Chapter 221

Bill and his wives put their luggage in one of the Escalades, backed out of the garage and headed for the copter. Fred and Brenda, together with Frank and his wives, followed right behind them in another of the Escalades.

The crew Sergeant and the trooper helped with the luggage. In moments, everyone aboard, the big engine roared and the group was on its way to Boulder, most now sipping hot coffee.

Fred tried again to find out why everyone else was going, but Wainwright asked him to wait until they were on the plane. Frustrated, Fred reached for Brenda's hand, leaned back in the seat and closed his eyes, trying to calm himself. What's wrong with my daughter? If that bastard has hurt her...

As if reading his mind, Brenda squeezed his hand, hard. Although she no longer shared his mind like she once had, there was still a rapport there that was close to telepathy.

Bill had called ahead to have the jet moved out of the hangar. The copter was able to set down not far from the plane. Within minutes, Bill and Kathy had completed their walk around and were working on the preflight while Jill made sure everything that needed to be was stowed properly, and everyone was belted in.

Boulder wasn't busy this early in the day, which allowed them direct access to the runway. As Fred sat staring at nothing, Bill spooled the engines up and released the brakes. Soon the executive jet clawed for altitude, turned and headed for ... Cincinnati.

As the plane leveled out, and faced into the newly-risen sun, Jill stopped by Brenda's seat. Seeing the worried expression on her face, Jill reached to take Brenda's hand. "Come on. Let's see what Diana sent us."

Tina joined them in the little galley as Jill opened the cooler. "Steaks, already cooked," she said with a smile, knowing they would be inside. She giggled at Brenda's questioning look, but relented to say, "The men had a meeting after you guys went to your suite last night. While they were talking, we all adjourned to the kitchen and had our own meeting. I told Diana we hadn't restocked the plane with food after our trip to the island, and that did it. Soon, she and the others were cooking steaks to go in the refrigerator to wait for our trip this morning. Of course, morning came a little earlier than we had planned." As she dug deeper in the chest, "Hmmm, looks like she added some cut up cantaloupe, several packs of bacon and some strawberries, plus some sweet rolls. We don't have any bread for toast, but I still have a container of Scramblers in the refrigerator, so we can have scrambled eggs to go with the things Diana sent. I think we can have a very nice, if impromptu, breakfast."

"I don't think I want a steak..." Brenda started.

"Nonsense," Jill reasoned. "No telling what this day will entail. You need to eat, and we know our Alphas will eat anything we put in front of them. Let's get the microwaves warming up the steaks while I fry up some bacon and get the Scramblers started. We'll be in Cincinnati in less than three hours."

Brenda looked up, a question on her face, "Cincinnati? But Angel is in Louisville."

"Oh, I know that," Jill said with a chuckle. "We'll hear the plan at breakfast."

While the pilots ate at the controls, Jill and Tina served breakfast to the others, then joined them. Wainwright looked at his food, then reached over to touch Tina lovingly on the cheek. "You ladies never cease to amaze me."

"The women had their meeting while you men had yours," Tina said. "We surely didn't expect to leave this early, but Diana was ready, anyway."

Fred cut a bite of steak, but before putting it in his mouth, he felt it was time for some answers. "Okay. We're at altitude. Time to hear about this 'plan, ' not to mention why you," he said, nodding to Frank, "and your wives are going with us."

Frank Wainwright hastily swallowed a bite of steak in order to answer, "Simple, we had a discussion after you and your wives left for your suite. In case things don't go down the way they should, we decided to help you a bit."

"But you guys don't..."

Frank interrupted with, "I own a company in Cincinnati, and I haven't inspected it in a while. So, Margaret, Tina and I are going to do that this morning. As we speak, Bill and Kathy are arranging for vehicles to meet us at the airport. A rented limo will be waiting to take us to the plant, and there will be a rental car available for you two. It's only a hundred miles or so from Cincinnati to Louisville, and the rental will have a GPS to help you locate your daughter's address.

"Margaret and I frequently pull surprise inspections at our various holdings. It's seldom that we find anything of major consequence, but it has happened. We've been very diligent to try to hire only the best managers, but human nature sometimes rears its ugly head despite our best efforts. So, more than one manager has arrived at work to find Margaret and me on the plant floor talking to the employees. You would be surprised what you can learn about a company by talking to the workers, instead of management. Anyway, the surprise inspection will be our cover trip. You two never left the Retreat.

"After my wives and I leave in the limo, the two of you can leave in the other vehicle. Nothing unusual about my 'pilots' leaving to see the sights while I do an inspection, or they might go to do food shopping rather than use the food service truck. Who is to know that you two aren't the pilots? Some crews wear uniforms, others don't, depending on who they work for. Bill and his wives normally wear uniforms, but they aren't wearing them today. About the vehicle: most rentals have darkened windows these days, so the gate camera will show little, if anything inside the vehicle. Should something happen when you're at Angel's house, there would be no reason to associate what happens there to the happenings at the Cincinnati airport. Bill and his women will, of course, remain on board while you're gone.

"When you two return with Angel, Bill will file a flight plan for Saint Louis, our main office, then shortly before we get there he will change the plan to Boulder. Should you have trouble in Louisville, it will be hard to trace you, and the General is going to have a clean up crew standing by a short distance away. And ... as my wives would say, 'don't bother to start.' We're here to help. You're not in this alone, Fred. So don't even think about trying to talk us out of it. It's going to happen. Oh, yes, I have secure SAT phones for all of us, complements of the General."

"Frank, I..."

"It was either do it this way, or Jeff was coming with a full security detachment. Which had you rather have?"

Fred let out a sigh. "I ... thanks, Frank. Brenda and I really appreciate it. Maybe it was just a dream, and there's nothing wrong with Angel." But both men knew better.

Eventually, most everyone, other than the pilots, napped.

Later, the PA system came on and Kathy said, "Cincinnati in fifteen."

By the time the restroom breaks were over, the seatbelt light came on.

Kathy's landing kissed the pavement while Bill sat beside her, a smile on his face. I have the best job in the world, and I get to take my wives with me. It can't get any better than this.

When the plane came to a halt, the limo pulled near. Fred turned to Frank. "Both vehicles are already here," Fred remarked. "How do you manage that? Most of the time when I rent a car, I have to wait."

But Margaret answered for Frank. "All of our companies have a contract with the same rental agency, and Frank has a personal contact number and a person to talk to 24/7. One word from Frank, and they'll lose all our business. All Bill has to do is call that number and mention the rental is for Frank Wainwright. The vehicle or vehicles will be there waiting. Money talks, and this time it's talking for you," she finished as she nodded to the waiting vehicle.

A vehicle pulled up, and a young man wearing jeans, a dark shirt and jacket got out. As he walked over to the plane, Jill opened the door, leaned down and accepted a small package from him. Neither spoke a word. After closing the door, she handed the package to Fred.

"What's this?"

But Frank answered. "Security didn't have any Kentucky plates on hand, so the General had to have one delivered. It has small magnets on each corner. I suggest you find a vacant lot or something similar and snap this plate into place. On the way back, you can throw it in a storm drain or something. Wouldn't want to make it too easy for your vehicle to be traced."

Jill handed Brenda two pairs of latex gloves. "We keep these in the galley. One pair is extra large. You might..."

"Thanks, Jill. I was going to stop and buy some," Fred said.

Frank handed out the SAT phones along with the number for the "cleanup crew."

"Keep us posted," Wainwright said as he and his women stood. "Margaret, Tina and I will leave first, then a few minutes later, you two. It will look like standard procedure as we visit one of my companies and my 'pilots' restock the plane."

Fred and Brenda waited ten minutes after Wainwright and his wives left, then walked down the short stairs, returned them to their proper position, closed the door, found the key under the mat of the rental, got in and drove casually out the gate.

A few blocks away, they pulled into an alley. Fred jumped out and snapped the new license plate into place, then back in the car, he drove to the next street. Brenda had programmed in Angel's address as soon as they left the airfield. A little later, they were on Interstate 75 headed south, the cruise control locked in at the speed limit.

The limo pulled up to the plant gate. Wainwright lowered the screen between the passenger compartment and the driver and handed his ID to the driver just as the gate security officer leaned down. "Not necessary," he commented to the driver, "I recognize your passenger." Then to Wainwright, "Good morning, Sir. Haven't seen you in a while."

Wainwright didn't have to dig very deep in his memory. He remembered this man. "Charles, I thought we might give the manager a surprise visit. I would be pleased if you did not call ahead to tell anyone we're here."

"No problem, Sir. I understand. Just like last time."

"It's been a while, Charles. How's the family, and oh yes, how is Edmond doing?"

"They're fine. And Sir, Edmond's doing great with that full-ride scholarship. I don't know how to thank you."

"Where did he wind up?"

"Harvard, Sir. His grades were good, but he would never have gotten in there if not for your scholarship."

"And your wife and daughter?"

"Sybil is in the eleventh grade, and my wife is still working at Wal-Mart."

"Good. We'll stop by for a chat when we leave."

"I'll be looking forward to it, Sir."

The guard stepped back and activated the bar so it rose up out of the way.

As the vehicle moved forward, Tina looked at her new husband. "You're sending his son to college?"

Frank let out a chuckle. "Wainwright, Inc. provides scholarships for many deserving young people. Edmond is just one of them."

"But you remembered his name, and you remembered the guard's name?"

"Yeah. So? Edmond might will make an excellent employee one of these days. So, yes, I remembered his name as well as that of all the students we provide scholarships for. As long as they keep their noses clean and their grades up, Wainwright, Inc. will bankroll them. It's just good business."

"I love you, Husband," Tina said as she smiled at Frank. "I guess I'm still getting used to that fabulous memory of yours."

Margaret smiled at their new wife. "There's a lot about Frank that you don't know yet. There's a story from almost every company he owns."