There were several garages, workshops, and storage buildings on the back side of the lodge, and there was a large beach area with a swimming area buoyed off, between a couple of docks. On the outside of the docks there were a couple of boat houses. Becca mentioned that there was at least one Correct Craft Ski Nautique in each of the boat-houses. Jimmy told him there were several pontoon boats in the storage buildings, as well.
Jimmy told Marsh that the Turner Companies had several weeks of summer camps for the children of their employees every year, and that at times some of the manufacturing companies brought employees out here for weekend retreats. There were a few full time staff at the camp, and they brought in staff for the kids camps as needed. Employee groups were responsible for bringing their own staff, or hiring staff through the camp manager.
It was over a mile to the far end of the lake, from the camp. On this end of the lake and across on the other side there were some training areas with more docks, buildings, sheds, and a mess hall. Water rescue training and underwater operations were taught and practiced here. Jimmy made a point of telling Marsh that there were several other water training facilities, including a large one on one of the Hawaiian Islands. He said there was an executive resort in the Caribbean as well.
Becca gained a little altitude as she flew across the north end of the lake shore and over the forest again. It was another five miles to where the forest ended, and Marsh saw several miles of cleared land in three directions.
There was a paved road that entered the base from the west. It came off of a larger four lane divided highway. Marsh could see at least a dozen buildings that looked like administration and barracks, in a grouping that was typical of a military base. There were additional buildings further out that could have been classrooms and bunkers. Marsh saw a runway that he guessed was around twelve thousand feet long. It could probably handle large transports as well as smaller aircraft. Marsh asked Jimmy why it appeared to be unused.
"We're working on a conditional use variance." Jimmy said. The city had opposed The Turner Companies use of the base for a private airport. They were charging Turner for hangers and landing fees, as well as selling fuel for their aircraft. They didn't want to lose that revenue. Jimmy had sued them and won the suit, but there were still a few hurdles to jump, it wouldn't be much longer, maybe only a couple more weeks. He hoped to have it passed in time for Becca's birthday. Marsh smiled and nodded.
There were several large hangers here and some smaller ones as well. Presently Marsh saw over a dozen helicopters on the ground. There were several UH-1Y Hueys. Two AH-1Z Super Cobras, aka Vipers. He also saw an OH-58 Kiowa, and a couple of CH-53 Super Stallions. Marsh had seen a Bell 412 at the Hole, and there were two of them here.
Marsh looked at Jimmy. "I think we should get another 412, as well as your 525, Jimmy. I see myself carrying more people than the 230 will carry quite often."
"I have no problem with that," Jimmy responded. "We could order a second 525 if you'd like. We have a new 412 coming within the next couple of weeks. You can use that one till we can get the 525s. There's a Sikorsky S-92 around here somewhere, too."
"Works for me," Marsh replied. "I wish I could find a vertical take-off and landing FA-18. I'm not real fond of the Harrier though, so until I can get an F-35B I'll have to wish for the FA-18 E, and settle for flying helicopters, for my vertical take-off and landing stuff. I can at least carry more people in the choppers, than in an F-35, and a FA-18 combined." Marsh gave Jimmy a wink and a nod. Jimmy knew what that was about.
Becca flew north across the runway and away from the main buildings. It was three or four miles out to another cluster of buildings. Here there were a couple of obstacle courses, jump training platforms, and various rifle and pistol ranges. Marsh asked if one of the buildings was an armory. Jimmy just nodded, and pointed to the largest building in the group.
Marsh had noted that there was a motor-pool at the main base, and a smaller one here at the outpost. There were MRAPs, HUMMWVs, 2 ½ ton and 5 ton trucks and tractor trailers. Out here at the outpost, Marsh saw a couple of M1A1 Abrams battle tanks.
Marsh decided he was looking at the generic equivalent of a smaller version of Camp Pendleton, where his own private Marine Corps/SEAL teams trained. He knew that there were some Army Rangers in his teams, but he knew that Jimmy was partial to the SEALs and Marines that he had been with in 'Nam, forty years ago.
Marsh asked Jimmy, "Is there anything on Pendleton that we don't have here?"
"Yeah," Jimmy replied. "Fighter jets, and approved runways. We're gonna fix that though." Jimmy paused, and then continued. "Maybe you ought to start talking to your friend Dan about switching his flight operations out here. We could serve him better than those idiots at the city's airport are doing, and do it a hell of a lot cheaper. Hell Marsh, I buy jet-A, delivered out here, for about half what we're paying at the "International Airport". Those guys are outrageous."
Marsh thought about that for a minute. "I reckon that would save him money in the long run, wouldn't it? He would have a little longer drive from his offices to our base than the airport. It would be a lot closer to his home. And we might be able to convince him to sell his Board of Directors on the idea of a helicopter or two. Then he'd have some quick transportation across town."
"You got it," Becca chimed in. Wouldn't that piss off the city fathers? They already know they're losing our revenue. If we pulled Dan's company business out there, they'd have a conniption fit."
Jimmy laughed. "I would love that! After all the shit they have put me through, I'd like to stick it to them any way I can. Marsh, please talk to Dan Morrison about it."
"I tell you what, Jimmy." Marsh responded. "I'll talk to him about it as soon as we know when we are going to be approved. I'm assuming we have fuel tanks and delivery arrangements in place already, no?"
Jimmy smiled. "We do. We are not using all of the tanks that we have, but we have tanks, and fuel trucks. And I have a contract with Shell Aviation that says they'll supply all the fuel we can use. It doesn't hurt anything that one of the big shots at Shell Global is a friend of mine from 'Nam.
Becca flew over almost the entire base, and Marsh was impressed with the variety of the training areas. She also flew out to the highway and Marsh was able to see the base entrance. There was a guardhouse at the gate, that was staffed 24/7. ID was needed to get in. It would not be that long of a drive from Dan's office complex to get to the base/air field.
Becca flew back to the headquarters complex, and landed the helo. Jimmy took Marsh into the HQ building and introduced him to the key people at the training facility. He showed Marsh a locked office that he happened to have a key to, and told Marsh that this was his office out here. There was another "control" room here at HQ, and Jimmy told Marsh there were several underground bunkers including another control room, and armory.
After a walking tour and several introductions, Jimmy suggested they head down to the main offices and get ready to meet with the suits. Jimmy could also show Marsh some online tours of some of the properties and facilities in other states and in a couple of other countries.
Becca made the trip to the new office building a short one and landed on the roof. She took a page out of Marsh's playbook and backed the 230 into the hanger. Marsh and Jimmy unstrapped their harnesses, and Marsh reached back and picked up a door. Jimmy showed him how to put it back on the helo, and then they all headed down to their offices.
Marsh went straight to Trish's office and received a hug and very warm kiss. "Oh Marsh," Trish gushed. I'm so glad to see you. Do you have time to walk down to the hotel with me? I want to go take some paperwork down there and pick up some bills and timecards."
"I'll make time for you, sweetheart." Marsh replied with a smile. "How's it going up here, baby doll? Are you enjoying the new office and the change in work load?"
"Oh Marsh!" Trish exclaimed. "I'm learning so much new stuff. I'm muddling through and asking a lot questions. Rick knows a lot of stuff about management. I know hotel stuff, but it's nice to have Rick to help me with the management stuff."
"Trish," Marsh responded. "If you want to take some business classes or go to hospitality seminars, you just say the words, and I'll make sure you can go and learn the things you think you need or want. Do a little bit of internet research and find out what's available. Your boss is big on education and will support you completely. Let's walk down to the hotel and talk on the way."
Trish and Marsh walked to the elevator, rode to the ground floor, and walked down to the Best Western, Turner Inn. The conversation was a combination of serious business and light hearted banter. Marsh felt very comfortable chatting with his mother-in-law about anything and everything. He found her to be gaining both knowledge and confidence.
When Trish was finished with her business at the hotel office, she and Marsh walked back up to the office building. Marsh asked her to go up to the executive suite without him, and he turned and walked down to the medical offices that were being remodeled and refurnished.
Sue and Jenni were making great progress, and Marsh was glad he had hired the right people to do the job.
Sue told Marsh that she had talked to Vernon Jobinski and he would gladly see Rick next Tuesday. Vernon told Sue that he knew exactly what she was talking about. He had seen seven Vietnam vets that had been in the same prison camp. The doctor that tortured the American prisoners was notorious for his cruelty and this specific injury was one of his specialties. Vernon had developed a fairly quick and easy repair, which had been successful on the first try on six of the seven vets. The first Marine he had worked on had to come back for a second surgery, but Vernon had been successful in restoring full function. There would still be scars, but Vernon was pretty sure he could fix Rick's problem.
Vernon had also said that the Navy surgeon that had done the first patch job on these vets had been really good, and the work he did on them was way ahead of the standard for the time. Vernon told Sue he would really like to find this old Navy surgeon and pick his brain. Marsh asked Sue to call Vernon again so Marsh could talk to him.
Sue picked up her office phone and hit one of the speed dial buttons. Dr. Jobinski's office manager answered the phone on the second ring. "Hi Sue!" She said pleasantly, "you need to talk to Dr. Jobinski again?"
"Wow!" Sue exclaimed. "You have me on your caller ID already? I'm impressed. I would like to talk to him if it isn't too much trouble, but I have Dr. Mitchel here on the speaker as well."
"Oh hi, Marsh! I haven't heard from you in years. How're you doing?"
"I'm doing very well, Sonja. How 'bout you? Marsh asked.
I'm well also Marsh; I'll get Dr. Jobinski for you right away. He's finished with his morning patients, and just getting ready to get some lunch." Came the pleasant reply.
Vernon Jobinski came on the line in a matter of seconds. "Sue, Marsh, to what do I owe the honor of getting to talk to both of you so soon?
Marsh responded. "Vernon, Sue says you know the fix for a problem that not just a few guys came back from 'Nam with. She tells me you want to meet the Navy MASH doctor that patched some of them up."
"Marsh, that Navy surgeon was a genius. I'd love to meet the guy. He did a super job with the patching job. I'm sure if he'd had the procedure I came up with he would have done it in the jungle. As it is, if he hadn't done the great work he did in the jungle, I would never have been able to fix these heroes. Do you have any idea how to find him? I'd love to talk to him and show him the procedure. He can probably give me some pointers that can improve my procedure."
"Well Vernon, how 'bout I bring him with us when we come out next week? He happens to be my partner, and I knew he was good, but hearing it from you makes me proud to say I know him. I'll make sure he's with us when we get there."
"Marsh, you've made my day," Dr. Jobinski replied. "I'm looking forward to seeing all of you next week."
"Me too, Vernon," said Marsh. "I'm sure Dr. Turner will enjoy the trip as well. I've got work to do and I'm pretty sure you do too. Thanks Vernon. See you Tuesday."
Sue pushed the end call button, and she and Marsh talked about the progress here at the new practice offices and the upcoming trip to San Bernardino. Sue told Marsh she didn't need to go on this trip unless he insisted. If Marsh and Jimmy saw the procedure they could do it if it ever came up in the future. And with her specializing on the other half of the species, both Sue and Marsh figured that was a very remote possibility.
Jenni was ordering equipment and lining up people to fill positions. She had worked with Rick and Jimmy to hire contractors and architects to do the work on the urgent care center, and to get started on the fitness center and gym.
After seeing the progress that was being made in the new urgent care offices, and the plans that were in the works for the gym and fitness center, Marsh headed up to his office suite, and went in to talk to Trish some more.
Trish was handed the task of getting a cafeteria and food services, and Marsh wanted to get caught up on how those items were going along. He was pleased with the progress. Trish had made appointments with some people from the Golden Corral chain, The Olive Garden, and the El Torito chain. The people from the Olive Garden were going to be there tomorrow, and the Golden Corral and El Torito people would be here on Monday. Golden Corral representatives would be here in the morning and El Torito's people in the afternoon.
Trish was hoping that the Golden Corral representatives would agree to put in a restaurant that would serve as the cafeteria, and both Olive Garden and El Torito would put in restaurants on the property between the office building, and the hotel. Or perhaps one on each side of the entrance road. Marsh liked the ideas that Trish was working on, and told her so. Trish beamed.
She also had a call in to a couple of yogurt shops that she thought could put in a small satellite shop in the fitness center. Marsh decided he had made a very good choice when he put Trish in charge of the hospitality division. She obviously had great ideas and the initiative to follow through with them. This seemed to be working out as well as he had hoped, maybe better.
Marsh did a walk through the building with Wolf, checking in with the employees in each department. He got good feedback from several employees, and was told more than once that the new safe transportation program was going to be a hit.
The security division was in the basement, and had quite a bit of foot traffic, coming and going. Like he had on the floors above, Wolf was well received. He was polite and friendly, and made several new friends.
Marsh made a point of being back up in the executive suites a few minutes before the lawyers and the bank executives arrived. He stopped and asked Trish and Becca to join him in his office where he had a conversation about what was going to happen this afternoon. Jimmy came in and joined the conversation.
Trish was adamant that she didn't need anything from the estate, and didn't need to be in the trust meetings they were going to have.
Both Marsh and Jimmy tried to reason with her, and Becca finally got her to agree that she could sit in and at least hear what was going on. Becca told her that she (Becca) didn't want anything from the estate or the trust either, but that she could help Marsh better if she knew what was going on. Marsh could tell Trish wasn't entirely convinced she should be in the meetings but she grudgingly agreed to sit in and listen to what was going on.
Sally knocked on Marsh's door and when Marsh told her to come in she told the executive group that the gentlemen and lady from the bank had arrived. She had sent them to one of the boardrooms and had called the IT department to come up and help them set up any computer connections they needed.
Marsh asked her to call Rick and ask him to come up and join them as well. Rick showed up in just a few minutes and the five of them went to the board room where the bankers were just finishing their computer connections.
Jimmy had already told the bank executives what he wanted and what was already in the trust, so there really weren't a lot of things to work out.
Marsh insisted on adding Trish and Becca to several of the accounts so that they could do their jobs and make payments and purchases as needed. The additional paperwork needed to add them was minimal, and the bankers were finished in about forty five minutes.
They had actually brought debit and credit card blanks with them and an imprinter that enabled them to make new corporate cards for Marsh, Becca and Trish. As the bankers were leaving Trish laughed and asked, "Does this mean I can go out and go on a shopping spree this afternoon?
Marsh, Jimmy, and Becca all laughed with Trish. Becca spoke up and said, "Only if I get to come with you and use your card."
Trish responded. "Hey they just made you one of your own. Why do you need to use mine?"
"Because you're the mother, and Marsh will never know how much I spent. It'll all show up on your card."
Even the company accountant that was in the meeting laughed. She had made notes throughout the meeting and knew where to put money and charges for each cost center.
Trish told everyone she didn't want to have to worry about all the cost centers, and where all the charges went. She just wanted to do her own job and leave the accounting to the people her father and Marsh had hired to take care of those tasks.
Several lawyers, clerks, and secretaries showed up promptly at 1500. Jimmy introduced Marsh, Trish, and Becca to the company on staff lawyers, and they in turn introduced a couple of lawyers from an outside firm, who were helping to handle all the corporation details, and the main trust composition.
Marsh spoke to the attorneys and told them what he had in mind for including Trish and Becca. He spoke to them for about ten minutes spelling out his own thoughts and wants. The lead attorney from the outside firm listened to Marsh's thoughts and then replied. "You're nobodies dummy are you Dr. Mitchel? I've never heard a person that didn't have some kind of legal training speak so knowledgably about corporate and trust issues. We can make all of that work, almost exactly the way you just spelled it out. I have to admit, I don't think I could have described what you just did any better."
"I could have used a few bigger words and some legalese mumbo jumbo, but it wouldn't have made any sense to anyone but the attorneys. That was impressive."
Trish spoke up right after the lawyer quit speaking. "That was clear enough that I even understood it. I just barely finished high school. Marsh, that was very clear. Thank you for including me in this so nicely."
Marsh smiled at Trish, and then turned to the attorney. "Thank you both for the kind words. I don't officially have any formal legal education. I have been through several issues that I had to study the law for, and it's important to me to do things right. If nobody has any objections, you can make the necessary modifications to the documents, and this meeting doesn't have to drag out half of the night. Some of us have better things to do this evening."
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