Chapter 121

“You two are my heaven and hell,” Captain Whitlock explained. “Spencer, you have influence in many business spheres. Your firm has been involved in several building projects all over the city. Use those connections. We need as many influential people there as possible.”
“Got it,” Spencer nodded.
“Alex, you have influence in the underbelly of the city. Sort of the prince of the underworld. I want those big players involved. I’m sure Robert has ruffled more than a few feathers.”
“I don’t know…” Alex hesitated.
“Listen. I know you want your friends back. But this is bigger than that. Robert Stewart is a big fish, and we’ll need an even bigger net to catch him. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of… your people weren’t after him too.”
“Watch what you say,” Alex warned.
“Just do it.”
Alex sneered at him but nodded.
“How about me?” Sabrina asked.
“You’re going to call every major new outlet. We need every channel there. Every single one.”
“Shouldn’t Will’s PR department be involved?”
“You’re the PR department today,” the captain winked at her. “No one outside of this house can know what’s happening today. Get to work.”
He walked out the room. Sabrina ran after him.
“Captain Whitlock!” she called out to him.
“What’s up?”
“I need to know. How you do you know Alex and Will? Whenever I ask them, they give me some vague ass answers.”
“Hmm,” the captain smirked. “Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart. That’s a closet I can’t open for you. All I can tell you is that I owed them. And now they owe me. After this is done, it would be best for us to not cross paths again.”
“Why?”
“You know who your husband is, don’t you?” he asked.
“Yes, I do.”
“Do you really?”
“Yes!”
“Well,” the captain chuckled. “That does surprise me. He must really love you if he was willing to share that part of his life with you.”
“What does that have to do with your connection to him?”
“Get to work… Mrs. Rossi.” He walked away, leaving an annoyed Sabrina behind.
In the meantime, Will was working on securing his armor.
“As I live and breathe! William Stewart. Honey, I thought you were dead.”
“No, Jason,” Will rolled his eyes. “I’m not dead.”
“Clearly. What do you need?”
Will told his stylist that he needed the best suit he’d ever wear.
“Short of dressing me like a Disney prince… I know that you have something in mind.”
“Oh yes!” Jason squealed. “I’ve been waiting for this day my whole life. What time can I expect you to come by and get it?”
“No. I need it delivered. But not by you. It needs to be someone who won’t stand out.”
“Right. I am a flamingo in a world of pigeons. I’ll send some plain, lowly bird. How much time do I have to prepare this masterpiece?”
“None. I need it now. As soon as you can get it to me. Send it to Alex’s home.”
“Consider it on the way. Always a pleasure to serve you.”
Will hung up. His nerves were electric. It was as though his blood had been replaced with lightning. Adrenaline kept him alive. He paced the length of the dining room while the others worked on the tasks Captain Whitlock assigned to them.
Last night seemed like a lifetime ago. Had it only been hours since he last saw her? How different they all were now. The person he was 24 hours ago was gone. That man once let himself be influenced by people who only wanted to use him. He pushed away one of the few people who cared for him. That man did everything he could to sabotage his own happiness. He could never be that man again.
His phone rang, startling everyone. Captain Whitlock rushed back into the room. He wordlessly signaled his team to begin recording and set up another trace. After everything was set up, he made sure that everyone knew to remain silent. With a nod, he told Will to answer.
“You have some more demands for me?” Will answered.
“I’m beginning to hear some rumblings about an announcement,” the caller said. “That’s good. However, I am inpatient. I am moving up the deadline to two o’clock this afternoon.”
“Fine,” Will answered. He tried to sound unbothered. But the truth was his blood froze in his veins. Do we have enough time?
“Fine?” the caller repeated. “Well, well, well. Aren’t we confident?”
“Is there anything else?”
“The contract we spoke of will be sent to your office. After the press conference, you’ll walk up to it and sign it. The instructions on how to send it to me and how to recover your precious women will be with it. Understood?”
“Yes. Let me speak to her.”
“I’m afraid… one of my associates had a vigorous visit with her and she is unavailable at the present moment.”
“You said she would be unharmed!”
“I said I would not harm her, and I haven’t. Don’t worry. She’s alive, and she’ll be fine. As long as you do everything as I have outlined for you.”
“Why are you doing this?”
“Please,” the caller scoffed. “You must think I’m stupid. I know you know who I am.”
The room froze. Sabrina’s hand fell to her mouth to stifle a gasp. Spencer and Alex looked at each other, hoping find understanding in each other. Captain Whitlock’s eyes went wide.
“You’re right. How have you been, Uncle Robert?”
“I’ve been well. I’ll be much better when I get back what was rightfully mine.”
“Why like this? Why not just have the board vote me out?”
“I find that going about things in societally acceptable ways tends not to yield the results I want. And this is more fun.”
“Fuck you,” Will seethed.
“Now, now. Your grandfather didn’t raise you to talk like that. Don’t take this personal. It’s just good business.”
The line went dead.
“Fuck!” Will roared and threw his phone across the room. He sank into a chair and ran his fingers through his hair. “Fuck! He knows! What now?”
“Calm down,” Captain Whitlock said. “This is a good thing.”
“How in the hell is this a good thing?” Spencer yelled.
“He’s getting cocky,” Sabrina said.
“That’s right,” Captain Whitlock agreed. “He’s more likely to make a mistake.”
“He already made a mistake,” Will’s fists shook. “He made a mistake the minute he tried me. I’m going to make sure he pays for this. And anyone else that helped him. They’re all done. It’s my turn now.”
Will looked around at the people around him. They were the only ones he could trust now.
“Here’s the new plan,” he began. “I’ll do his stupid press conference. It’ll keep his eyes on me. In the meantime, I want all of the evidence I gathered against him, the call recordings and all of Captain Whitlock’s intel sent to the police. And Alex, whatever you find from your connects, filter it through the captain.”
“I know what to do,” Alex nodded. He left the room, dialing a number on his phone.
“What about us?” Spencer asked, indicating him and Sabrina.
“I want you two to double down. Get everyone you can to this press conference.”
“On it,” they said unison.
“Look at you,” Captain Whitlock marveled. “You aren’t that little punk ass kid anymore, huh?”
“No, I’m not.”
About an hour later, everything was in place much to Captain Whitlock’s satisfaction. Will’s suit had been delivered and he was upstairs changing. It was a peak-lapel three-piece suit from Gucci with a subtle diamond print and a shirt and tie in two different types of vertical stripes. A crisp, white shirt completed the look. Jason, of course, sent along some dazzling extras. A burgundy pocket square, a vintage tie pin, some of Gucci’s aged metal rings, a watch, and a snake belt buckle completed the look. After showering, shaving, and slicking his hair back, Will donned his armor. He took a look at himself in the mirror. He looked like a powerful villain in a superhero movie. Good, he thought.
He walked downstairs, his heavy steps announcing his descent.
“Damn,” Alex whistled. “You clean up good.”
“As much as I hate to admit it,” Spencer added. “I’ve never seen anyone carry a suit the way you do.”
“Is everything ready?” He asked. Everyone nodded.
“Let’s do this.”