Chapter 12

Shortly after the building was completed, two events occurred that would have a direct impact on Garrett’s future career. They secured a contract to rent out the meeting rooms in the hotel to a political party for their meetings. Garrett was available that evening and opened the rooms for the meeting, then stayed around in case they needed anything. While he was there, he met some of the movers and shakers in state politics for the first time. He had been promoted to Major three years before and knew some of the names. When they found out he was in the Guard, they played the ‘do you know’ game.

Over the next three years, GKM Properties continued to grow, and Garrett became increasingly involved in state politics, rubbing elbows with the movers and shakers in both the Guard and the Political arena.

Garrett was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) and changed jobs to the State Headquarters in the National Guard. Four years later, he was again promoted to full Colonel (COL) and given a more responsible job. Now he spent nearly two weeks a month in the state capitol or travelling around the state working on Guard business. Most of that time was on active duty orders.

His friends in town still laughed when they found out he was gone once again on guard business. One day, he was having breakfast before he left on yet another trip, and one of the jokers said, “What the hell do you do for the Guard anyway, Garrett? Hell, you’re always gone to guard meetings or something.”

“Oh, I mostly just tell them how to run things now and make sure they’re doing it right.”

Everyone laughed at that. Garrett’s units had always been several miles away from home, and he still hadn’t told anyone his rank or job, so they all thought he was some mid-level sergeant milking the system for all he could.

Two more years and another election was on the horizon. This time, one of Garrett’s friends, a state Senator, was running for governor. He and Garrett were sitting in a small bar near the Capitol one evening discussing the election when the friend said, “I think I can win this thing, but the coffers are dry. If I don’t find some money in the next week or so, I’ll have to stop advertising and lay off most of my paid help. That will be like handing the election to Monty, and we know what that will mean.”

“Oh, hell, yeah. That bastard hates my ass. I crossed paths with him several years ago when he tried to get his nephew a cushy job in headquarters, despite the nephew not being qualified for it. He’s been after my ass ever since. I’d probably have to retire if he gets elected. Discounting that, he would wreck the state. All his cronies and their pork barrel politics would bankrupt it. We’re teetering on the edge now.

“What would it take for you to go on like you are?”

Cedric snorted and said, “You mean besides a miracle? I’m going through about $25,000 a week now. It’s still three weeks until the election, and I should be increasing the advertising to blitz him. That, at a minimum, would require me to double my weekly expenditures.”

“So, if I’m hearing you right, you need at least $150,000 more to last until the election. I might be able to help with that but I don’t know a damn thing about the election laws and contributions. If I can find you the money, can your staff work it so we don’t get into trouble?”

“Well, hell, yeah. That’s what they’re for. But where the hell would you find that kind of money?”

“Well, I have a few dollars stashed, but I can get more from GKM Properties. I”

“GKM Properties! How the hell can you get anything from them? I didn’t know you travelled in those circles!”

Garrett looked around and lowered his voice before he said, “What I’m about to tell you is confidential. My family and I have worked extremely hard for years to keep this a secret. When I’m not here on Guard business or the farm, I do maintenance for GKM. I used to do it all, but now the business is so large that they hire several full-time maintenance staff. My wife and her mother work in the office and management part-time.”

Cedric cut in with a snort and said, “Oh, come on, Garrett. We’re friends, but now you tell me your civilian job is as a maintenance man for GKM, and you think you can get them to turn loose of that kind of money? I’m almost insulted. What makes you think they’ll even talk to you about a donation, much less give me one?”

Garrett became angry with his friend and almost stood up to walk away in his anger. At the last moment, he remembered what was at stake and clenched his jaws. He took some deep breaths and got himself partly under control before he replied, “Yes, asshole, I think I can get them to cut you a check. If you would keep your damn mouth shut for a minute maybe I can explain.”

Cedric’s face turned two shades of deep red when Garrett talked to him like that. His eyes glinted, and he stared daggers at Garrett. He said, “Garrett, we’re friends and that’s all that’s saving your ass right now. NO ONE talks to me like that. NO ONE. You’re on thin ice here now. I think we both better leave before one of us says something that ends our friendship.”

Garrett looked at Cedric a moment, then said, “Listen, give me a minute here and stay off your high horse. Like I started to say, my family and I don’t trust just anyone with what I’m about to tell you, but, yes, I KNOW I can get GKM to cut a check for $150,000 if we can do it legally.”

Cedric looked at Garrett. The man was so confident that it surprised him, but that came with the bird on each of his shoulders. He decided to give Garrett the benefit of the doubt and hear what he had to say. He took a deep breath and said, “Ok, how are you going to do that?”

Garrett smiled and said, “I own GKM. They usually do what I tell them to do.”

“WHAT! You own GKM? You own the largest property management company in southwest Missouri? I thought you just said you were one of the maintenance men?” He frowned and continued, “How did you manage that? Better, how the hell did you keep that a secret? No, that’s not important. You would be willing to do that for me?” His eyes narrowed a moment, then he asked, “What will this cost me?”

Garrett looked him in the eye and said, “Less than you think. We both agree on what the state needs at this time. I want you to stay true to your beliefs and not give in to the special interest groups that will try to sway you while you’re in office. That’s all. I’m happy in the Guard and I want to stay as long as I can in a senior position. I really don’t want anything else.”

Cedric smiled and held his hand out for Garrett to shake. When they shook hands, Cedric said, “Done deal. I’ll have my people get with you or whoever you say to handle the details.”

Within two days of the conversation, Cedric’s campaign and his political party (using soft money donated to the party to “educate” voters about Cedric) blitzed good old Monty. He was so sure he had Cedric on the ropes, he relaxed, but even if he hadn’t, his coffers were nearly as empty as Cedric’s had been. He couldn’t keep up with the spending and lost momentum. His party couldn’t fill in the gaps in his finances fast enough.

The day before the election, polls showed Cedric leading by almost 11 percentage points. When he heard that, Monty snarled, “Where the hell did that bastard get the cash infusion? I was sure we had him beat, and we would have except for the last-minute money he came up with. I want to know where it came from, and I want something done about it.”

Election day dawned bright and sunny. Surprisingly, the turnout was higher than usual, and most of the voters were in Cedric’s camp. Two hours after the polls closed, the national news channels projected that Cedric would win the election for governor by a margin of 67% to 33%.

Garrett and Kathy were at Cedric’s campaign headquarters for his victory party. As he made the rounds, Cedric stopped and visited with Garrett and Kathy for a moment. He shook Garrett’s hand and said, “I don’t think I could have done it without you. I owe you big time. I won’t forget what you said at our meeting, Garrett. I need to speak with some people now to make things happen, but they will. Count on it.”

The next morning, Garrett and Kathy returned home, and Cedric began assembling his administration. One of the first things he did was assign a senior member of his staff to a project aimed at securing his first appointment. Three weeks later, the staffer came to Cedric and said, “Governor, I have everything in place. All you have to do is make the announcement, and then General Mans needs to complete some paperwork. The National Guard Bureau will help expedite his appointment. “Thankfully, he met all the education requirements already, so it was only a matter of a few minor waivers and finding the right people to do the paperwork.”

“Great. Get him on the phone for me, will ya?”

When Garrett answered the phone, the aide said, “Please hold for the Governor-elect, General.” Garrett frowned and looked at the phone while he waited for Cedric to come on the line.

Kathy saw him looking at the phone and asked, “What’s wrong, Honey?”

“I have the strangest phone call. One of Cedric’s aides called and asked me to hold for Cedric, and he called me ‘General’. I thought all the aids knew I was only a Colonel.”

Just then, Cedric came on the line and said, “Hello, General. Thank you for holding. I apologize for the delay in getting back to you, but we had to go through a few administrative steps to set things up for you. How soon can you return to Jefferson City so we can hold a news conference? The news release about your appointment will be published tomorrow, following its release tonight. State Headquarters will need you here as soon as possible to finish the paperwork as well.”

“Uhhh, What?”

“Weren’t you listening, General? I said “...

“I heard what you said. I just don’t understand the General thing. You know I’m a Colonel.”

“Hey, you came through for me. Now it’s my turn to come through for you. I promised you could stay in the Guard in the senior position if I were elected. I keep my promises, General. They need to process your paperwork and begin your briefings to get you up to speed in your new position. You also need to find an aide and decorate your office if you wish.”

“I don’t understand. What aid and office?”

“Jesus, man. Have you been drinking or what? I promised that you would be appointed Adjutant General if I were elected, and now you are. Are you trying to tell me you’ve changed your mind here or something?”

“No, I just, Adjutant General? I’m just trying to get my head around it, is all.”

Cedric laughed and relaxed before he said, “I understand. Hell, I felt that way when they announced I won the election, too. You’ll get over it. Now, when can you get up here?”

“Day after tomorrow be soon enough? I have to do a couple of things here tomorrow, and I want to bring Kathy, so she’ll need to arrange for someone to pick up her work.”

Garrett hung up the phone and almost collapsed back into his chair. His face was nearly white. Kathy walked over to him and worriedly asked, “What’s the matter, Honey? You look almost sick.”

Garrett shook himself and looked up at her. He reached up and pulled her into his lap, then said, “I just got a new job.”

“That’s great! What is it? Is that why we have to go to Jefferson City?”

“Yeah, but that’s not all. We’ll be moving there for at least the next four years and maybe eight. You need to either close the café or find someone to run it. Oh, and the shit’s gonna hit the fan tomorrow morning. I’ll come to the café to help you shovel it.”

“Why would we move? I like it here, and I thought you did, too.”

“Well, I do, but the new job is a full-time one and I have to do it in the Capitol. Cedric thought that when I gave him the campaign money, I was cutting a deal with him, as I had told him all I wanted was to remain in the guard in a senior and responsible position. He has appointed me the State Adjutant General. Unless I fuck up by the numbers I will have eight years assuming he’s reelected. After he leaves office, we can retire and come back here. Take it from me, the retirement for a Major General is much, much better than that of a lowly Colonel.”

As he expected, the café was a madhouse the next morning. To make matters worse, the news release about his appointment as Adjutant General also mentioned that he was the sole owner (alongside his wife) of the largest property management company in the southwestern part of the state—GKM Properties.

When Garrett walked into the café that morning, the noise stopped, and everyone there turned and stared at him as he took his customary seat. You could have heard the proverbial pin drop. Finally, the brash Trevor broke the ice. He said, “You sneaky bastard, you OWN GKM Properties and none of us ever knew. You told us you were a maintenance man. And you’re a damn General in the Guard? Why the hell didn’t you tell us? You were always telling us you gave the soldiers things to do, then went around and made sure they did it. Hell, you let us believe you were a damn sergeant or something.”

“Well, I didn’t lie to anyone. I performed maintenance for GKM in my spare time, assigned tasks to the soldiers, and checked on them. I just didn’t want to toot my own horn and tell anyone what I actually did, is all. Hell, it wasn’t important. I had my friends, and I lived my life as I wanted to. I got to hunt, fish, and do the things I wanted to do. If I had sat in an office and managed the company, I would have been too busy to do those things. We had hired help to take care of the management, and my mother-in-law and Kathy kept up with the books and general management.”

Slowly, the noise level rose to the normal din. As might be expected, Garrett was the topic of conversation, with the local paper being passed around heavily. Every time he looked up, Garrett found someone staring at him.

Kathy promoted her head cook to manager of the café and small store when she and Garrett moved to Jefferson City. Neither Garrett nor Kathy ever became entirely comfortable living in the capital or attending all the high-level parties and functions his position demanded he attend. They enjoyed the opportunities to travel that his position provided. When Garrett went somewhere for a meeting, he would often take Kathy, and they would usually manage to turn the trip into a mini-vacation.

During their seventh year in office, Garrett and Kathy had a new house built on the farm to serve as their retirement home. When the governor left office, Garrett let it be known he was retiring, and they needed to find a new Adjutant General.

One of the first things Garrett did when he retired and returned home was to purchase a new Jon boat for fishing. As soon as the fishing season opened, he and Kathy could be found putt putting up and down the river, fishing and enjoying their twilight years. Both their children followed Garrett into the Guard and were working in the business as civilians. Many times they, too, could be found fishing and lying around on the riverbank. It appeared as if Garrett had raised another generation of ne’er-do-wells. This generation, however, was talked about by the community because it was now known they had money and were just goofing off instead of splashing it around.