Chapter 176 - Monday Morning
*Fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision. – Gina Rodriguez*
It was a little after nine when Reese pulled into the back parking lot behind the turn of the century dry goods store that now housed his company offices. The last store at the end was becoming available at the end of the year, and he planned on owning it. Tire of sharing a single office, his project managers had been requesting offices of their own.
Most of their work was done on site, and they each had offices in their houses. He contracted with an architecture company and a separate engineering company. The trades were all self-contained within his company. Except landscaping – he had two companies that he contracted with for that. TRAAC took care of the payroll and financial side of the business.
For the most part, it was just Willow at the office. And that was how she preferred it. He worried about her, but Neo always had someone keeping an eye on her. Stepping through the back door, he found himself stepping over dog toys.
Jack would have left his dog there while he was doing the home inspection. Oddly, Willow really took to the scruffy creature. She was a cat person and suddenly discovered that dogs were also nice. So much so, she now had a foster dog who might as well be her rescue at this point. She no longer even said foster dog – Rutger was simply her dog.
The chocolate lab and pit bull mix ran down the hall with the hairy beast that Jack simply called his dog right on his heels. Jacks dog was a little plumper than the last time he saw her.
He leaned down and gave them each a small scratch on their heads. They dutifully ran forward down the hall and announced his arrival.
“Is the big, bad, Reese here?” Willow asked both before she gave them both a treat.
“That’s why she’s getting so plump.” Reese observed.
She laughed as she gave them each one more treat before putting the jar away. “My treats have nothing on the food truck snacks that she gets at the job sites.”
“Ahhhh….” He smirked as he scratched the shaggy dog on her head.
“I’m going to go pick up brunch.”
“Early lunch.” He corrected with a grin as he leaned down to her.
“Whatever.” Willow laughed as she kissed his cheek.
Straightening up, he walked into his office and discovered two dog beds against the wall. “Really?”
Both dogs crawled into their beds and happily curled up for a nap. A few minutes later, they both ran for the back door as Reese printed off his plan for the project that was currently stalled. He had spent the majority of the weekend working out the details, it took both days, but he thought that he had it figured out.
Even if he didn’t have all the details worked out, he would soon have those who could help him.
That’s what Helen told him when she dragged him out of his office and then forbade him from going back there for the rest of the weekend. Not that he could complain. If he had been locked away in his office, he would have missed JD’s phone call home.
Jack came around the corner, a dog on either side of him, tails wagging and tongues lolling.
“How’s the house?” Reese asked as he sorted the papers.
“It’s going to take some work. The bones are good, I would recommend a full gut and remodel.” Jack said as the dogs settled back on their beds.
“Billie, James and George will be here in about an hour, why don’t you work out a plan and present it when we’re done with the other issue.”
Jack’s eyes lit up and he smiled broadly. “Can I use the other office?”
Reese nodded. “Passwords are in the top drawer.”
“That’s secure.” Jack laughed as he headed to the back office that the project manager and foremen shared. At least until Reese could get the new offices done.
A rough sketch of his plans was on his desk at home, he could wait to bring that up. The property had not even been listed on the market yet. He really had no authority to make any plans or changes to that part of the building.
Both dogs’ heads popped up and they growled as someone came through the front door. Reese glanced at the square on his computer to see a man that he did not personally know. He had never met the man, but Reese knew exactly who he was.
Ultimately, this was the man that was the cause of his wife and her daughter’s misery.
“Emilio Gustavez.” Reese did not even look at the man.
“My reputation precedes me.” The man with a thick Columbian accent chuckled.
“Don’t take it as a compliment.” Reese replied. “I like to know who operates in my town.”
At his silence, Reese leaned back in his chair and smiled at the confused look on the other man’s face.
“Oh, you thought that I built my little empire completely on the up and up?”
The Columbian eyed the man behind the desk, trying to judge if he was speaking the truth. Reese did not flinch and met the dark eyes with a cold stare.
“I didn’t take you for the drug or skin type.”
Reese cocked an eyebrow. “I never touch or sell either.”
Emilio smirked. “I want what Fargo promised me. You either give me the bitches, or I’ll kill your babies.” His face fell at the sound of a revolver being cocked and the press of a barrel against the back of his head.
“I’ve always preferred a revolver.” Jack stated calmly. “Gives me less to have to keep track of. Less cleaning up. Brass doesn’t go flying everywhere.”
“So you’ll just blow my brains out?”
“Not here in the boss’ office. And not from behind.” Jack warned. “You might not see me. But you’ll see the bullet.”
Leaning forward, Reese steepled his fingers and rested his chin on his fingertips. “Leave my town, forget about my family and I will forget about you. Continue to go after my loved ones, and I will make you wish that that you were in a Mexican prison.”
“Mexico is a breeze.” Emilio laughed. "And I want that bitch wife and Fargo's daughter."
“That’s why I said wish. Just because tensions are high between our countries, does not mean that businesses are also having a hard time. Did you know that I sponsor a trade school in Russia?”
Emilio’s smile faltered.
“I have ways of getting what I want. And getting rid of what I don’t want.” Reese warned as he pulled out his own pistol, resting it on his desk. He pushed a few buttons on the phone and soon another voice filled the room.
“What’s up, boss?”
“I have a visitor in my office.”
“Yeah, me and his *friends* are going for a ride in the country. We’re going to go pick some peaches. Millions and millions of peaches. You know that they come from a can?”
“They were put there by a man in a factory downtown.” Jack added and Emilio was wondering what they were talking about.
“That’s what I’ve heard.” Reese chuckled as two gunshots echoed from the other end of the phone. “Need any help with clean up?”
“No, boss. Fire department will take care of it.” The man at the other end of the line stated. “But if you wanna add to the barbecue, you better let me know real damn quick.”
“No, I have other plans for our guest.” Reese ended the call and then dialed another number.
“What’s up?” Gina asked as a greeting.
“I have someone at my office that you would like to meet.” Reese told his sister. “He just threatened to kill my babies. Jack is keeping him at gunpoint until you get someone here.”
“I’m on my way.” She replied as the sirens came to life from her end just before the call ended.
Turning towards his computer, he pulled up his IGYS program and saved the video that he wanted and emailed it to his sister and Neo. A moment later his cell phone rang with Neo flashing on his screen.
“It’s under control, Jack has him subdued and Gina’s on her way.”
“And hello to you too.” Neo chuckled.
“We’re good. For now.”
“I’ll up everyone’s security.”
“Sounds good. I think I may need an update; my cameras seem to be acting up here. Maybe from that storm that came through over the weekend.” Reese ran a scrub program on the footage. Corrupting anything that he did not want anyone to see before deleting the scrub program.
“Shelby will get a tech out there this afternoon.” Neo assured him.
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