Chapter 166

At 5:30 we bid goodbye to Courtney and her group. We would meet up with them in four hours, we estimated. Our first meeting was at 10:30 with the board then a joint meeting at 1 with both the board and the outgoing security company. Courtney and Mark were going to sit in on the first meeting if they arrived in time. Unless they had trouble they had an hour to spare.

In between meetings Jason was going to lead Courtney to the hunting cabin where she was going to stay and give her a quick course on how everything operated and where things were situated.

At 7:30 we boarded the plane for the flight to Frost Borough. The flight was uneventful until it was almost over; there was a little more than the normal turbulence. The seating had been arranged in business format so we could work. Jenny was beside me in the aisle seat. Marcy and Jason were seated across from us. Jenny suddenly got very quiet then she grabbed a barf bag and reclined her seat a little. She had never before been sick on any of the flights we had been on together.

Jason searched his pocket and offered Jenny a pack of antacids, saying "I never fly without a pack." Whatever upset her stomach passed quickly but she slipped the pack into her pocket. I watcher her closely as we continued with business.

Jason said, "I called my golfing buddy that handled the county for both Wal-Mart and Lowes when they tried to come into the county. He is still representing their interest on the Maryland part of the shore.

He was very positive that one of them may be interested. He has a meeting with both of their management teams this week. It seems that several of their leases at other sites are under renegotiation. I took the liberty of sending him a copy of the building and lot plans yesterday. They are paying leases in the area we were talking about."

I looked into my contact list and selected the group for all the security new hires. Then I sent them all a text that we would be in the area today and available to meet with anyone needing any more information or had questions for us. I also sent them my meeting schedule for today.

We picked up one of our rental cars at the Frost Borough airport after spending a few minutes with the employees there. This was the first time they had met Jason as VP of Human Resources.

We rode around the college campus to fill in the time before our meeting, while we were waiting on Courtney and Mark to arrive. It was the first time that I had been to every part of it in the daylight. Of course I had looked at it very closely with Google Earth.

In our rounds we found a building that had a sign marked as security. The door was unlocked so we went in. The place stunk to high heaven. There was fresh urine and piles of feces in several places.

I expected it to be a mess, but not like that! If this was the place we were going to be I was going to have it cleaned and sanitized by a commercial company. I took several pictures with my camera and sent them to my email account.

I would bring this problem up in the first meeting with the board. They were going to get the bill for the cleanup. They could withhold the cost from the final payment to the current company if they wanted. If I had to I would have an office trailer brought in until this place was acceptable.

Courtney and her group would not move in until it was spotless and odor free. I had been forced to spend nights in Afghan buildings that had been left that way. You do not get used to it no matter how long you stay in them. That odor gets in your hair and clothes and will slowly nauseate you.

The building was of a nice size with several offices, a break room, a meeting room and a room that was obviously used as a cell. The bathroom fixtures were destroyed. There was a counter in the room that was for public access. It had been trashed with a sledge hammer and all of the cables to security cameras and communications cables had been cut off flush with the wall with cutters and the pieces left on the floor.

I took more pictures. If this were the building then Mr. Skaggs and the board were going to come over here to see the condition before the second meeting. Someone had a lot of work to do before Courtney could start operations next Monday.

Courtney sent me a text that they would be coming through the entrance in 10 minutes or less. I replied that I would meet them at the entrance.

I showed them where to park the Suburban and the trailer. There were several drive-through parking spots large enough for a trailer. As they were disembarking the vehicle I noticed right away there had been a change of clothes with Sly and Becky. When they left the house they had been in jeans. Now they were in matching pant suits and low heels like a lot of the other girls in the office wore. There had been makeup and some work done on their hair.