Chapter 7
2104 Words
***Character***
Tom
Hello there? Anyone remembers me. This author guy has buried me for long now it's time I came back. Anyway f**k him, heard c***k business is booming down on the streets of fort Canon and no am not broke. I still got some few dollars from the money the scary Paul guy gave to me. The thing is I miss her and I'm coming back for her. If she wants I'll stop doing and selling weed... Though I will have to do it in private for some time. Love can change people (times up notification)...come on!
****Author**
Sorry Tom I have to cut him short. He talks a lot and none of it actually makes sense... The news of Ben’s death was received with mixed reactions. Some were sad his family for example and other were happy. Just like Tom. Others were pretending to be sad, Arya, Millan, Paul, Mark and Ian. They had to keep it a secret no matter what.
When the news got to Tom he was the happiest. If Ben was dead coming back to fort canon was not a risk. No one was going to come after him even though he had broken the deal they had with Paul. Besides the quarter a million he was given was over already. After blowing his lottery in night clubs he was left with nothing but he remembered he always had somewhere and done people to go back to. So when he reported at work that day his aim was simple, make enough sales then steal the money for an air ticket and God heard his prayers. Isn't that what he does? I mean God. Isn't it his job to answer our prayers and fulfill our deepest desires? No matter how good or bad? Yes it is. That day Tom sold more than his colleagues by midday he was on his way to the airport.
*****
Three black Service utility vehicles were parked outside the warehouse. Mark got out to survey the area. He used some gadget to malfunction the security cameras, two guards ran to the opposite directions of the street to ensure no one was coming. He knocked on the car at the muddle. That's when Ben emerged disguised. The warehouse was where his mother Angela was kept under the care of marks doctor. Mark knocked the door in an atypical style, someone from inside looked through the opening before the door clicked open. Ben was the first one to go in, then mark. The other guards were left outside.
"It actually looks nice inside than it dies outside" Ben said looking around.
"That's the whole idea sir"
"To make it unnoticed, so where's the doctor?"
"Here!" A grizzled old but still strong man said emerging from a stack of microscopes and slides on his table.
Ben looked at mark as though it was a joke. He was too old to hold a needle.
"First things first mark can I trust this guys to keep me dead?"
Mark knew what he meant.
"They all signed an NDA besides anyone who crosses us..." Mark made a bullet in the head gesture.
"Okay and is this the doctor?" Ben asked.
"Trust me sir he is the best"
"I trust you... Sorry doctor?"
"Fin... Call me Fin"
"Good how's is she doing?" Ben asked walking towards her bed.
Angela was lying on her back with an oxygen mask on her face, tubes in and out of her nose. He could hear her struggle to breath. It was a sad he couldn’t do anything to help her.
"Sir" Mark said from behind.
Ben was shedding tears. He blew his nose and wiped them before he turned around to look at him.
"Yes mark" He said releasing a sniffle.
"Permission to speak"
"Granted" Ben said marching on.
"I think of she wakes up you should say your last words" Mark explained following him closely.
Fin joined them too until they were at the exit. Ben had said nothing since Mark advised him or rather reminded him that Angela did not have long to Live. It was his mom they were talking about and not over a promising topic. He was reminding Ben to start preparing for not seeing her alive again for the rest of his life.
"Call me when she wakes up" Ben ordered walking out.
Clearly he did not want to talk about it.
*****
Without Ben, Paul did not have a common direction. He did not have a schedule to follow but he had a lot to take care of in the manna and outside. Mark was taking care of Ben while he was handling the family. What he was really doing since Ben’s death was sealing the gaps. Ensuring that any Ben Richards secrets that needed never to see day light stayed hidden forever. But it was not the only thing he was doing. There was something else only Paul could do and this one.
“Paul my friend it’s never pleasure to see you” A man said happily.
Paul was leaning on a tree in some rich people golf course hiding behind a pair of dark sun glasses pretending to read a newspaper. His target did not know how long he had been watching him and standing there.
“Not if you are doing something right” Paul said keeping his newspaper.
“What’s wrong with playing golf? Anyway am sorry about Ben” He said finally removing his gloves.
They walked to the nearest shed where there were benches, his security was following them closely. A sassy waitress brought two glasses of juice for them.
“Thank you now let’s talk about why am here” Paul said grabbing his glass.
The man was the chairman of fort canon ports authority. He was in charge of everything that came in and out of the city and among the richest men in fort canon. However , his reputation was tainted with corruption and never keeping his word especially when he realized someone was going broke, caught up with the police or just like Ben...dead.
“I have no idea why you are here Paul you tell me” He said drinking from his glass.
“Well, for starters I woke up this morning with no steel at one of our construction sites only for the foreman to tell me our shipment is being held in the port you are in charge of” Paul explained forcing a smile.
Now a frown was better off, a smile was dangerous.
“Come on Paul, I thought you came to ask for a Job I would have gladly added you to my security detail” He mocked smiling at his chief of security standing behind him.
“So tell me. What should I tell her?”
The question even made it worse. Boaz the port chairman did not have that much respect for women ‘and since Paul was referring to Alicia he was not scared. With Ben dead he was free to screw them up and there was nothing they could do about it. He was also among the people who were giving Alicia a couple of months to give up on the empire.
“Go tell her our deal died with Ben if you guys want another deal let her come make another one” He said.
“Are you sure?”
“Positive”
“Okay Boaz don’t make me come find you again” Paul said emptying his glass of juice.
“Is that a threat?”
“No, Just a goodbye” Paul said walking away.
Paul for one was not surprised Boaz was breaching their agreement with Ben. He could tell the man was a hard nut to c***k the first day they went to meet him at the docks with Ben. He took out his phone to find mar.
“Paul” Mark said on picking up.
“Give Ben the phone”
“Just a minute”
Paul got into his car and drove through the gate.
“It’s Ben how did it go?” He asked curiously.
“How are you sir?”
“Am fine Paul get to it”
“Not so good but I will handle it” Paul assured.
“No, let Alicia handle it. She needs to learn how to take care of business I knew he will be a pain in the ass” Ben said.
“What if she can’t handle it?”
“Then do it yourself” Ben said and hang up.
From the golf club Paul drove his way back to Town. Scott was busy at the capital with his mother trying to help her fit in with office stuff leaving club Richards exposed to scavengers like Lincoln. He drove there to check on everything and it seemed as though he came right on time because Lincoln was there too. They had not seen each other yet but he could see his car and Alex. Paul went direct to Alex to say hi. The two had a score to settle. As a bodyguard, the rule was simple. Kill anyone who wanted to run the other out of business and that was exactly what Alex did or tied to do. He wanted Ben dead.
“Alex right?” Paul asked stretching his hand.
“Yeah, you must be Paul” He said struggling to break free from Paul’s tight grip.
The firm handshake was sending an inaudible message that was leaving Alex confused and cautious at the same time.
“Yes, what are you doing here?” He asked setting him free.
“Brought Mr. Price to pick something we serve the same family anyway I don’t think the question is important” Alex said.
“Of course forgive my manners let me find him I was actually looking for him” Paul said walking away briskly.
Unlike Paul, Alex was not going to be ran out of business that easily. From the handshake Paul was furious about something and until he found out what he was not going to let Paul be alone with Lincoln so he followed him into the club. Paul had an idea where he could find him. The finance office. There was a mole in that office and it was a better day to catch them. He did not knock.
“Paul!” Lincoln said looking embarrassed.
Perhaps it was not a mole. The guy was just horny. He was found sticking his tongue down a stripper’s throat even though he was in the finance office. Which did not add up. Paul could tell from Alex following him and the girl too. She was no stripper.
“Am sorry to interrupt ill come some other time” Paul said walking outside.
“You wanted to see me?” Lincoln asked buttoning his shirt.
“Sir” Alex tried to speak up.
“It’s okay Alex I understand Paul here doesn’t know his place most of the time” Lincoln said.
There it was. The frustration. According to Lincoln Paul was a mere butler he had no right to make him feel uncomfortable in a business he co-owned with his son in-law.
“Am sorry once again” Paul said acting fine.
He was not. The girl was still not ringing in his head. Paul was good at remembering faces just not that one.
“Save it Paul I must talk to your Boss about this disrespect” Lincoln threatened.
“It doesn’t have to get to that”
“You should have thought of that before messing with me... Alex! My phone” He ordered.
Alex brought him his sleek iPhone. Lincoln got out a pair of glasses from his breast pocket, put them on and scrolled through the contact list. Paul was not sure who he wanted to call. He was not scared of losing his Job. Ben could not fire him. He knew way too much to bring him down in a single day but Lincoln was just trying his best to get rid of one obstacle on his path of acquiring his dead nemesis’s entire estate.
“Scott son, keep your butler in check” He said.
“What? Who?” Scott asked confused.
“Paul, who else he comes barging in the office like he owns the place. I can’t work with this you fire him and we might continue being family and business partners” he dropped the threat and hang up.
Paul just smiled and walked away making Lincoln even angrier.
- Writer
