Chapter 3: The Compound

With the last of those companies on Grandfather’s list inspected, all that remained was the last item on the list. It was in the form of a real-estate holding and was simply named ‘The Compound,’ the details of which were vague. I was to fly out to it as soon as possible.

I thought to myself, “Aw, Grandfather? What am I getting into?” It looked like I was going to have to play the game, after all, what with my grandfather having been murdered, and selecting me as his successor. How was that going to be received when the rest of the family realized the truth?

Grandfather had given me as much time as he could. He had been grooming me for years, and I hadn’t even realized it. He didn’t so much tell me what I would have to do, but how to think on my feet. Testing me in ways, I hadn’t suspected. I would have to be the same way when it came to my turn to select my replacement.

I recalled the many talks, long and often, on our visions of what we wanted the world to become, and strategies for making it so. With that we also talked of the visions of the other Families and how they conflicted with our own, I would have to play against them, and there would be little room for error. It wasn’t as if I was walking into it blind. I just hadn’t thought I would be the one, or that it would happen this way, or this soon. I had, had my own plan, and I felt like I was very close. I be a fool if I thought it was a sure thing, but I knew with certainty I was on the right path. But it certainly didn’t include becoming the next Family Head.

But now there was this complication. Grandfather was now dead. I had learned that he’d been murdered. I was certain Grandfather hadn’t planned for me having to take this job so soon. I don’t believe it was because he didn’t think I was ready, I think he wanted me to complete my work first, or at least have it so that it would no longer be taking up my full time. Grandfather had high hopes for my research. He said it would be the thing that would tie it all together. Was that why he gave me such a free hand when my own father would have had me take up a position in the firm, the part of the Family business he was head of, and that I was so opposed to?

The trip back to the airport was uneventful with no apparent evasive maneuvers. We returned to the same busy airport, and we were taken straight to a plane. I was somewhat surprised it wasn’t the same one.

The pilot introduced herself as Captain Jane, stating she had been fully checked out on this aircraft saying it would be a pleasure to fly me and my party on its maiden flight, carrying passengers. It was fresh off the assembly line and customized to my grandfather’s specifications. Did I mention we were obscenely wealthy?

I wasn’t particularly surprised to find Nick waiting at the foot of the plane’s stairs along with the Captain. Taking him aside I asked about the other plane. He just said it was done to keep people from tracking a planes movement and guessing at who might be aboard, and where they were headed. Well, he oversaw my security, so I decided I didn’t need to question it further. I would fondly miss, Captain Pam Am.

Nicky and Wind Song had proceeded me aboard. While I was doing that, it couldn’t have been that long, and I don’t know how they did it, but they had changed clothing, and they were now dressed much the same as when I first saw them, the business suits gone.

They spoke together, “Welcome aboard, Master.” Then, as before, they approached to remove my shoes replacing them with slippers. Nick just nodded, his face expressionless. I was beginning to think he never changed that expression.

Nick informed me that my grandfather had discussed my security arrangement with him, and for that reason, it was determined I wouldn’t be returning to either of my homes anytime soon. There was that word again ‘determined,’ I was beginning to wonder when I would be allowed to determine anything for myself. Was I being childish about this?

Then he added that my possessions had already been packed, and shipped and would be arriving at the Compound shortly. I was about to object, as they were my homes and properties, and I should have been consulted beforehand, but didn’t, as this was all being done for my security. They had gotten to my Grandfather, and until my grandfather’s murderer was found and dealt with, I would just have to buck it up and live with it. There would be a lot of details involved in keeping me safe, more than I’d thought. I was glad I had this man taking care of them. Clearly, I wasn’t up to it, yet. I was reminded of an old saying of my grandfather’s, which I was sure he had never had to do himself, it went something like this, “It is easier to obtain forgiveness than it is to get permission.” I supposed that was truly the case, as I probably would have said no, and then wondered when I would ever have access to my things again.

I thought to myself, “The Compound?” That was beginning to sound a lot like a permanent, and secure residence, not something that was to be merely to be inspected.

I then looked at the girls that were to accompany me to the Compound. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad, after all!

I looked at the girls again, as I did they shyly cover their mouths, and giggled behind their hands, their eyes sparkling with mischief. “Well, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad,” I thought, “after all there were worse things in life.”

Nick then advised me the plane would be untraceable back to my grandfather or me, as it was held in trust by a bank that specialized in such things, and they made it a point NOT to know who was on what, or where a plane might be going. The many users liked it that way. I couldn’t say I blamed them. While the family might own them, their being held in trust as they were provided another layer of confidentiality for the family.

While waiting for clearance to depart, Nick informed me that he had overseen my grandfather’s security force for several years, and with my approval, he would like to continue. I had read the same information that was on him from the back of his photo and dossier. I didn’t think it would be appropriate to just rubber stamp my approval without asking a few pointed questions of my own. Granted I had no way of verifying anything he said, but this was a case where my grandfather’s teachings and reliance on my instincts came into play.

Something warned me I was about to put my foot in my mouth, but I had to ask it anyway. “You didn’t do so well by my grandfather; can I trust you to do better by me?”

If he was upset by the question, he covered it well, his face remained expressionless as he told me of his regret, it had been his responsibility, and he held himself personally at fault for not being able to keep my grandfather alive. He could not blame me if I chose to sack him.

Then I asked him how was it, that while under his supervision, my grandfather still died under his watch.

He again took full responsibility, not trying to shift the blame on subordinates. It was his responsibility and his alone.

Ok, then how was it that they were able to do it?

Thus, he began his report. They had found the agent that had done the deed, and he had been identified but had killed himself before he could be questioned, just who had vouched for him and hired him had been purged from all records, pointing to someone on the inside who was still at large. DNA testing showed the agent had never been a member of the family. There were even indications that his DNA may have been altered, and that it would have killed him in the end, in any case. Which of the other families he may have been form was clouded by the results ... that is if he had belonged to any of them.

As to how it was done, the agent culprit had been charged with the safeguarding of my grandfather’s medications. At his age, such medicines were a normal part of aging. They were screened randomly, and frequently. How they made it past the screening process was still under review, but preliminary results were that it was a combination of compounds that had been added to the different medications, that had never been known to be toxic.

An ongoing and intensive investigation was being made. But it was felt the inside man or perpetrators had already slipped away or had been killed to be silenced.

Adam’s voice in my head confirmed all he had said, and then Grandfather’s voice came next to assure me that Nick had done everything in his power, the poisoner had just fooled everyone, and there was nothing that Nick or the whole of his security force could have done to prevent that. That was why it had been so important that I made it to the first medical group as quickly as I could. It had been Adam’s in-depth and unique methods; technology, that had determined the means, and they had been independently confirmed.

Adam went on that he had not been online long enough to have made the testing a part of his functions. Further analysis indicated that there would have been little or no chance of a reversal even if he had been. Earlier discovery would only have prolonged his life for a few years at best. I was mad as hell when I heard that; I would have taken those few years over his early death any day.

With that, I asked how the investigation was going to find the killers, for I knew that this couldn’t be the work of one mind.

Nick answered first, thinking I had addressed my question to him. “Most of our leads have not panned out, and the physical evidence has not produced any useful leads.” Nick sounded most aggrieved with his report. The death of my grandfather on his watch weighed heavily on him. While his face remained expressionless, I could sense he wanted to run down every lead personally, just in case any of his people had missed anything.

Adam’s voice came next; “Nick, it was your people who spotted the men following Jim,”

Nick said, “Yes, and then they lost them!” His anger apparent in his voice.

Adam’s replied, “Yes your men lost them, but I didn’t.” Adam explained, “While they were physically able to elude your personnel, they maintained contact with their control electronically, which I was able to intercept. Had your men not been able to plant the device when they did, I would have lost them as well.” With that news, Nick’s face remained expressionless. Adam went on, “Their use of non-family frequencies and codes had allowed me to track them, whereas if your men had been able to follow, they could have been spotted, and as a result, they may have changed frequencies and codes, and I may have lost any chance of reacquiring them. As it is, I have now narrowed the possibilities another 27%, with a complete probability of success at 95%. Only a complete and random change of their procedures can change this probability. That has been calculated at 13%. I am widening my search parameters accordingly.”

Nick only had one question, “How?”

Indeed, I had the same one.

Adam went on, “Your computer systems were state of the art, before, but are not any longer, with my coming online. For reasons I cannot adequately explain, I do things differently. My creator has blocked me from disclosing that. Please excuse my inability to explain further.”

Did I hear this correctly, was it asking for forgiveness? I looked over at Nick’s stone face expression, I couldn’t tell if he was in the same confused state I was in. Machines didn’t ask for forgiveness, they simply didn’t respond if they had no information, or say access denied. They didn’t say they were sorry for not giving it, or volunteering why and who had placed the block. That was an emotional response. It was as if Adam wanted to tell us more, but was prevented from doing so. I asked myself, how could that be? Well, computers were not my specialty. However, I was going to have to look into this. A computer was a machine, and they simply didn’t have emotions or feeling.

I would have to make a point of speaking to Adam’s creator the next time I saw him. Which brought up the problem of how to do just that. All the businesses would have to be moved, with the key people, and as much of the supporting personnel as would willingly make the move. Just where that would be, I would have to determine. I was sure one of the families many real-estate holdings would prove sufficient.

I reassured Nick that I had every confidence in him, as my grandfather had. I allowed that had I been planning it, I wouldn’t have used an agent at all, and would have found a way to slip the altered medicines in another way. He had done well to find the inside guy, if not his control. If whoever wanted my grandfather dead, and then me; it might have already happened without his intervention. I allowed that my life was already in his hands, and it would continue to be so from now on.

I had to start somewhere. To rebuild a security team from the ground up when I already knew that the old one had been compromised would be digging my own grave. Then again, there was my grandfather’s recommendation, that even though Nick had failed him, Grandfather still felt he was the best there was. It was all anyone could hope for.

Adam’s voice came to me again, “If you so desire, I can start vetting a new security chief.”

I said, “No...” It was more to myself that I said it, it wouldn’t do to have the man start thinking I was talking to myself and mad as the ‘Mad Hatter.’ I couldn’t be sure just what he thought of me, with his expressionless face and with all the missteps I had already made before him. Then maybe it wouldn’t have mattered any if I was indeed the ‘Mad Hatter’, for he would do his best to keep me alive. It had been my grandfather’s last wish of him.

It was then that I realize that this had really been a part of my life all along. My safety and well-being had been a part of my care even if my own parents hadn’t shown or displayed the sort of love and affection most children received from their parents. Yes, I had been watched over and protected most likely from the moment of conception. I mean as a child I had been protected, it just had never been quite so open, it had been low keyed, to promote a sense of wellbeing, while not making a child neurotic.

I had left that security and comfort of that home guilelessly when I went out into the world to study at the university. I had never seen the security blanket my grandfather had used to cover me. It had been there, never the less. It just had never dawned on me that anyone would even wish to harm me, let alone want me dead. Grandfather’s murder was a wakeup call I would not soon forget!

Captain Jane’s voice came over the loudspeaker, “We have received clearance for departure, please secure yourselves for takeoff. I will be turning off the seat belt, and no smoking signs when we have reached cruising altitude. Please enjoy the free in-flight meal and movie.”

Nick informed me, with his expressionless face, “We will not be in the air quite that long, I believe that was a little pilot–to-passenger humor.” He said this as if I hadn’t gotten the joke. Chuckling to myself, I was beginning to think he was quite humorless himself.

As the plane climbed and reached altitude, and droned on, I found I had a lot to think about.

I was certainly not happy with Grandfather putting my father in the crosshairs as he had, but I thought much the same as Grandfather. Granted, he had warned father. However, my father was, for want of a better term, not the sharpest tool in the shed. I may not have loved the man, but he was still my father, and I didn’t want him dead.

However, he was the most likely target even if he hadn’t been given sole control of the contents of Grandfather’s ‘Will,’ No one would have believed that he hadn’t been put in charge. He was after all Grandfather’s son, and most still believe in family dynasties, while I was much too young to be considered a viable alternate.

Everyone knew I had left the opportunity to join my father’s business to study in a completely different field that had nothing to do with business. They didn’t think much of it, after all, anyone could be hired to do what I was doing. They just didn’t know, nor even care, what it was. All in all, I was still in school, and most knew I was not a business major. So, I wasn’t considered important, or a risk, but I just might be, if anything happened to my father.

The things you think about, when the people you believe you didn’t care about, are in danger.

I, like so many children born of the ultra-wealthy, was raised by a nanny and a staff. I didn’t really interact with my parents unless they wanted to parade me out to their friends. This was surprisingly often when I was still a baby. But far less as I grew up and became more of an uncertainty. I was as likely to embarrass my mother than not. Then there was my rebellious period when they nearly disowned me, and that was when Grandfather stepped in and became the parent they were not.

Father ... Well, when he got around to the father to son talk ... which was not about the birds and the bees, but about business, and how cutthroat it could be if you were careless ... he went into detail about the family secrets, and about staying ahead. When he was done, I felt at a loss, as there had been no affection shared between us with that talk. I couldn’t understand it. I believe it was at that point I wanted to leave it all, not seeing any point in it. I was at the time still quite young, mature in some respects, but still very much a child. We were already so wealthy I couldn’t see much point in simply gathering more. There had to be some greater point to life, yet he didn’t seem to have a design as to why he might need more. It was as if the accumulation of wealth was an end, in and of itself.

Mother ... What could I say? She was my mother, but there were many of times when I felt she had forgotten she had a child. When she saw me, it was to fuss over how I was dressed and stressed at how important it was not to embarrass her before the company she would be displaying me in front of. This continued even after I had left for University. I don’t believe she ever praised me for not embarrassing her, so I didn’t have much incentive not to. Her idea of her role in life was that her husband went out, and made a great deal of money, and it was her role to spend as much of it as she could. Well, that was how it seemed to me when I was a child, and that opinion didn’t change much as I grew older.

My various nannies raised me with the affection that my parents hadn’t been able to give, but you couldn’t call it love. It was just a bit too distant. The few times my mother saw me interacting with my nannies in a fraternizing manner, she would take me aside and very sternly tell me that the nanny was a servant, not my friend and that I shouldn’t be treating one of them as an equal. After all, she would remind me, I was of the ‘Family Wolfenstein’ first among the thirteen. I had a duty to maintain my position above the ‘throng’ as she would call anyone beneath herself, and being married to my father, and he the son of the Family head of Wolfenstein,’ that just about included everybody. After those talks, I would end up with a new nanny the next day. That would happen with any of the staff to whom I was seen to be overly friendly.

It was, I was to learn, how she dealt with problems, I would always see new faces amongst the staff. I often wondered if she wished she could have dealt with me the same way. For my part, I wished she could have.

I soon learned not to get too friendly with any of them if I happened to like them. Nobody seemed to last too long in any case. I don’t think she noticed or cared. My grandfather was the opposite. I don’t recall ever seeing a new face among his staff.

When had I first seen Grandfather? It just seemed, from the beginning, that his face had always been there from the cradle he was there, just behind my parents, and even when they were not, he was. Every time he was there, I was happy, truly happy feeling warm and secure. More so than I ever was in my mother’s cold arms.

He never had a problem with me getting along with his staff. He had noticed once how I was standoffish as if I was afraid of them. I explained how mother had told me to never become friendly with servants. He was quick to nod with understanding. Then he called in his whole staff, and introduce me to all of them, of course, I remembered all their name, it was one of my gifts. He prompted them to say what they did, and how long each had been with him.

It was so much different than at home ... how I now dreaded it. This staff was not afraid to be friendly toward a little boy at Grandfather’s, and I got to be the little boy I hadn’t been allowed to be... ‘at home.’ If you could call it that.

I was allowed to have fun. I even got to play pranks on some of them, and sometimes they would prank me as well. I may have overdone it at times, for occasionally, Grandfather would take me aside and remind me that these were people with dignity as well, not toys to be played with. When all was said and done, they were his staff, and they represented him, and if I did anything that hurt them I was disrespecting him, as well.

Fortunately, his staff had a much broader definition of what didn’t cause harm, and would often let me get away with murder, well not literally, but I was a kid, and I ... well, let’s not go any further there.

As I grew, he became more and more a fixture in my life, and more and more loved by me. Always praising my accomplishments, and explaining where I had gone wrong with my infrequent failures. Never scolding me for them, as would have happened to me if mother ever heard of them. I strove to be the best for my Grandfather, then I strove to be the best for myself, as I saw that made him even happier. It made me feel good as well. Everything seemed easier with his support and approval.

With him, I was doing things nobody else would let me do: rock climbing, even tree climbing, then there was horseback riding, boating, he even took me flying and let me fly the plane. While I was exploring my new-found freedom, and gaining greater confidence, my father and mother more or less forgot about me.

My accomplishments were lost on them if I wasn’t wheeling and dealing, and making tons of money on my own. It seemed if anything, they feared for my future, not entering their world so to speak, worrying how I would support myself, not that there was any way I could ever go through all their money or my own.

The only exception to this is when they heard I had nearly ruined my classmates in a business exercise. It was supposed to be a test to see who did the best at creating a profitable business. I may have said this earlier, but most seemed to think there were no rules, and a few formed teams against me, seeing how I was in the first family.

They played dirty and blindsided me, but I wasn’t down for long, I bided my time to work on my strategy. With my classmates thinking they had knocked me out of the competition early. Knowing I didn’t really like to play the game, my classmates then concentrated on battling each other. It really wasn’t all that hard, but I wanted my so-called peers too know I was no fool to be trifle with. When, with just a few days left to turn in our work, to show our progress, I sprung my traps. I caught them all short, turning their gains into losses, with me picking up all the pieces they had lost. With it being so near the end of term they had no time to recover, they all ended up failing the exercise, much to the shame of their families. I wasn’t going to take excrement from anybody. My good nature did have its limits.

While my parents couldn’t have been prouder, my grandfather took me aside and said I hadn’t made any friends doing it, and possibly made some powerful if not deadly enemies. I saw the wisdom of his warning. While I could be as ruthless in the game as any of them, I didn’t like it, it might not be best to be overly so. I offered to give the money back, but again Grandfather said that would be just rubbing salt in the wound, and would not be appreciated. I had proven my point and won their respect, even if also their animosity.

Grandfather took over my parent’s role, and for that I was happy. It was later when he started taking me on our long drives that we started talking about life, and visions for the future. Some of our thoughts would border on fantasy and science fiction; but he assured me that just because it wasn’t a reality now, didn’t mean that someday it might not be. He told me that someday he would reveal perhaps the oldest family secret, something that kept him always looking ahead. There was both sadness and hope when he spoke of it. Sadly, he died before doing so, and I had no idea if he had spoken of it with my father, which I suspected he had not. It was a loss not just to me but for the family, what could it have been, that had made him feel so. Would I ever find out?

Then I told him about my talk with father. He sighed, saying more to himself just how could he have failed his son that way.

When I explained how I failed to understand the concept of my father’s fixation on the collection of wealth, just for the sake of gathering more. I said it just didn’t make sense to me. I felt we already had more than we could ever use, in many lifetimes. Added to the fact, that father didn’t seem to know what to do with it, he had not shared a vision for the future for it, other than to let mother spend it. Father would stress in that talk, it was about power! When I asked the power to do what, my father just looked at me blankly, then said the power to do anything. I wondered just how much of that power he exercised, and to what purpose.

Grandfather explained ‘wealth’ was nothing more than a tool to be used, the more ‘wealth, ‘the greater use could be found for it; it was simply a means to an end. A nickel could buy a candy bar ... I looked confused, I stopped Grandfather, I thought this was something I knew about, and explained, Grandfather nobody can buy a candy bar for a nickel. Then I asked, were they ever that price?

He looked back at me, clearing his throat ... well, for whatever they cost now, but with more, you could buy an ice cream cone. I think Grandfather looked at me and knew he had lost me again. So, he started over. Ok as an example, he said I might want a car of my own someday. Now he had my attention, I wanted a car just like this one. Hey! I was a kid at the time ... give me a break.

He had gone on, saying that with wealth you could buy something like this car we were riding in, with greater wealth, roads could be built to drive it on. With still greater wealth cities and places for those roads to lead you to. It was a concept I grasped immediately, I started adding to it, cities, countries, nations, Disneyland.

Pleased with what I had added, he went on, “Wealth is the tool that gets things done. You couldn’t get a car without the means to do so: ‘wealth’. The road we were driving on needed ‘wealth’ to build it. It didn’t have potholes (Potholes?) because ‘wealth’ was consumed to keep it in good repair. ‘wealth’ had been used to build Disneyland. The key to gathering that wealth was an education, oddly enough you couldn’t get an education without ‘wealth,’ as well and the finer the education, the more ‘wealth’ it would consume.

“Thus, wealth needs to be replaced, grown if you will, or you soon run out of it, and could no longer do the things you want to do, nor get the things you dreamed about accomplished, nor do those things that just needed to get done. The world would grind to a halt without it.

“When you have dreams, it will consume vast amounts of wealth to accomplish them, the greater the dream, the more it will take. Wealth is an essential ingredient to civilization’s advancement. The other is the vision of men making those advancements. I saw that in you, at a very young age when I observed how you overcame obstacles. Then there’s knowledge. Without knowledge, you couldn’t do any of the others. Lastly, wisdom to apply it all. Without the four we would most likely still be living in caves. Unfortunately, not every leader has all four, I am placing my faith in you, that you do.

“There were times when you thought there were things you wanted or needed, and your nanny was the only thing blocking you from having your way. You went after her in a number of ways. First, there were the tantrums and crying, then you thought to fool or trick her. When that proved ineffective, you tried sweet talking and even bribes.

“There was a time I thought I would have to replace her when her duties started suffering, and I almost did before I realized it was you’re doing, as a way to removing her as an obstacle to fulfilling your own desires. We had a long talk after that episode if you recall. Having a woman sacked for your own selfish gains? It was the closest I came to changing my mind about you as a possible heir. Then realized you were exploring and testing your options. It didn’t excuse your actions, but knowing you had learned a valuable lesson helped.

“I think that is when you changed your tactics, and converted her into an ally, instead of an adversary, you started working with her, and seeing both sides. When she was able to demonstrate that what you wanted, was not in your best interests, you saw it made sense. Surprisingly enough she didn’t have to do it that often. Then there were times you were able to convince her that they were. I don’t know who was more surprised, you or her. She proved most helpful at setting your head on straight towards worthwhile goals, and not frivolous ones. When you outgrew her, I made sure she was well taken care of.