Maxine's New Life Ch. 02

"There you are, we were beginning to worry," Franklin said. "Ted and Ed you remember Max?" They both stood then nodded that they indeed did.

The waiter seated me, then left me at the table. Since there were silverware, a plate, and a glass of ice tea, I assumed the three of them had placed at least part of our dinner order.

There was some small talk first, it was supposed to set me at ease. It was also meant to impress me with the fact that they had done their homework. They let me know that they felt I was someone they could trust. They seemed to trust me even though at 5'6" and 125 pounds, I was not an imposing figure. Some of those 20 pounds I had lost were in muscle mass. In other words I might be down to my proper body weight, but I was about twenty pounds below my fighting weight. Even so they seemed to trust me.

Ed started the real conversation over some clam and pasta dish. I know it was supposed to be a big deal to eat at the Banker's club, but I would have traded the experience for a double cheese burger from McDonalds. If it had been the charred T bone, which required a special oversized plate, I might have felt different, but the pasta and clams just didn't impress me. My guess is the fancy pasta was for me since they most likely knew I was supposed to stay away from really hot or tough food. Probably thought I would be afraid to try the T bone. They had a lot to learn.

"So tell me, if you wanted to steel our work, how would you do it?"

"I really haven't given it any thought, but it wouldn't be hard."

"If it wouldn't be hard, how would you do it?" Ted added.

"First of all, you are living in a very dangerous world. A world filled with really bad guys who can get some really good things from some really bad governments."

"I know that means something, but I don't have a clue what it is," Ed suggested.

"Just one quick scenario. I grab you and hold you for ransom. The drop is for the formula and all the required information to make it work. I find a geek to tell me it what you give me is real and I make the payoff quick enough so that you can't fake anything. After I have it, I kill you."

"How do you plan to get away with that?"

"I hadn't planned anything, remember. Off the top of my head I would have gone to the Chinese or the Israelies in advance. I would give them the formula they would give me a few million dollars US and drop my ass in the middle of nowhere. You they would drop in a hole somewhere."

Franklin was impressed. Ed and Ted looked over their shoulder. They would never feel completely safe again. "Holy shit, you are one cold bitch," Ted suggested.

"Hey you asked me? Ignorance is not bliss, if it gets you killed. If I were you I'd give Blackwater, or whatever they are calling themselves these days, a call."

"Are you armed?" Franklin asked.

"Do you have a hundred dollar bill on you?" I asked in return. He nodded. "That's your answer a good workman never leaves his tools at home." I finished my chocolate moose then said, "Gentlemen, it has been a real experience. but I have work to do." I didn't really, but I was bored.

"Max would you be interested in setting up a security force for us?" Ed asked.

"Not in the least, call Blackwater."

"Then how about hanging out with us till we get a security operation in place?"

"No thanks, I really have all the things on my plate I can handle right now." I didn't have near enough to do, but I didn't want to work for anyone else either.

"Please Maxine we have a meeting with GE on Wednesday in New York. How about you come along as our bodyguard." Ed asked that.

"If you come along they will just think we are studs not paranoid." Ted said that with a sarcastic look at Ed.

"Oh hell I always wanted to be a groupie for nerds," I said it smiling. "Five hundred a day and I drive us up there and back."

"I'm not sure about that?" Ed suggested.

"Those are my requirements, take it or leave it."

"Well, I think we need the protection, so I say take it." Ted demanded.

"Alright, I guess we drive to New York."

"Have the GE rep call me," I handed Ed my card. "Well if that is all gentlemen, I'll be going now." I was standing when I said, "Tuesday morning at 7am, we leave your plant. Be ready."

"Hey you work for us," Ed said still trying to take control.

"Ed, Tuesday morning at 7AM. I am leaving the parking lot of your plant. I will be headed for New York with you in tow, or I will be headed home. I could care less which." I did smile sweetly. If I was going to be responsible for their lives, they were not going to make it impossible for me to keep them alive.

During the time running up till Tuesday morning, I had contact with Ted, Ed, and Lois Mathews from GE. Lois gave me the hotel name and made the reservations for us. It was her opinion that I was Ted and Ed den mother or social secretary. I didn't give a damn what she thought. Actually she was kind of sweet, so I looked forward to meeting her.

Ted called on Monday. I reserved a large Ford van for the trip. I made sure it has everything,. I thought that just maybe Ed won't be a pain in the ass all the way to New York, if he has enough toys. I hope you don't mind driving the larger van."

"Well the biggest thing I have driven up till now was an eighteen wheeler, with a second trailer tagging behind. I think I can manage the custom van." I took a breath while I waited to see if he would make any comment. When he didn't I went on." I'll pick it up tonight."

"Hertz at the airport has it ready anytime," Ted informed me. "You don't really think we are in any danger do you?"

"Honestly, I don't know. From what Franklin tells me, your little invention is going to make some serious players very nervous. What they will do is anyone's guess. Then there are the political implications. A lot of countries have the world oil economy as their only political card. Without that, they are going to be eating sand."

"Well let's hope it isn't that much of a threat to the status quo," Ted's voice said through the phone.

"Well if you are having buyers remorse, I can still stay home. I'm sure you can still get flight reservations."

"Hell no, I'm looking forward to the company and Ed is still paranoid."

"Well I think you need to have a press conference to make it clear to everyone that if you are killed, the project goes on just with different people getting the profits. Some public trust of some kind would make you bullet proof from the people wanting to bury the technology. You still have plenty to worry about but at least that political sword would be blunted. They are the most dangerous. A guy who wants the formula for himself isn't likely to put a bomb under your car.

I cleaned up my house before I picked up the van. The van I picked up from Ryder Truck Rental was a fucking yacht on wheels. The damn thing had every toy imaginable. The Ted and Ed's excellent adventure was going to be arriving in style. From my point of view the blacked out windows were the best feature. Well of course the 360 degree tv camera was a good thing as well. I could only imagine where the van came from. It surely wasn't used often in either Tryon or Aster.

I packed the legal Mossberg riot shotgun, the Glock 10 mm, and wore the .38 concealed hammer wheel gun. All in all I had quite a bit of fire power there. I also tossed in a cardboard box of non lethal weapons. Everything from tazers to pepper gas bombs went into the box, which found it's way into the rear of the van. The smallest item in the van when I pulled into the old recapping yard, was the bag containing my clothes. I had packed only a good pair of slacks and a nice sweater for the meeting, and a clean blouse for the drive home. There were spare panties and a bra stuffed into a side pocket on the bag.

I could have learned a lot from the number of bags the two men brought. Ted the more dirty hands type of the geeks, had a half duffel bag packed pretty tight. He might have enough clothes but they were all going to be wrinkled. Ed on the other hand brought one hanging bag and a small soft side suit case. He was going to be the fashion whore of the crowd.

We were quite the crew that morning. Me in my faded levi's and over sized sweater, Ted in his tight jeans and wrinkled cowboy work shirt, and of course Ed in his European designer jeans and fancy Italian sweater. Ed wanted to not look pretentious but he failed miserably.

I wore driving sunglasses that were not fashionable but were at least Polaroid, while Ted wore thick sunglasses, which no doubt doubled as shatterproof lenses, and Ed wore Something from the designer shot in the Tryon Mall no doubt.

Each of us brought a laptop computer and cell phone. Their cell phones did everything no doubt while mine made and received phone calls. My laptop had nothing of value on it, while theirs held state secrets no doubt. Well at least Ed's would have secrets, Ted's probably had some game with a thousand levels.

At 7:15am we left the parking lot behind. I threaded my way through the city streets until I reached the federally sponsored highway. The six lane road was located a few miles from Aster. Once on the wide ribbon of pavement I pointed the van more or less north. I settled into what I hoped would be a boring ten to twelve hour drive.

Since I planned to be at the fancy hotel in Flushing New York by bedtime, the Ted and Ed show should be in good shape for the after lunch meetings on Wednesday. That is assuming everything went as planned. I was less worried about the drive than any other part of the trip. I was armed to the teeth and driving a civilian version of the Bradley fighting vehicle.

For the next twelve hours I drove while my charges worked or played with their toys. They spoke now and then, more to each other than to me. With the exception of Ed's comments to me. Those were not to be confused with conversation. "Hey what are we going to do for lunch?"

"I'm going to stop for gas soon, we can pull into a fast food joint for lunch."

"Oh come on Max, I know you aren't used to nice things but force yourself this once," Ed suggested.

"Ed it is much harder to grab someone from a busy Mickey D's dining room, than the quiet hallway of a fancy restaurant while you head off to pee. How about we play the odds for a couple of days and save the posturing for someone who cares." Ted giggled like a school girl.

That's pretty much how the drive went, Ed bitching, me explaining, and Ted giggling. At one of the gas stops we bought a cooler and filled it with cokes. I allowed it, even though it meant random pee breaks.

Even the bypasses around major cities were a nightmare. Somehow we managed to pull through the check in area of the Flushing New York Hilton just before 10 PM. I had put my foot down on the accelerator and on the number and length of stops. By driving with a purpose, as they called it in the Air Force, we had made good time. Check in was simple since GE had made all the arrangements.

The suite was exactly what I had demanded. There was a sitting room and kitchenette with a bedroom for each of the boys on either side. I planned to do my napping on the sofa in the entrance room. I made coffee while they prepared for bed.

"So where are you going to sleep?" Ted asked.

"I won't be sleeping but I will be out here in the main room. Unless they have a helicopter any threat will come through those doors. If it comes through those doors, it is going to come through me."

"I can make you a better offer," Ted suggested.

"I'm sure you can and I might take you up on it some other time. You know the old thing about work and play?" I asked.

"You mean don't screw the boss?" he suggested.

"Never shit where you eat," I corrected.

"God you are crude," Ed said from behind me.

"Yeah, my mom would not be happy with me these days." I smiled. "Now you two need your sleep. You have to go out and make the world safe for big business tomorrow."

"You make the world safe, we will just try to cut back on some of the rape of resources."

"Sounds fair," I suggested.

I rigged my burglar alarm first thing. If you plan to stay awake and watch the door, all you need is something to get your attention in case it wanders. In my case it was a half dozen kitty bells tied to a thin wire. twhich was rigged to either hang from the door knob, or from a thumb tack in the door. It all depended on what the door hardware looked like. In the case of the Hilton, it was a thumbtack. The door handle was a lever not a knob.

I watched TV on the computer, I read on the computer, and I drank gallons of coffee warmed in the microwave. When you have a good plan, things almost always go well. When you don't have a plan, is when they go all to hell. The night passed quietly. Partly because I had a plan, and partly because a snatch is best done without a swat type assault in a public place. In other words the worst was yet to come, if it came at all.

The 'boys,' as I thought of them, slept until 9AM. I could hardly wait to turn them over to the GE security people, so that I could get some real sleep. Before the GE security chief came, we went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. I had to admit the restaurant was far superior to the breakfast I usually had. The eggs were cooked right at the table, so they were as fresh as if I had made them myself, plus they tasted a whole lot better.

Back in the room, I received the call. "Ms. Stone, this is Rachel at GE. Our Mr. Roberts will be there in about half an hour. He will escort your party to our convention center." Something about the call set off bells in my head.

"Why isn't Lois calling? I asked.

"Lois is in the plant. We had an incident last night. That's why the change in plans."

"What kind of incident?" I asked.

"That isn't relevant," she said in a tone that wasn't quite right either.

"Young lady, everything is relevant to me. Now either tell me what this incident was or I'm taking my party to the nearest police station and you can pick them up there."

"Someone broke into the production office at the plant and went through the files. Nothing was taken but we are assuming that copies were made. Rachael is out there inventorying the files to see what if anything is missing."

"Alright, so as a precaution you are moving the meeting to the convention center?"

"Yes, our convention center is free standing and very secure." She sounded just a little too rehearsed for my liking. Ted thought that Ed was paranoid. I was about to show him paranoid. I agreed to everything, then hung up the phone.

"Get your asses ready to go this minute. Do not waste one fucking second," I almost shouted.

"What the fuck?" Ted asked. There was urgency in his voice.

"If Ed is right to be paranoid, they are in the hotel. We need to make it very difficult for them to find us for the next twenty minutes."

I picked up the phone. "Room Service. I would like a pot of fresh coffee and a tray of danish. I would like it right away." Then I called the desk. "Could have have a maid come up I have spilled something in my bed and need it changed immediately."

I picked up the phone and then dialed an outside line. I dailed the number I had for the GE contact I had. "Lois Snow," the voice came from the phone. "Lois someone just called to tell me a Mr. Roberts was on the way to collect my party. I am assuming that wasn't you."

"No it wasn't. Should I call the police?"

"And an ambulance," I suggested dropping the phone. "You two get in the bathroom. You can get in the tubs but I'd bet they are fiberglass and useless." There was a knock on the door. "Do it now," I whispered.

I was willing to bet all our lives, that the bad guys still believed their con was going to work. I just didn't believe that the bad guys were planning a full assault on the Hilton. I looked out to see the man in a well cut suit. It wasn't too expensive looking, nor did it look too much like a cheap gangster suit.

Timing was going to be everything. "You must be Roberts?" I asked as I opened the door.

"Yes I am," he replied.

"Would you mind showing me some ID?" I smiled to convince him it was just a formality. It wasn't, it was a stall. I already knew the ID was fake. He was about to reach under his coat to bring out either his ID or a pistol when the coffee and danish arrived.

I could see the look of confusion on his face as I signed for the tray. I also managed to trip the waiter so that the coffee pot spilled onto both me and Roberts. "Oh my god, I am so sorry." I said that as I used one of the cloth napkins to blot coffee from Roberts suit. He pushed me away before I could find his pistol's location. My mind was still racing.

"Housekeeping," the female Hispanic voice from the hallway said.

"In here please, we just spilled coffee. Your timing couldn't be better." I was running around manic as hell. I was trying my best to keep the confusion going until the cops arrived. Everything was getting calm when it was obvious that Roberts had caught on. He was about to turn away when I slipped the hammerless .38 against his spine.

"I don't want to blow your spine out in front of all these witnesses, but I can and probably get away with it. You and I both know you are not from GE. Now let the little drama play out as it should." The patrolmen were at the door within minutes. I put the .38 in the pocket of my jeans before I approached them.

"You need to make sure the Mr. Roberts there doesn't leave. He is most likely armed. The younger of the patrolmen immediately pulled his weapon. They not only found Roberts' nasty little automatic, the found my .38. To add to the confusion the real GE security manager who knew everyone in the Police Department showed up.

It was a cluster fuck for the next half hour. I personally enjoyed the Flushing Police Keystone Cop act, but Ted and Ed didn't care for it. By the time they made it to their meeting there were in no mood to deal with GE. I didn't give a crap one way or the other.

The meeting went on even though nothing was decided. While they cried, complained, and negotiated, I slept on the sofa. I got a good three hour nap while they jockeyed for negotiating position's. I didn't give a crap how the day ended. I hated that I was going to lose my weapons. It is a bad idea to take weapons into New York state. If they had been heirloom guns, I would have demanded a hearing and probably won. But I planned to just bill Ted and Ed for the replacement cost. I had to stop on the way home that night to purchase a shotgun at a Walmart store in Maryland. We planned to stop for the night in Virginia and I didn't want to sleep naked. Driving from New Yord to Maryland unarmed had been nerve racking enough, since I never considered either tazers or pepper gas as weapons.

"Damn this trip cost us a lot of money to have nothing of any real value come of it," Ed complained as we neared Aster the next afternoon.

"Nothing of any value? Why you little shit, I might have saved your formula, if not you life. I just hope you try to avoid payment of my invoice for those weapons. I would love to get your ass on the stand in Aster. Jennifer can always ask where you were while the 125 pound woman was holding off Mr. Roberts, possibly of the Gambini family." Ed was properly cowered. I just loved playing the little chick card.

"Roberts is a reputable private investigator. He was hired to arrange a meeting for a brokerage firm. A firm that wanted to hand us a million dollars," Ted said giggling.

"That's his story now. They picked up his secretary, who couldn't wait to roll over on his ass. How do you think we got off so easy?"

"Because GE threw their weight around?" Ted suggested with a giggle. His girlie giggle was getting old quick.

"That too," I admitted. Even with all the drama I got my expense and fee settlement from the boys immediately. I submitted an appraisal for the Mossburg Shotgun, and the two pistols. Replacing them wasn't going to be a problem, I was glad that I left all the antique weapons in Ed, the bondsman's, safe room.