As livid as the rank and file were with Ross’ income package, the company began to prosper, and earnings began show impressive growth.
Cleaning services at most of the stations was cut - saving $100,000,000 (million dollars) annually. Selling off the Fokker aircraft and extra inventory sitting idle in hangers. Disposing of surplus hangers and obsolete equipment, the new boss improved the bottom line by $200,000,000 (million dollars) in 6 months.
He gained the complete attention of the general public when the stock prices gradually began to escalate from $4.00 per share to a high ot $95.00. Seasoned pilots obtained loans against their 401K even with a tough penalty for early withdrawal to purchase $200,000 - $300,000 and in certain instances as much as $500,000 worth of CelebrateAir stock at $4.00 a share and holding it until the market reached the $95.00 mark then advise their broker to issue a sell order. As a result, one pilot walked away which reported profits of a cool eleven million dollars!
The $150,000,000 (million dollar) payoff to Ross for screwing the employees of CelebrateAir was a calculated risk. Ross was going walk with a hundred and fifty million dollar payday of gigantic size. The subject in the airline breakrooms was that most of the “golden parachute” would be on the backs of the rank and file. The unions were reduced to absolute powerlessness. Ross, with the upper hand and only three years following his appointment as CEO announced his ’surprise’ retirement. He knew it was time to leave!
Enter, Richmond Rand, Curt and Tavis Whitmore. In their minds, they wanted very much to dole out another shooting “the will of the people” one more reason for their continued wrath in the name of corporate corruption.
There was a great deal of publicity about the ostentatious Ross and his “dirty” buyout. Like Summers of ChemCon, he lived in a villa in France, a mansion in Italy, and flew to his Island getaway compliments of the employees of CelerateAir. Another despicable bastard in the corporate world. The trio of assassins would now make a difference and further fuel the fires of the media -especially talk radio.
Newspaper articles revealed that Ross would be honored at a festive retirement at the Mayweather Country Club, a grand estate located 30 minutes west of Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The event was to be held on Saturday evening and since it was to be an evening event, it would be easy for the snipers to set up in the dense trees on the adjoining property.
During the day, they practiced with bottles and cans and an assortment of items. The Mayweather was a three hour drive from Ogunquit. They loaded the car and set out to their prearranged time with their next victim.
In spite of everything, it was too early for news organizations or police for that matter to fully understand the reason for the shooting of Summers. With their second victim, the snipers were confident the country would embrace procedures to place a cap on the outrageously high financial compensation packages. It may well be compared to the cry for help after Hurricane Katrina struck New Orleans or the Oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Nothing was going to bring the human suffering to an end until there was a public uproar.
The Mayweather was located in Agawam, Massachusetts. Arrangements for the gala event were complete. The orchestra was tuning up - wait staff in place. The main course was in the ovens. The event was planned months in advance and praiseworthy of TV cameras and reporters.
Ross arrived in a limo, his favorite and luxurious method of transportation. He was a man who enjoyed being fussed over. His lifestyle just as ostentatious.
The news reporter from the local TV channel WMEO was in place ready to take a brief clip for the 11:00 P.M. news. Tables were decorated with fresh flowers and an model of a CelerateAir A380 Airbus as a centerpiece. When tapped, the windows illuminated and a the noise of jet engines produced a splendid presentation of light and sound. At the end of the night, every guest was to receive a reproduction of the popular aircraft as a keepsake. The total for the 350 much sought-after aircraft was in excess of $87,500 - paid for by the airline!
The limousine arrived at the entrance to the building. The chauffer exited first, followed by members of the party. Ross was the last to depart - as his left foot came into contact with the pavement and he straightened up - POW! A shot from the snipers rifle smashed into its victim just as the one that shattered Jack Summers’ spine in Maine. The victim fell with a thud - landing hard on the pavement.
People dashed for cover diving behind cars waiting to deliver their passengers while others found shelter behind the two Greek columns that embellished the entrance to the building. News quickly spread inside the building and within seconds of the shot - confusion resulted.
A shout for someone to call 911! The thirty seconds since the shooting was like time without end as the man lay dreadfully wounded. A lady stared at Ross’ bloodied thigh oozing through his trousers turned and gagged. Another fell to her knees placing a wrap beneath his head, cradling him in her arms brushing his hair and stroked his face while waiting for EMT’s.
First to arrive were the police followed by an ambulance. EMT’s applied a blood pressure cuff along with the electronic medical appliance that transmit’s the readings and overall condition of the patient to the closest trauma center. In this case, it was Bay State Medical Center in nearby Springfield. Vital signs were stable, but the patient was suffering from a severe thigh wound which may have penetrated the spine.
He suffered a separation in the lumbar spine (the lower back). The injury severed the base of the spine leaving the patient paralyzed.
Following the firing of the crippling round the trio quickly retreated from the area merging into the flow of traffic. With all the commotion it was only a matter of minutes before the shooters were several miles from the scene. Police were slow to investigate and didn’t immediately establish the trajectory until hours following the shooting.
It was approaching midnight when back home in Ogunquit the trio rejoiced in their triumph. Self-satisfied and overconfident, they congratulated each other. This called for another letter to the press of which there would continued debate.
Tavis Whitmore, the junior member was given what he considered the tedious task of preparing the letter making sure to wear gloves when inserting it into an envelope and, as with the previous letter used a sponge to wet and seal the flap. The men would wait several days then return to Agawam again and leave the letter in a mailbox.
* * *
The drive was three hours and the letter was dropped into a mail collection box in Agawam. In a day or two police and the media would know there was a link between the two shootings - and the debate would commence again.
These guys were over-confident, self-righteous, arrogant and conceited. Richmond was always uneasy with more than one person responsible for the exploit. He didn’t even trust Curt, and mistrusted Tavis even more. One small slip-up and the game was over. One loose tongue and the all three would spend their lives in prison. The stress of their criminal deed was beginning to wear at Richmond’s sense of right or wrong. With a likely diagnosis of PTSD, loss of appetite and difficulty in sleeping he was definitely stressed, but was now so far into the plot that nothing could give him confidence to retrieve even a shred of self-esteem.
Incapable of making any thought of realism, they savored victory in the shootings. Most serial killers struggle with the desire to confess, get caught, or kill themselves. These serial assassins wanted to be an advocate for a cause. This trio developed a sense of having done correctly in the name of society.
Even with the reputation they received as vigilante heroes, there were convinced there was no wrong. There was the notion they had the privilege to cleanse society of an awful nuisance by playing God in condemning and accusing those who got rich on the backs of the blue-collar worker. They were going to make things whole again for society. The wickedness was the bottomless burden of guilt they carried as part of them knew it was wrong and that in due course
they would pay the price for their actions.
Richmond didn’t trust either of the brothers. He also knew that all it would take was to have the FBI check the national data base for fingerprints and in an instant have their suspects. No one gets away with murder in the 21st century. There are too many procedures by which one can be identified. They may delay apprehension, but eventually they will be captured.
Nervous tension between the three came to an abrupt verbal explosion. Tavis, while preparing the second letter for the press disclosed that he didn’t use a sponge or wear gloves when he created the letter and envelope, but instead licked the stamp as a result - leaving his DNA.
Richmond flew into a rage! He cursed, cussed and went off the deep end trying to make sense of the stupidity. His heart beat frantically as he thought of his next move. All he could think of was the FBI knocking on his door and arresting him for conspiracy to commit murder.
It was all so easy now! The authorities could link all three. Tavis with a previous rap sheet, fingerprinted and now in the records for a likely match in all probability would crack under pressure. Those with sniper skills, Richmond Rand Curt Whitmore and would pop up as probable suspects. It would not take long for law enforcement to zero in on who was responsible for the attacks.
“You idiot! I should’ve known better than to give you the slightest responsibility. Stupid asshole! You’ve just authorized our death warrant!” Richmond screamed as he reprimanded Tavis.
Now they were suspects on the run. They could flee to Mexico, but the only person who had a valid passport was Richmond. In time it would prove to be to his advantage. What a mess! The whole plan began to fall apart. Richmond reached for the bottle of Jack Daniels.
“What about our next plan of action?” Curt asked in an attempt to defuse the situation.
“How in hell can we put our plan in action when we have a dumb sonofabitch like your brother tagging along?” Richmond shouted.
He’s gonna’ pull us all down with that stupid move - licking the stamps and flap of the envelope and not wearing gloves. Dumb sonofabitch!” by now Richmond was out of control.
“Cool it! Just cool it and lets not ride Tavis’ ass too hard. It’s natural to lick a flap of an envelope.” Curt said.
The old barn was limited but sufficient for their temporary needs. It was equipped with a toilet in one corner of the room, a hot plate, an overloaded electrical cord with 6 plugs shoved into one socket, a refrigerator and microwave. It was in the middle of summer - hot and sweaty. The sleeping bags without doubt did not offer the comforts of their previous billeting in the Marines.
They were about out of money and with no plan to find work, these three radical oddball losers were on a fast track to the death chamber. They did have a radio and with a coathanger for an antenna able to receive WRAC the all-talk radio station in Boston. Even though they were now bickering amongst themselves, once again they stirred public opinion adding fuel to their cause.
Summers and Ross paid the price for their greed and lack of discretion in manipulating the public. It was all perfectly lawful, but we all know that politics and the world of the CEO’s and their highly paid attorneys were acquainted with the system and how to avoid the legal mine fields. Even the legal eagles would share in the big payday.
With sentiment for the victims in favor of the would be assassins, the misguided trio once again welcomed the surge of publicity in their favor. With all the exposure, was America ready to embrace the idea of revealing the conspiracy in which we were all ripped off? The horrible vision of the shootings were overcome by the need of the shooters to ride the wave of public opinion. This was an extremely dangerous time for the persons who committed the crimes to be lifted up to such a high standard by the public. They wanted greatly to respond with the radio callers and listeners who thought they were doing a service to the country if they were to eradicate the deceitful bastards.
The morning following the revelation that Tavis in all likelihood left his DNA trail by licking and handling the envelope, Richmond still infuriated, was so lost in thought by the mistake that he wanted the young brother out. That was not an option that settled well with Curt. Now was not the time to separate themselves from what might to be a loose cannon. To expel the kid now would only add to their dilema. Where would he go? What would he do? More important, who - and what would he tell?
Richmond could care less about the plan of carrying on with any future action. He was not capable of planning another attack. Lost in thought, all he could think of was spending the rest of his life in jail. Not only would he be charged with a capital crime, but face charges for stealing government property. Images of Fort Leavenworth, the federal penal institution created terrifying images of hard labor for the rest of his life. He was told of the federal prison, and although he never knew anyone who was sentenced, the military threatened everyone if found guilty of a federal crime - Leavenworth is where they could possibly spend the rest of their lives!
In attempt to defuse the situation, Curt was making progress in convincing Richmond they should plan another attack. Eventually Richmond caved in to the pressure from Curt and was involved in the plans to carry out their next violent act against a high roller in the mortgage business by the name of Richard Cooke. One of the wealthiest bankers in America, his fortune come out in the open when the general public was made aware that following a Senate hearing on how he manipulated Congress to pass legislation favorable to the banking industry and ultimately thrusting him to the top of CapitolTrust, the second largest banks in America.
Cooke, would retire with a payday of $553,000,000 (million dollars) in compensation. It was by far the largest payout ever awarded a CEO. To make matters worse, the take-over came at a time when banks were on the verge of financial collapse and CapitolTrust received in excess of one billion dollars in T.A.R.P. money from bail out funds set aside by the U.S. The Treasury .
After the federal bailout, banks again with their high priced legal eagles flaunted their newfound fortunes in the faces of the public by awarding huge bonuses, and benefits. Congress didn’t have the power to prevent the huge payouts because bonus contracts were sanctioned before any talk of financial devastation. To make matters worse, many of the large banks were funneling donations to Congress and The Senate for legislation in their favor through lobbyists. It was a typical example of the fox guarding the henhouse! Washington was not enthusiastic on the idea of cutting the purse strings.
Banks were given T.A.R.P. money in an attempt to avoid collapse, and to reduce the problems faced by a diminishing economy. It was purposely designed for people who were in default on their mortgages, and the money was to be used to protect John Q. Public!
This way of thinking by the banks infuriated the public and again, as with the disgrace with Katrina, the government was too slow to act and there were so many regulators, rules, regulations, red tape, and bureaucratic departments, by the time legislation was enacted, billions of dollars had been paid out in compensation and bonuses - and the suffering homeowner continued to be manipulated by light-fingered dishonest bankers. It was a lesson in hopelessness. In the end, even though banks were obligated to repay the T.A.R.P. money they further polluted the contaminated process and this irritated their customers and stirred up public opinion.
* * *
In the summer of 2009, FirstUnionBank acquired CapitolTrust and began to make what at first were mnor changes. As the day drew near when they would ultimately take full control, a number of new ‘adjustments’ were added to their banking process. One which fueled the fires of customer wrath was in the first quarter following the acceptance of T.A.R.P. money, FirstUnion profits rose by thirty three billion dollars!
This was accomplished by charging $20.00 for each transaction whether it was transferring money from a savings account to a checking account or vice versa - and a variety of transactions manipulating the system to
the disadvantage of its 100 million customers. It didn’t take long for bank profits to soar through the roof while at the same time putting an damper on customer confidence. Lack of trust was obvious in the banking industry and Richmond, Curt and Tavis were going to change all of that - so they thought!
The planning and execution of the previous attacks were mind numbing and nerve racking. With the instigation of their latest plan, Richmond didn’t want Tavis to participate.
Then again, cutting him lose now was suicide for all three. Richmond and Curt were duty-bound to include the kid in their plans. They were in too deep to get rid of him at this point. After much torment Richmond came to a conclusion to allow Tavis a part of their latest planned action then get rid of the kid.
Tavis was a chain smoking, gaunt, skinny uneducated loser who at 18 years of age had no direction in life. How he ever come into the trust of Richmond and Curtiss was out of the ordinary.
The shootings were taking their toll on Richmond - the originator of the whole idea. Curt was of the theory that as long as he was able to purchase food and booze that - was good enough and Tavis was locked in a world of cheap smokes and $2.00 six pack puke choking beer.