company with Mr. Hamilton's. Didn't he deserve Jessica to be his? After all, everything he could do, would do, would be for her benefit. And the thought of claiming her body was too much to handle; the whole thing seemed like a dream handed to him on a silver platter. The more Troy thought about it, the more determined he became to see it happen. It was destiny! It was fate! He would make Jessica his. After all, he had her father's blessing. He was practically begging Troy to make Jessica his. The more Troy thought about taking Jessica for his own wife, the more his golden boy persona began to crack and peel away. Beneath this thin layer of moral uprightness and selflessness, lay a rotting corpse of selfishness, greed, and lust.

Augustus could see Troy accepting his offer without saying a word. He was ecstatic to know he had won the Michelson boy over so easily. Just like Lucifer in the Garden of Eden, Augustus had adroitly steered and tempted Troy into the direction he wanted. He really was a filthy serpent. Manipulating the love struck boy was really too easy. With just the slightest nudge, he was laying the foundation for the eventual merger of the two companies. If he couldn't wrest control away from Terrence Michelson, his son surely would. Just think of all that power and influence under his control. After all, he would really be the one in control. Jessica would control her husband and he would control Jessica; it was a simple matter of will. Only the strongest deserved to prosper. He was the Alpha amongst his peers; therefore he should prosper the most. It may take a few years, but Augustus was a patient man. It had taken him this long to find a way to deal Michelson Industries the necessary death blow, what would be a couple more years? However, why not speed things up a bit? It could be done. All it would take is a little chemical ingenuity and some physical persuasiveness. The timing would be perfect and would allow Augustus to move up his time tables.

"You know Troy. Jessica isn't on birth control; her mother forbids it. She is a virgin after all, and doesn't need to be on such things. Think what would happen if you got Jessica pregnant. She would have to be yours; after all, you would be the father of her child. I or her mother would never allow her to get an abortion. Think about it. Maybe add a little something in Jessica's soda at the movie to make her more compliant to your advances. Who knows, maybe she would enjoy it. I mean don't you practically deserve Jessica? Hasn't she led you on, tempted you with her feminine wiles, making you practically crazy over her? And I wouldn't fault you one bit; my daughter is very beautiful and uses that to her advantage. Besides, I practically can see you as my son-in-law right now.

A quick wedding after you graduate and you will have her legally to yourself. Who cares if Jessica is pregnant in high school? She is meant to be at home with children. It is what women are bred to do; they are bred to breed, to carry on a man's line. She certainly doesn't need to go to college; she has no use for a degree. After all, it is the man's job to provide for his family. The business world is no place for a woman. It takes tough men to make tough decisions. Who knows, maybe you could become the son I never had. I could show you everything you would need to know to become a very successful and very rich man. And all you would have to do is take something from Jessica for your own pleasure; I mean she is practically begging you to take it from her, isn't she?" Augustus whispered in Troy's ear with his forked silver tongue. Teenage boys were so easy to manipulate.

Mr. Hamilton was right again. The little slut had been flaunting her body in front of him every day for the last two years; it was driving him mad with lustful desires. She was practically begging for the first man to take her, to claim her as his own. Mr. Hamilton was so right. Women were just waiting for a strong Alpha like him to drag them away to his cave to be bred. It really was what they were made for. After all, his mother never worked; she stayed at home and looked after his younger brother and two sisters. It was what she was meant to do and she was really good at it.