Chapter 17
Monday morning the same ritual: exercise and a hot shower followed by a light breakfast. They left, she to her mother’s and he to his grandmother’s. Two things occupied his mind on the drive up to his office in Westchester. One was to meet Damion later on after his flight from Seattle; and the other, to look at Alex’s budget. An afterthought was to check with Pete Good in Chicago to see how things were coming along. He hoped he could get on board soon. Todd was getting a little impatient, for no good reason he could think of, but he felt like moving in the fast lane. Also, he needed to check on that non-golfing Lawyer and interview him.
The next thing he knew, he was pulling into the driveway at grandmother’s house. He walked quickly through the door into the kitchen. He needed a cup of his favorite French Roast coffee. Grandmother was sitting there with a cup of tea and eating an English muffin. He pecked her on the cheek and he asked her how her Sunday was? She said, “Lovely and I never felt so good. I might go back and play some golf later in the week. A few holes to start with and then we will see what happens,”
They chatted for a few minutes and then he went to the office. Grandmother stayed n the kitchen visiting with the cook and housekeeper. Nancy looked nice and had a smile for him. “Anything happening this morning Nancy,” he asked.
“No Mr. Lincoln, although I talked to the head office and your secretary, Ann, said Alex’s budget is on your desk.”
“Fine, but I thought you were going to call me Todd?”
“I’m sorry. I just can’t call you by your first name right now, maybe later after some time passes.”
He said that was ok and went over to his desk and used the phone. He asked Nancy to call Pete Good in Chicago for him. Next he called Alex to see what his schedule for the day. Alex came on line and they chatted for awhile then Todd suggested two o’clock in his office. He hung up just when his secretary told him Pete was on the line. Todd asked him how it was going and about his family.
Pete said, “Everything is just great and all of the family are looking forward to the change.” Pete went on to tell him that he should be in New York at the end of the week. Todd said that would be fine and he would be staying in his apartment building until they found a home. Todd left him by saying to let Nancy or Ann know his travel schedule.
Nancy said to him, “Lawyer number two is expecting your call. Want me to call him and set up an appointment?”
“Yes, see if he can meet me at the city office at three o’clock. Maybe I can get all that is on my plate today cleaned off completely. Oh, by the way, Nancy, I’m having a new car delivered to my apartment today and would you call and make sure it will be there late this afternoon?”
He gave her the car firm’s telephone number and left the office for the city. He asked Nancy to meet him at the other office at two o’clock. It was close to eleven am. He had lots of time before his first meeting at two with Alex. He took a chance that Mario might be free for lunch. He made the call and they were set up at Luigi’s at twelve thirty.
Driving down to the city, the day was beautiful. A little warm still, but not a cloud in the sky. He called Jen to see what was going on with her today. She related to him that not much was happening. Most everything about the wedding was taken care of. Todd said to her, “Honey why don’t you make a plan to take over or start an ad campaign for The Lincoln Group?”
He knew he caught her by surprise, but she recovered quickly and said she would think about it and they would talk about it tonight. He smiled to himself and called Glenda to meet them at his home tonight at about eight o’clock. She told him she would be there with bells on. He liked her more and more each time he talked to her. It appeared she had the press under her thumb. All was quiet at both homes and Todd was very happy about that end of things.
As usual, Mario was waiting for him when he arrived. Again, a loud sound of laughter and swear words boomed from the same group of guys Todd had seen before. Mario was in the middle of the group telling some story or another; and Guido right in the thick of things too. It turned a little quiet when they saw Todd walking in. However, they all greeted him like a regular and congratulated him on his brave speech the other day. Word gets around, Todd thought.
Mario and Guido sat down at their usual table. Todd wanted to talk about the newspaper business. Just then, the same clean cut guy walked up with a thick file in his hand and gave it to Todd. Guido said, ‘Here is some late night reading for you. Make a note of any questions and call me if you need me. All of it is pretty cut and dry and I think you can anticipate some major changes in the way your news papers report the news when you implement your take over plans.”
They had a nice lunch and talked about Mario’s golf game. Todd said he would love to stay and chat longer, but had meeting with a non-golfing lawyer he wanted to hire. They all laughed and he said, “Good bye and thanks for lunch.”
Todd arrived at the office at one thirty. Nancy and Glenda were both there. Glenda asked him for a few minutes and they went into the office. The three of them sat at the conference table. Glenda started by telling him that an edited version of the meeting the other day was ready for his viewing. “That's good news and let’s look at it in the morning first thing; let’s bring Alex in on this and Damion too. Nancy, do you have his arrival time?”
“Yes, he comes in at JFK at eleven pm our time.”
“Remind me to have one of Alex’s men pick him up please. Anything else Glenda,” he asked.
“Not really, I will leave you two and Mr. Lincoln I will see you later at eight pm.”
Todd picked up the budget Alex had left him and spent the next twenty minutes looking through it. Nancy meanwhile left and brought them both a cup of green tea. Todd was just finishing the report when a knock on the door produced the colonel. Todd stood up and greeted him with a smile and asked him about having something to drink. Alex declined and they all moved to the conference table. Alex had another file under his arm and set it down along with his copy of the Security budget. He put his reading glasses on and looked over the top of them at Todd. Todd was still smiling and drinking his tea while looking at, the out of character colonel, with his half glasses on. Alex felt a bit sensitive so he took them off and laid them on the table. Nancy meanwhile, turned her head so he couldn’t see the smile on her face.
Todd broke the spell and asked him a few questions about the budget. Todd said, “Alex this looks fine to me. I will have Damion and Pete take a closer look, but let’s move forward. What is your attack plan for Group security around the globe?”
Alex, totally prepared like a good soldier, opened up his other file and for the next hour laid out in detail his security plan for the Lincoln Group.
Alex began, “First we will send an advance team to each location. Arial photos will be taken by helicopter of the immediate area and the surrounding areas. We will analyze those photos and determine, location at elevation relative to the ocean or body of water adjacent to a port for example; transportation systems, such as buses, trains, subway and percentage of workers commuting by car. Particular attention to the surrounding area for terrorists attacks. In addition, we will take a video of proposed new sites of future construction; and have a team of men on site working with the construction head and architect.”
Todd sat very still and was greatly impressed with Alex and his security plan. It was expensive, but necessary for the security of the Group. When Alex had finished, he sat back and a small smile crept across his face and a twinkle in his eye caught Nancy’s attention.
Todd asked Nancy to find some glasses and a bottle of wine. He thought a glass of wine was in order. He wanted to hear more of Alex’s plan. While Nancy was in a small room out of sight of the conference table, Todd asked Alex how he would handle the logistics of his plan. Alex told him that he would send his number two, three and fourth man into the field first. A camera crew would follow and a video truck crew would be on each location to process the f
ilm and edit it for file. He went on to say, “Once the photos and videos were edited, they'd be flown back here and when all is said and done, we will view, design, and implement our security plan for each location.”
Todd asked him what his location in this world wind tour would be and Alex told him he would be at the warehouse analyzing data as it came in. Todd was very pleased with the report and told Alex so. They drank the wine and Todd told Alex that Nancy and he must be excused because the Lawyer was due any minute. Alex took his leave and Nancy picked up the glasses and Todd returned to his desk.
Soon his secretary buzzed him to tell him the non-golfer was here. “Send him in please.”
In walked a very tall and distinguished looking man. He was a stereotypical looking attorney with a nice smile on his face. He walked confidently up to Todd’s desk and took the offered hand with a firm handshake. Nodded to Nancy and Todd told him to please sit down. At first Todd was not so happy with his looks, but a half hour later, changed his mind. Alan Shultz was quite the contrary to his first impression and he turned out to be a down to earth kind of guy and strictly a family man. His only hobby was basketball. He had been a college star in his university days. He still played, mostly on the cement courts around his neighborhood to stay in shape.
Todd told him about his plan and an hour later, after fielding questions from Alan, he asked him if he wanted the job. Alan happily accepted the position. They made the usual salary and benefit arrangements. Todd asked when he could start and Alan told him he was sure he could wrap up his current business and be here in a week or so.
“Great,” said Todd. “Please give Nancy a brief outline of your department structure and budget after you begin work at the Lincoln Group. I will send a memo around to the appropriate departments that you’re taking over as the head of that department. Nancy, please give Alan the files on our current people in that department for evaluation.”
Nancy gave him the files and they said good bye to him and he left a happy man thinking to himself what a powerful, but what a nice guy Todd Lincoln is. He hoped he could measure up to the task, but then remembered he scored fifty points in a State Championship back in high school. He had the confidence in himself. His faith and family backed up that strength.
Nancy meanwhile was on the phone. Todd sat at his desk in thought. Ann his secretary out front came in with a message. She told Todd that Alex wanted to talk to him if and when he was free for a few minutes. Todd told her he would go down to his office in a minute. Nancy hung up the phone and said to him, “You new car is in your parking garage and Damion is on his way now. Jen called and said she is waiting for you whenever you get there.”
He thanked her and said he would see her tomorrow. He went down to see Alex. He found Alex on the phone with a head set on. He motioned Todd to a chair and told whomever he was talking to he should call him later. Hung up the phone and took his headset off. Todd said, “What’s up colonel?’ Alex smiled and said, “Our plane is ready for a test flight. Do you want to go with the flight crew?”
“When,” Todd asked.
“Well, it’s ready for tomorrow if you can make it.”
Todd told him he would go and what time was take off scheduled.
“It’s scheduled for eleven am for a one hour flight.”
‘I’ll be there with Jen,’ he said to Alex. Todd left the building for his parking garage and to pickup his new car. He called a car detail place and had them meet him at his garage to take Damien's new Porsche for detailing.
On the road in his new car he drove to Jen’s house. He went inside to be sociable to his future mother in law. As usual he found her in the kitchen preparing dinner. Todd had a sack in his hand. Jen asked him if he would like to stay for dinner. He said, “Sure and here is a bottle of wine for you.”
Jen gave him a hug and kiss and said to him, “Because you knew all along, didn’t you, that we might stay for dinner.” She poked him in the stomach and his eyes poured forth rays of love that just melted her.
After dinner they headed home in the new car. He told her Glenda would be there at eight for a meeting about the plan for an advertising agency in the Group. She told him she would love to do something as her life was at ebb right now. “I need something to take my mind of the wedding. But, let me warn you buster, when the first kid comes, I’m quitting no matter what!” She laughed and he squeezed her leg. Even though it was a stretch limo and had a driver’s bucket seat, she had a bench seat that came close to his seat. That way she could sit close to him and play with his leg and a very sensitive part of his body. The played around with each other joking about kids and in the future playing with them.
Dreams are for reality. Never doubt that a dream can’t come true; you must make it come true, not wait for it. For Todd, his dreams were coming true and he hoped that the one bad dream was just that: a bad dream.
They parked next to the Porsche and once in the apartment, settled on the sofa with a glass of wine. Glenda showed up right at eight. Todd asked her in and she sat down with a tired look on her face. Todd asked her if she had eaten dinner and she told him she had a snack about six, but wasn’t very hungry. He poured her a glass of wine and thanked him profusely. She needed something to relax her from a very busy day.
Two glasses of wine later, after Todd had explained what he had in mind, Glenda raised her glass in a toast. She said, “The beginning of a project that is and will be, unequaled in big business. We will flood the media market from the internet to our own publication of a magazine.”
Todd liked what he heard and Jen echoed what Glenda had in mind. They made a plan for the rest of the week and she left a little tipsy, but happy to go to her own home and lover.
Todd told Jen about the test flight tomorrow and she was excited to see the new plane. He told her a little secret. “The plane is owned by grandmother and I, we leased it to the Lincoln Group.”
Jen didn’t understand all there was to know about that end of a business, but guessed it was for tax purposes. They were a little high on wine and she suggested a hot bath would be the ticket for an end to an evening of food and wine. While she filled the tub up, he called Luke to ask him if Damion’s apartment was ready. Luke assured him it was and Damion would ring his apartment when he arrived. Luke went on to say he had left word with the security guard downstairs when he arrived. The guard will ring me when he comes.
That taken care of, he went to the bedroom and undressed for his anticipated bath with his lover. Later after frolicking in the tub, they took a shower to rinse off the soap. Went to bed and he slept like a log. He didn’t dream that night. Woke up and he slipped out quietly for some exercise. Before he had finished, Jen showed up with a sleepy look. However, it didn’t take long before she was into her routine with a vengeance.
Showered and ready for breakfast, they went to the kitchen. Todd fixed them some oatmeal and fresh fruit. Toast with yogurt went well with breakfast. Both drank some fresh mango juice shipped direct from the Philippines. Todd loved the mango from Mindanao.
It was close to seven thirty when he called Damion. He found Damion wide awake and ready to go. He asked to come up to his apartment for coffee. Five minutes later, dressed very nice, a smiling Damion with his blond curly hair stood at his door. He came and sat down next to Jen as Todd poured him a cup of his special coffee. They talked the usual stuff, flight, apartment comfort and so forth. Damion said he found the apartment quite to his satisfaction and thanked Todd and Luke and wife for their fine hospitality.
Todd told Damion they would go to the downtown office where he could sequester himself and read a ton of files about Lincoln. He had already called his grandmother and told her his plan for the day. She was happy to take the day off and said she would go to the driving range and hit some balls. He laughed and told her he loved her. The three of them went to the basement parking lot. Sitting next to Todd’s car was the Porsche. On the license plate it said: “DB ONE”. Damien’s m
outh was open and he was speechless. Todd smiled and said, “It’s yours. “Call it a sign up bonus.” Todd gave him the keys and said to follow him.
In the office, Todd showed Damion his new office and said he should hire a secretary. “I’ve had good luck with Ann finding me good help.” He suggested to Damion. Damion nodded his head and stared at the two foot pile of files sitting in the middle of his desk. Todd laughed and told him, “Well, you asked for it and now you got it.”
Damion said, ‘I’ve seen worse, if your around later today, I will probably have some questions to ask you.”
Todd didn’t know that Damion had a photographic mind and could speed read with the best of them.
Todd left Damion to own devices and went to his office. A message from Pete saying he would be in New York by the end of the week. Next he talked to his grandmother. She told him she had decided to spend the winter in Florida with a cousin. “I’ll not spend another cold snowy winter around here ever again,” she said with a laugh.
Todd told her that he thought that was a good idea and that move would let him do some remodeling of her house. She told him to fly right at it and do what he wanted for his family. He knew enough about her to not mess with her bedroom and bathroom. Nor would he change the cooks and housekeeper rooms either. He called the architect and said he wanted to see him about some extensive work on his grandmother’s house. He said he could be there after lunch and Todd said that would be fine.
Ann had shown Alan the attorney, the floor and where his new office was. She told him that he could hire himself anyone of his liking and if he needed some help, she would be glad to find him a secretary. He told her thanks, but he could take care of that himself.
The attorney staff had been notified he was coming and the first thing he did was call a meeting for the next day at seven am. “That should make them sit up and take notice,” he said to no one in particular. Alan felt good already and he walked with authority to his new office and shut the door.
Todd meanwhile made a rough drawing of grandmother’s house and his intended changes for Ben when he came. Next he called Guido and they talked about the takeover of some newspapers in progress and the upcoming future of others in his plan. He told Guido of the new advertising department and said that he would like it if he had time to see Jen and her staff. Guido told him he would be happy to come over and would he tell Jen that he would be there after lunch.
Alex gave him a call and asked him if he had some free time so he could lay out his plan for security across the USA. Todd told him anytime would be fine and right now he was doodling a plan for grandmothers house and would like to kick around some security ideas with him.
Todd put away his house plans as Alex came in. Alex laid out his plan for logistics and a time frame for Todd to know about which plants were first through the end for security, construction and manpower. A full year was the plan to complete the project in the USA and then for the international structures it would take another year to complete.
“Fine, Alex that would have been my guess for the project. You have my backing and a free hand. Make sure Damion knows what you're doing and when Pete gets here at the end of the week, sit down with him and fill him in on what you're doing. You’re the man in charge; just keep me informed about what you’re doing.”
On Damion’s front he attacked the job with a vengeance. In the next few weeks, after sitting down and spending countless hours with Pete, he placed a working pyramid that would prove successful over the next months for the staff.
Glenda, meanwhile, called Todd and told him the video was ready at his convenience. Todd told her to set it up for lunch time and they would eat lunch while viewing the meeting of last Thursday. Todd with a grin called his future wife on a floor below him and asked her what she was doing for lunch. She said, “I always keep lunch free in case my smooth talking lover calls.”
He laughed and she said, “What do you have in mind?”
He related the story of the video and they were showing it at lunch time. Ann would order some lunch in and they would eat while watching the video. Jen told him she would be up to his office at noon and that they were very busy setting up a plan for advertising. Todd told her he hoped she was happy and signed off.
Todd sat back and running through his mind was that he should call a meeting of Damion, Pete, Alex, Nancy, Ann, Glenda, Alan and Jen. He would set in place a reminder to share information and responsibility.
Precisely what the US government didn’t do following nine eleven and the subsequent fiasco in Iraq. Quite frankly, too many players at the higher levels were jealous and protective of their respective positions to be effective for the people of the United States. Sadly, as a result, a lot of people in power had a lot of explaining to do before the people. Instead of casting aside their personal pride they should have shared information from the beginning. Todd knew what the problems he faced for the Lincoln Group were and he intended that his people share information, not hoard it for their own rewards. Rewards came for groups, not individuals. Like Damion, he mused with satisfaction, he has the independence of a leader, but knows it’s the people below him that makes the operation perform like a Swiss watch.
The core heads ate lunch and watched the video. Todd made notes and Glenda knew what people do identify for the boss man. Jen remarked, “I didn’t think there would be so many of them dissatisfied with the plan you laid out for them.”
Todd nodded and didn’t respond, only concentrating on the obvious. Later he went over his notes with Glenda with Damion present; then excused Glenda and Damion and Todd had a conference. He asked Nancy to take the list of names he gave her and bring the personal files on each one listed. Todd and Damion set forth a plan to rid the Group of dissenters over the next few months. Nothing better than both fresh ideas and new people to implement his new plan; Mario would be instrumental in finding new people as he proved previous to Todd.