Dark as Daylight Ch. 22

Senior said to his son, "William, you are too self-deprecating. You and your brother are very important to our businesses. It's not one or the other, it's both of you. The businesses I have built and am leaving to you both have grown so much that I rarely know what's going on with them. I only know what's going on with the top 20%, and then with the other 80% I only know if I get information about a business that is fading. That is when I put my magic in. I'm good at that.

Look at what you did to get Patrick his 747. It didn't take you five minutes to do it, because I knew the airline and how much they owed me. I knew I could get that airline if I wanted to manage it. I didn't want to manage that airline because the management team was good and aggressive. Their inroads into new markets was exceptional and I knew they were going to grow. I let you take a 747 from them to show them how much power I had over their business and to let them know I was watching them closely. They knew if they fucked up again, I was going to be chairman of the board, and they were going to be walking the streets. I didn't need that aggravation, because they were good at what they were doing. In five-years they were going to triple their business in the South East Asia market. As long as fuel prices remained steady, they may even quadruple it. I could even rent out a few jets to them from another airline I control in Russia, but I'm afraid that the maintenance on them is suspect. I have separate policies on those aircraft. If an airplane goes down, I get $400 million to replace it. My other policy takes care of the families who lost loved ones. I am not responsible if they find flaws in the maintenance program. That falls to the airline itself."

"Dad, I hope you never collect on those policies. We never want to gain on other people suffering."

"Do you know what insurance company those planes are with, my son?"

"Oh dad, please don't tell me it's one of ours."

"Okay, I won't tell you it's one of ours, but you canceled my Life Insurance Policies, and that wasn't nice."

"Dad, you're absolutely brutal when it comes to business."

Jemma said, "Ask him how much money he made because of the fires, in the Sonoma Valley, that burnt half his wine crop. If I were you, William, I would sit down."

"Dad, before I ask you how much money you made, I want to ask you if you made it from one of our companies?"

Senior smiled at his son and said, "No, I did not take it from one of our companies, and if you knew all our insurance companies' businesses you would know they don't cover land losses."

"You are wrong, dad. When we acquired the conglomerate 'Recipient Technologies', part of that deal included 'Bostitch Assurance.' They are a reinsurer, and they cover land losses, like wineries."

"I stand corrected."

"Thank you. Now, how much money did you make from those fires?"

"$822 million plus the reconstruction of the two buildings we lost. Thank goodness the casks were underground aging properly. We would've put the insurance company out of business, if the fire got to them. I gave $150 million of that money to 'CalFire', because they are so underfunded and undermanned. I gave another hundred million to LA Fire, because the fires in the South were brutal and a lot of people lost everything. Another hundred million went to the agencies caring for those who are homeless now. And when I am finished giving, it'll all be gone."

"You are certainly keeping your lawyers busy."

"The contingencies I pay them at the beginning of the year keep them very happy and what I have them do during the year makes up for it. When is Patrick's girlfriend due in New York?"

"Next Monday, and I'm hoping for the nuptials by a week from Saturday."

"You have the store all ready for the parents?"

"Of course, it is the store in the Menlo Park Mall, off Parsonage Road and Menlo Park Drive. Last year our take was $560,000 after expenses, including the manager's health insurance, 8% bonus, which was $44,800, and it made him very happy. The 2 full time employees received bonuses of $10,000 each, and they were very happy also. Who would have ever thought an ice cream store could bring in a half million dollars a year in clear profit?"

William Senior was not taking any chances. He moved out of the range of his wife's reach before he said, "They must have a lot of females like your mother. They must eat 5 gallons of butter pecan ice cream every week."

He chanced a look at Jemma and she was peacefully sleeping. He said something really out of character. "Shit, I thought I had her."

Junior said, "Dad, if mom was alert and mobile, I would be taking you to NYU right now. Either your jaw or your arm would be broken, and she would be laughing like hell."

"Son, you have no idea how much I miss it. I want her back desperately. I want her whole, and healthy. I want her in my bed so I can hold her in my arms and keep her safe. I hate that she's sick and I'm healthy. I would give everything I have away to change places with her."

"If she was standing where you are, she would be saying the same thing. You two got together in a very strange way, but it was a match made in heaven, and both of you will be together again. I don't have a doubt in my mind about it. Just give it time and she will walk across the backyard into your home, holding onto your arm."

"I pray that you're right, William. When is McDonald's due?"

Junior laughed. "Testing her again to see if she's really sleeping, dad? Remember mom doesn't forget anything. If her subconscious remembers what you are doing to her now, she is going to beat the crap out of you when she's healthy again. She will beat you up to the point where we would have to take you to the hospital to get well. She will have Patrick and I carry you up to your bed. There she will have her way with you as you scream in agony. Be nice dad, be very, very nice to my mother or you will be in excruciating pain."

The nurse walked in. "Mr. Zabo, BED NOW."

Junior said, "Dad, Anna sounds more like mom than mom sounds. Get into bed before she takes out a needle and put you to sleep permanently."

"She can't do that to me. I have to be awake to say goodbye to Jim as he leaves on his adventure with the darling Olivia at his side."

"I hope she doesn't kill him during this vacation. Jim is the best body man I have ever seen. Dr. Luck knew what he was doing when he gave me him."

"I don't believe that man should have died so young. He could've given humanity so much more."

Williams phone vibrated. He listened for a moment, said yes and hung up.

"Your wish is about to come true dad. He's here to say goodbye, and he has a little girl with him."

"Your mother will be devastated that she missed this."

Jemma said, "You are an idiot, William. You are also a dead man. When I am well, I am going to take you apart at the seams for what you said about me. When does McDonald's get here? So funny, isn't it my dear? They must eat 5 gallons of butter pecan ice cream a week, just like your mother. Wasn't that cute, William? I will add all these insults up and when I can I'm going to take you apart starting at your toes and working my way up to your balls, which I will cut off, using a serrated edged knife. You may make it to 130 years old, but you will be a eunuch, not a man."

"Nurse, nurse, can I have my sleeping medication now. I think I'm going to have a headache very soon, and I'm going to be sleeping next to it."

"Mr. Zabo, you are a pussy. She can't move her head, and you are running away from her. What are you going to do when she can stand?"

"Anna, my wife has one weakness, only one, and I will use it to my best advantage. I take her in my arms and I kiss her with all the love I have for her. She can hate me before we kiss, but afterwards, all is forgiven because we love each other fiercely, and I buy her another hospital, if she wants one."

"You haven't kissed me today; you sack of shit."

"I most certainly have, you New England terror."

"Where the hell was I?"

"You were exactly where you are now. William had finished clearing your eyes, and I bent down and kissed you, unless you tongue kiss your son."

"You are going to get it, husband. I want to beat you up in the worst possible way."

Gwen asked, "Which way is that mom? I'll try it out on William tonight."

"I shouldn't be talking to you. You're the one that hit me and it still hurts."

"Mom, your chest wall is not attached to your body in any way. You should not feel any pain from it. Did you tell Manolo about the pain?"

"I believe I did."

Gwen said, "Anna call Dr. Williams and tell her about the pain Jemma is experiencing. Ask what she thinks about it."

"Immediately doctor."

Jim walked in with Olivia at his side.

"Hello everyone, we are off to Paris to do a little shopping and then down to the Mediterranean coast of Spain, for a little sun and fun. I wanted to say goodbye and to tell you, William, you will have two body men protecting you, while I am away. It's not that I don't trust any one man to guard you, but I feel better having the two of them with you."

"As long as you are leaving Alfonse in charge of the house, any two of our men will be fine. Make sure the pilots go over the plane with a fine-tooth comb before every takeoff. I want you back in two months. I expect an all over tan, and Olivia to have her small arms permit so she can protect herself in this city. Have a great time, spend lots of money and see everything you can see while you're away. Bon voyage!"

They spoke for a moment about his protection detail, and how he must listen to them as he listened to his own orders, and never to hesitate or question them. William promised to be alive when Jim returned because he wanted to hear about his travels.

Gwen said, "Jim, something has to get my husband's libido working. He slowing down, and I'm not. You have to tell them something to get him back in the appropriate arena."

"Mrs. 'Z', I promise I will do that for you. It is the reason this trip is being paid for by the company. I will explain it as a travelogue, starting in Paris and ending in Tierra del Fuego. I can't wait to see Antarctica in the summer."

Jemma said, "Olivia, you are not going to have to worry about Jim in Antarctica. He is going to freeze his balls off, and be of no use to you at all."

"Can we cancel that part of the trip, Mrs. Zabo? That's the part I'm most interested in."

"I guess that will be up to the 2 of you, won't it, Olivia?"

"I guess I can put up with it for a day or 2, but not any more than that. I have been looking forward to this adventure, since Jim gave me the white rose in front of everyone at school. I'm going to have 6 weeks with the man of my dreams, what girl could ask for anything more?"

Jemma said, "Please remember that Jim has a very important job here at Zabo International. He protects my son. Please don't kill him while you're having sex with him. Your initiation will be wonderful, so wonderful you are going to want it all the time. My husband is a machine in bed and I expected Jim to be the same. However, even my husband has to rest after 6 or 7 hours of having sex with me.

Please have mercy on Jim if he begs for rest. Don't kill him; don't let him die of a heart attack because you want more than he can give you at any one moment."

"Thank you, Mrs. Zabo, I only hope I enjoy sex as much as you and your husband do. I will listen to Jim and follow his lead."

When the small-talk was completed, they got into the limousine, and drove off to Teterboro Airport. Olivia said, "You have a great boss, and a great business enterprise, Jim."

"I get paid an ungodly amount of money each month to protect that man and that's what I do every day. There is nothing I would not do for him, because as you said, he is a great boss. If I tell him to do something, he doesn't hesitate or ask why, he just does it. We have been together for almost 11 years and when my time comes to retire because I am slowing down, I will have trained his next body man up to my standards. As of now, Patrick is being protected by the government, because he is the head of NASA. I don't like the way the Secret Service protects him, but you can't tell them anything, because they are always right, even though they are wrong."

"I am going to take a wild guess, and say you were a Marine."

"I guess it's that easy isn't it, Olivia?"

"The only thing that's different is your haircut. It's a little bit longer than what I see on television, but you always stand erect, your movements are always sharp, and your eyes are like an Eagles. You don't stare at anyone. Your eyes move constantly, yet you see everything around you in one smooth motion. I loved you from the moment I saw you at the hospital. I saw interest in your eyes, but your eyes never settled on me. They just kept scanning the entire room. I wasn't sure what to do with you."

"You must remember, darling, everyone thought you were 16 years old. No man in his right mind would touch you, at that age, because he would spend the next 20 years of his life in jail, with people who do bad things to pedophiles. I was so interested in you that I had to find out for myself. It took me 3 weeks to get all the information I needed, and even then I had to double check, because I had to be sure. When I knew you were actually 19, I gave you the white rose in front of everyone. I wanted you to know that I was head over heels for you, and if you were interested in me, we had to talk. You have to remember that I am a lot older than you are. That might have been an impediment to us getting together. I am younger than your father, but I know about the hold he has over you. $1 million is a lot of money but the promissory note is not worth the paper it is printed on. He signed it, and had you sign it. At the time, you were a minor. That made the contract between the two of you illegal. He doesn't have to give you a penny when you turn 21."

Olivia went crazy. "That lying bastard. He keeps me in a high school for his taxes, while I'm taking courses at the university level online. When I go to college I will enter as a junior and he will still have control over me. What the hell am I going to do?"

"Olivia, I am going to be your best friend if he tries to screw with you. Your father will be in a great deal of pain if he does not sign over that one-million-dollar check to you. You will go to the same bank the check is written from and transfer that money into your personal account. If the teller tells you that the money is not there, all you have to do is call me and I will convince your father to make amends. The next check he will write will be for $5 million, in your name. I guarantee you that check will be good."

"Oh Jim, I don't know how to thank you."

"You will find a way over the next six weeks. Here we are, and that is our aircraft."

Jim, that airplane is a 787 Dreamliner. We are going to go around the world, just the two of us, in that big airplane?"

"Honey, I told you my boss likes me a lot. He has arranged everything for us and he never skimps on anything. If he is staying in a suite at a five-star hotel, the entire security staff stays in suites at the same hotel. We eat in the same restaurant he eats, go to the same dance club he does, and everything else he does, we do. We dress in $5000 suits, and Gucci shoes when we are away from home. He never looks like he's being guarded, because we blend in to the scenery. Who would ever think that a guard would wear such expensive clothing? Everybody thinks of the New York detectives, wearing a shabby suit, with rubber soled shoes, a visible gun, and a badge on his belt. That's not us, because our tailors fit us with our guns on and you can't tell where they are."

"So, you are going to teach me how to use a gun?"

"I'm going to teach you more than that little one. I'm going to teach you how to defend yourself against an attacker. You are too beautiful to walk around the city and be vulnerable every step of the way."

"I thought we were going to go on vacation?"

"Baby, when we get back, I will ask you if we went on vacation or not. I will let you answer that question all by yourself. "

There was a knock on the window, and Pablo asked Jim if they were ready to board the aircraft.

"Yes, we are. Olivia, I hope you know how to run because in nine seconds" we are going to be in that aircraft."

"Why are we running?"

"What is the name on this aircraft?"

"Zabo International."

"There are certain people in this world that would love to pick off William or Patrick or some other high-ranking member of one of their companies and get a big payday for doing it That is not going to happen to us today. Are you ready?"

"Hell yes, let's do it."

Jim knocked on the window three times and the door opened. He exited pulling Olivia with him and charged up the stairs. Olivia never faltered. She was one step behind him even though she was wearing heels. As they entered the aircraft the mobile stairs moved away, the door began to close, and the aircraft started moving as the number 1 engine began turning.

They took two seats together and buckled themselves in. Jim said to her, "We have new names as of right now. We are Mr. and Mrs. Hightower, and we are using your home address so you don't get confused when they ask at customs. We were married Saturday, November 2, and this vacation is being paid for by my company, Zabo International. Before we get to Paris, I will give you your new passport, drivers' license, credit cards, US dollars and Euros to spend. Your credit cards have unlimited spending power. Don't buy a car, because they don't meet US emission standards. Also, it would be tough getting it into the belly of the aircraft."

"Mr. Hightower, you are too funny for words."

"Mrs. Hightower, I can't wait to get into your panties."

"Mr. Hightower, I hate to disappoint you, but who said I was wearing panties?"

"Mrs. Hightower, may I take a trip up your thighs to see if you're lying to me?"

"Before you do that may I tell you something?"

"Of course, you may."

"While I was waiting to meet you this morning, I went through three pair of panties. Each one of them was soaked through. Is there any way for us to consummate our marriage while we are in the air?"

"If I know my boss, there certainly is."

"Lady and gentleman, this is your captain speaking. We are number one for takeoff. Please be sure your tray table and seats are in the upright position. Tighten your seatbelts, because here we go."

The 787-9 turned the corner onto the runway, the engines spooled up, and away it went. At 3800 feet it was in the air and climbing fast. With no cargo, only 2 pilots, 2 flight attendants, and 2 passengers, the big GE engines moved the airplane to mach .88 before they passed 15,000 feet.

The pilot said, "We have just been cleared direct to Nantucket and then direct to Paris. This will take about 35 minutes off our flight time, and with the tailwind we have possibly as much as one hour. We have not been advised of any turbulence on our route of flight, but while seated please keep your seatbelts on, because we do."

A flight attendant approached and asked, "Mr. and Mrs. Hightower, would you like some champagne before lunch?"

"We had lunch before we left Mr. Zabo's home this morning. As far as the champagne goes, if you would give us the bottle and two glasses. We are going to go check out the rest of the aircraft."

"Mr. William thought you might be a little tired after the weekend's festivities. He left a present in the back for the two of you to enjoy. Have a wonderful time."

He carried the bottle, while she carried the glasses as they walked towards the rear of the aircraft. Two thirds of the way down there was a door.