It Ain't Paranoia if... Pt. 02 Ch. 04

The DOJ had convened a 'special investigation' into the claims of the women allegedly held against their will at Serge's hotel. It looked like a political ploy to me, but Tom Yonkers assured me it was legit, and populated by 'untouchables'. I laughed. "All the big money that's at stake, I hope they can withstand $10 million dollar bribes!"

He didn't laugh in return. "Trust me, they can!" I let it go, but we kept an eye on the investigation and the investigators. When sealed indictments began flowing, extremely powerful men and women began heading for the hills, and expensive law firms started smear campaigns about the victims, I began to consider their efforts to possibly be legitimate. But we watched them anyway. There was always the dark web bounty site, if justice was thwarted.

This was the first rafting trip for all of us, and we hit the jackpot. The river was running just right, our guides were excellent and humorous, and there was a light breeze blowing through the canyon that made the August heat bearable, what with the spray and all. We shrieked and screamed a lot, and generally had a great time.

The kids wanted to know, "When can we do it again, Dad? Please!" I talked to our guides, who suggested the full-day experience, but a little later in the year when the crowds were gone and the weather more favorable. I was a bit sad, but the kids accepted it and moved on to the next thing: "I'm hungry!"

We used the steel grills at the campground to cook hot dogs and sausages, and our propane stove to heat the canned pork and beans. A big bag of Fritos Scoops and some dip, cold Dr. Pepper or Ginger Ale, and we enjoyed a gourmet meal... or at least it tasted great.

Eva, Claude, and I stayed up again, but without the beer. Claude had news: Clay and his crew were being relieved by Esteban and his, and Clay would meet us at La Kiva tomorrow night. I asked, for the hundredth time, if he had any news about Kaitlyn's recovery, but Claude didn't know. Maybe tomorrow night I'll learn something helpful, one way or the other.

I went to bed soon thereafter, but the hand holders stayed up and talked quietly. They were still at it when I fell asleep.

The smell of camp coffee, camp bread baking in a Dutch oven, sizzling bacon, or four noisy kids got them up and about earlier the next morning than they wanted, but they were soon fed and ready for our hike to The Eye. The kids were older now so it wasn't the challenge it had been two years ago, but everyone loved it and took about a million pictures standing in the eye.

I pictured Kaitlyn climbing over the rocks in her short shorts and winking at me while we were walking back. Resolve aside, she was going to be difficult to forget.

****

We took Duke with us to La Kiva; he'd been neglected too much lately and needed his kids and people. Clay arrived about thirty minutes later, and he looked happy to be here. The way he greeted everyone at the table and hugged me, my suspicions and any animosity I might have felt melted away.

I let him drink two beers, tell us about how the Arizona desert feels hotter than the Texas desert, and describe the grandiose garden spot they had been guarding but couldn't visit, before I made the inquiry. "Have you seen Kaitlyn at all?"

He looked seriously concerned. "Three times since we dropped her off there. Once was two days later, when they needed verification of her story, which was accurate. The second time was three weeks ago. She asked for me, so they allowed me to speak to her in a room with her counselor and a large orderly. I was shocked that her appearance had not improved at all since we left the hospital.

"She said she'd been having a recurring bad dream and wanted to make sure Dos, Grace, and you were okay. I assured her you were, but you all missed her. She teared up; they thanked me for coming and ushered me right out.

"The third time was day before last. Same room, same grim people, but Kaitlyn looked better. She even had a bit of a sparkle in her eyes, but she's just so skinny and unhealthy looking it hardly looks like her!

"Anyway, she asked if I had seen or heard from you. I told her no, I had been right here and you and I hadn't talked. 'Do you know if he's with Eva now?' she asked. I told her no, that Claude and Eva were together, and quickly added that Eva had opened a medical clinic in Fort Davis.

"She asked about that, I told her the little I knew, and she asked if you were seeing anyone else. I told her that no one had mentioned it to me if you were.

"She changed the subject to the kids, asked if they were enrolled in school and when it started, and then asked if their old email addresses still worked. I told her I had no idea, but I could check. She said not to worry, she'd try them and see. And then they ushered me out.

"I don't know what to tell you, Boss. If she had looked as bad this time as last time, I think I'd have called and told you we were breaking her out! But she had definitely improved as of two days ago."

I called the kids over. "With school out for the summer, do you guys still check your email accounts?"

"No, Dad. All our friends text or call us. Only the teachers use email, and they aren't at school yet."

"Grace, will you please check your email account on your phone right now? It's possible you have one."

"Oh, it says I have 59, but I'll bet they're all spam."

"Humor me!"

Dos had a furrowed brow and was checking his; Grace still looked exasperated, but she also was looking.

"Dad, who is 'MacKait@yahoo.com'?" Dos asked.

****

"Hi, My Angels! It's been so long since I've seen you, I'll bet you've grown a bunch! I'm so sorry I had to go away, but I was very ill after our return from Mexico and this was the best place for me to get better.

"My doctors and counselor have helped me discover so much about the things making me ill, and I've been taking the medication they prescribe. Also, I now have a personal trainer who works me really hard twice every day, and I'm in much better physical condition. Part of my afternoon workout is something called 'kickboxing', and when we finish I'm exhausted!

"Since I've been working out so hard I don't have to take so much medicine, I sleep well, and I feel much better!

"They tell me I have more to learn and more to do before I'm completely well, but I want you to know that I'm working hard so I can come home to my darlings! I'm not allowed to talk on the phone yet, or video conference with you, but I am allowed to email now!

"Okay, that's enough about me! How are you guys doing, and what have you been doing? I would love to get an email from you telling me all about your summer, your friends, and anything else you want me to know! If you need Daddy or your uncles to help write it on the computer, I'm sure he or they will be happy to help you.

"My trainer is waiting, so I'm going to work out. I love you both, and I'll be waiting for your emails!

"With all my love, Mommy"

Grace and Dos were equal parts elated and puzzled. "How long will Mommy be gone?" was the most important question, and we had no answer. I offered to take them home and help them write their answers, but they weren't ready to leave their gaggle of friends quite yet, and Grace said she wanted to think about it and try to answer on her phone, tomorrow. Dos said, "Me too!" and hustled back to their friends.

Eva felt the email was highly encouraging, and everyone seemed to agree. I felt like the kids.

El Gato leaned back in his chair, take a long draw off his longneck, and turned his eyes to me. "Something else interesting just happened that you might be interested in, El Rico. Remember that ranch on the Marfa highway called The Crescent Moon?"

"You mean the place where Reynaldo's helicopter and SUVs came from? Yes, I remember it well!"

"It's owner is under indictment by the feds for a number of things stemming from their investigation of the notorious 'lists' the ladies at the hotel had made. His business is in trouble, and he needs to raise money for his defense. He is offering to sale that ranch and 10 sections of land between your place and the Eagle Mountains to the west. Normally, even a deep pockets like you might have to raise some help to pull off buying that much land, but he's ripe for a cash offer.

"By ripe, I mean name your price if you've got the cash!"

"That's interesting, but why would I want to? I don't need it for anything, so..."

"The ranch has a new, very nice, very large, and well-hardened home on it, with a big patio and a swimming pool. It has two large buildings that appear to be warehouses of some kind, a paved airfield with two hangers and a heliport, and an interesting array of concrete pads scattered about that appear to be for surface to air missiles. Or so the sheriff tells me.

"You might want to own it, just to keep it out of the hands of your enemies, of which you have more than enough to chance the investment."

Claude perked up and chimed in. "Rob, we should take a look at that place before you decide. If you're going to keep the Lairs as your homes, we need to take measures to permanently place teams closer to you, but not in your houses. Clay and I had already decided we need a helicopter, and, well, this sounds like an awfully nice setup!"

"I don't exactly keep millions in my checking account, so I don't know how quick I could do it if I decide to, but I'm willing to check it out. We're going back to the mountains tomorrow anyway, to get ready for the start of school. Find out what you can, Catman, and set something up so we can take a look."

Gato grinned and held up a key chain. "Done and done; I'll fill you in when we take the tour Monday."

I'd had enough fun for one night, as had Eva and the kids, so we gathered our group and headed back to our desert home. Ha! Strange I should put it that way, but we had somehow become a very large and diverse family, of sorts.

Kaitlyn's email spurred a number of actions; one was my rededication to working out hard three days a week, running three days per week, hitting the heavy bag more frequently, and sparring a bit. Claude referred me to Felix, who held belts of some color in several disciplines and had been a marine drill instructor. At the end of the first week, I hurt in places I didn't know I had places.

To further complicate my life, my headhunter called and said she had the perfect candidate and we should meet. She sent her credentials, and damn! West Texas girl from Andrews, Magna grad of Tech's Rawls' College of Business, with an MS in Business Analytics and another in Finance and Economics, topped by six years with an investment bank in Dallas. I was almost embarrassed to interview her.

Wanting to see her in her element, I flew to Dallas and went to her workplace. Her boss laughed when I asked about her performance. "Check your portfolio; she's been handling your accounts for the past two years!"

"Really? What happened to Bob?"

"He got hired away; he's in Cincinnati."

"Can I meet with her?"

"I hate to let you, but I know she's looking for something different - better you than a competitor! I'll set you up in conference room B."

Ashley Parker entered carrying a purse, a laptop, and a forced smile. The forced smile had almost turned into a frown before I finally managed, "Good afternoon, Ms. Parker. I'm Robert MacGregor, but I prefer to be called Rob."

Her face morphed again, this time with surprise and then consternation. "Oh, Mr. MacGregor! No one told me it was you! Let me go grab the drive with your accounts!" She turned to go.

"Please don't, Ms. Parker - I'm not here about my accounts. It is my understanding that you submitted an application and resume for the position of Administrative Assistant to the President of RR Enterprises. If that is incorrect, I apologize for taking up your time. If that is correct, I'd like to talk to you about the position."

She now look flummoxed, but calmed herself, laid the laptop on the table, hung her purse on a chair back, and took the seat to which I had gestured. Naturally, it was on the end, beside me; I wanted to see if she would be intimidated by our proximity.

She smoothed her skirt and her jacket, sat with perfect posture, and trained a steady gaze on me. I smiled again and held out my hand; she smoothly took it, and said, "Ashely Parker, Mr. MacGregor; it's very nice to meet you in person."

"Robert Roy MacGregor, Miss Ashley Anne Parker, and it is my great pleasure to meet you. My friends and associates call me Rob."

I diverted my eyes to the folder containing her Curriculum Vitae, and speculated. "Parker, Andrews; is your father Emmett Parker, the petroleum engineer?"

She looked surprised, pleased, and proud. "He is! He told me he knows you!"

"He knows me quite well, actually. We've done a lot of work together in the Permian and Delaware. He's an insightful and perceptive engineer - one of the very best, if not the best! I had no idea his daughter was handling my accounts here."

"You and I have not spoken in the two years I've been on your accounts, Mr. MacGregor. Since your investment accounts are in the name of Solitario Investments, I did not draw the connection with RR Enterprises when I applied!

"So the position I applied for is assistant to Robert Roy, himself?" she asked with a small smile on her lips.

I confirmed it was for Rob Roy, and began the warnings: odd, fluctuating hours; extensive travel, often at a moment's notice, and just as often to distant and dangerous or uncomfortable locations. Juggling a dozen or more projects at a time, and not only keeping all the balls in air, but keeping them in sync.

Great organizational and project management skills are a must, as is the ability to successfully establish and maintain successful relationships with everything from roughnecks to billionaire oilmen and investors, as well as foreign dignitaries and their underlings.

Excellent tech skills are a requirement, as are research and reporting abilities, and the rare ability to listen, think, analyze, and problem solve on your feet. Excellent oral, written, and aural communication skills are a must.

I was intently watching her reactions as I ticked off the list. She not only didn't flinch, her azure blue eyes sparkled, her face became animated, and her posture indicated her excitement at the challenges. She wiggled in her seat so much her dress rode up, to the point that I knew she was wearing stockings, not panty hose, and had lovely legs.

I was trying to warn her off, but I swear, if I had continued to enunciate the list of requirements and reasons she shouldn't want the job, she might have orgasmed.

But I didn't; I shut up, and asked her to react. She did, with confidence and enthusiasm. Without preparation or notes, she laid out all the reasons she would be the perfect person for the job, beginning with growing up in the oilfield, her college experiences and internships, her dual masters degrees, and her varied duties at the investment bank as she worked her way up to managing some of their most important customers.

I was impressed in so many ways I thought about offering her the job right there. I knew Claude would crap if I hired someone who hadn't been thoroughly vetted, so I suggested we meet for dinner to continue our conversation. She agreed with a big smile, and I offered up Town Hearth or Y.O. Steakhouse in the West End. Yes, it was a test of sorts, and she passed.

"If you don't mind, Y.O. is a little more my style."

"Okay, then boots and jeans, and I'll send a car at 6:30."

"Boots and jeans, and I'll Uber," she countered. I smiled and acquiesced. Down to earth; this might work out okay, if I can get past her beauty and body.

****

Ashley Anne Parker climbed out of the Uber with four minutes to spare. She was long and lean, every bit of 5'9", and she moved with the grace and power of a jungle cat. I waited for her at the door; we greeted one another, and I stood aside, allowing her precede me into the restaurant. That was a mistake, because her ass... I'm an ass and legs man, and she is beyond blessed in both areas.

She ordered a domestic draft beer, and I ordered a Lone Star draft. She smiled and commented, "Dad's favorite beer."

"For the evening, I'm Rob; may I call you Ashley?"

"You may, or you can call me what my friends and family do: Ash."

We chatted, ordered medium rare steaks, salads, and asparagus, and chatted more. She was bright, personable, charming. I was beginning to see beyond the azure eyes, swimsuit-model body, and the classically beautiful face, but I can't say all that wasn't distracting. Could I work with all that, day in and day out? Take longs trips, sleep in hotels, drink with clients until drunk, and not try to fuck that?

She would be an employee, and as such, off limits. Not that I actually had a rule, but bad practice for sure.

But 5'9" inches of tawny body with a high, tight, round ass sitting at the top of legs that go on and on, and something like Big B/C-cup tits above a wasp-waist, and topped by that beautiful face, those enchanting eyes, and shoulder-length raven hair - ignoring all that is asking a lot of a mere mortal.

The steaks came, and she displayed a healthy appetite; the chatting came to an end.

After the meal, she turned the conversation to the job. I told her to ask away, and she asked at least a dozen good questions. Questions that showed she already had a solid grasp of the expectations, roles, and demands of the job.

After answering her questions and her follow-up questions, I brought two more matter up. "Are you aware that I have a number of enemies who... wish to do me harm? I mentioned we might travel to dangerous places, but lately just driving home has been dangerous."

"I'm very aware of three attempts on your life, and that your ex-wife and children were kidnapped, taken into Mexico, and abused. I know that the newspapers and networks say you offered a reward for their safe return, and that someone took your offer.

"I know that Dad laughed at those reports, and said you must have wired the money to one of your own offshore accounts, because there is no way you weren't there. He then regaled me with stories of your travels and dealings in Eastern Europe, Russia, South America, and Africa."

"I knew all that when I applied three days ago." She shrugged, grinned, and continued. "I'm ready for some excitement, because investment banking certainly isn't."

"So, Ash... would you like to go to work for RR Enterprises and experience a little excitement?"

"I would!"

"What about salary?"

"Oh, you're going to pay me too? Well, whatever you think is fair!"

"Welcome aboard! When do you want to start."

"Yesterday, but I need two weeks to bring my replacement up to speed."

"The other issue: my work is in a testosterone-driven field. You are absolutely gorgeous, and we will be around far too many men used to getting what they want, especially from women."

She leaned toward me, put her hand on my thigh, made those eyes flash, gave me a coquettish smile, and said, "I haven't and won't sleep my way to the top, Rob, but, yes, I'm aware of my looks, and I'm not afraid to utilize them when it's called for." She squeezed my leg, smiled, leaned back in her chair, and looked pleased at my consternation.

Finally, I managed, "And very effectively, I must declare."

****

I spent the night at the nearby Omni Dallas, and flew out first thing in the morning. Claude met us at the Blue Mountain Airport and took us out to the Crescent Moon Ranch, where Ron/Gato was impatiently waiting.

"I hope to hell you hired an assistant, boy; you're getting harder and harder to keep track of, much less meet with!"

"I did; you'll meet her in two weeks or so. She's Anne and Emmett Parker's daughter, so I wasn't too worried about her being a corporate or North Korean spy, but Claude ran her through the records anyway and she came up squeaky clean."