The Morrisons Ch. 24

Mike turned his head and said, "On the way back, we can leave the side doors open so you can see what we're flying over much better. I didn't want to scare any of you on your first time up, that's why I closed them."

I looked at Kim and then at Beth and both of them had a certain amount of concern showing in their faces. I smiled and asked each one, "Are you alright?" Both of them nodded their head but neither of them was smiling. Both Beth and Kim maintained such a tight squeeze on my hands that when I looked at my fingers I noticed they were turning white. I tried to look out the window but my view was limited. Kim and Beth, I noticed, had their eyes closed.

I looked around and saw Marion had a tight grip on Ted's hand and she had her eyes squeezed tightly shut also.

The helicopter turned to a direction that I knew would take us towards my home. The flight was smooth, and we had a chance to see the countryside from a new and exciting view. As I relaxed more I noticed that Beth and Kim were also relaxing. My hands started to get the circulation back and returned to a more normal color.

The pilot slowed down and swooped quite low over our house. Tony was in the yard, and waved at us. I didn't know if he knew who we were, but we were close enough he just gave us a friendly wave.

Next the pilot took a gentle left turn and went over the ranch across the street. Mike turned around again and told us we would see more of that later. My curiosity was piqued, as the helicopter made a gentle turn to the right and flew up the road a few miles. The pilot slowed and brought the helicopter to a stop above a place I now recognized as what I thought was a sleazy biker bar.

As the helicopter intentionally lost altitude, I could see that the parking lot had a couple dozen motorcycles in the front of the building, and mostly pickup trucks in the parking spaces. There were a few SUVs and even fewer cars. Every vehicle I saw looked like it was either new or at least well maintained.

The helipad where we landed had three other helicopters sitting on it. One of them looked like what I'd seen in the war movies and I think they call them a Huey. One was obviously a gunship. That thing looked fearsome, just sitting on the ground. The last one was similar to the Huey, but it was painted with a shiny blue and gold paint scheme. It looked like a twin to the helicopter we were riding in. There was a logo behind the back door with the words "Turner Security" under it. I'd seen that logo, and I'd heard of the Turner Security company.

The pilot spent a couple minutes going through a routine of turning switches and checking gauges as she shut down the engines. I had noticed that the pilot was a woman with long red hair, but that was all I could tell, because she was wearing a flight suit and a helmet.

When we had loaded up at my office, Mike had put on a headset with a boom microphone on it and I could see and hear brief portions of his conversations with the pilot. Her replies were muffled by her flight helmet.

We sat in the helicopter for a couple minutes. When the pilot finished her shutdown routine, Mike took off his headset, opened his door, and got out to open the back door on his side.

The pilot took off her helmet and shook out her long hair. We didn't get a good look at her till she got out and opened the other side door. I was immediately struck by her beauty. She was as pretty as Terri and looked a little like Martina McBride with red hair. If you put her and Terri together with a good fashion photographer, you could do a photo layout for any glamour magazine, or maybe a Sports Illustrated swimming suit edition

Beth turned and looked at me, and Kim squeezed my hand as she looked at the gorgeous pilot. She couldn't help herself as she turned towards Mike and blurted out, "Oh My God Mike! Your pilot is beautiful!"

Both Mike and the pilot laughed and the pilot said, "Why thank you ma'am. That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Now Joanna joined Mike and the pilot's laughter. She looked at us and said, "What's the matter? Didn't you think a helicopter pilot could hear and speak? Or are you just surprised that she looks like a woman? Pilots don't have to be ugly old men, you know?

Ted was first to gather his composure. "Judy?" he said with more than a little surprise in his voice. "Is that you with a different mask? I know you told us you could be someone different each time we saw you, but My God, you sure put on a change of scenery today."

Kim had recovered enough to talk by now. "I'd recognize that voice anywhere, but that's a great disguise, girl. Can I get your mask maker to work one of those up for me?"

Judy laughed. "Kim, I can ask Jesse to make you a disguise, but this one is reserved. My fiancé told me this one is his favorite, and I don't want him to have to make a choice between you and me."

Mike interrupted the conversation. "I hate to put a wet blanket on your conspiracy, but would y'all like to get out of the helicopter and follow me into the restaurant?"

"Oh yeah," Kim responded. "That might be a good idea"

Mike and Judy gave each of us a hand as we stepped out of the helicopter. Mike led the way over to a set of double doors. They were mammoth slabs of solid wood, and the finish was beautiful.

Mike saw me do an extended look at the doors. "If you like those doors, Dan, wait till you see the bar."

Again my curiosity was aroused. "What is so special about the bar?" I asked.

"Just walk in and feast your eyes." Mike replied. He stood and held the door for all of us to enter.

I stopped at the doors and stepped aside for the ladies and Ted to walk in first. I followed them and Mike followed me as he let the big door close behind us.

I walked in and straight over to the bar. "Holy shit Mike, now I get it." I put my hand on top of the shiny wooden top. It was a forty foot long piece of wood six inches thick, and I could see a return about eight feet long on the far end.

A tall pretty woman walked briskly over to speak to Mike. "Your conference room is ready for you Marsh." She greeted him.

Mike put his hand on her shoulder. "Ginny," he said. "I'd like you to meet my neighbors, from across the street from the ranch. This is Dan Morrison, his wife Kim and his executive secretary Beth. Over there is his friend Sargent Ted Johnson and Ted's wife Marion. Last but not least, hopefully one of our new employees, Joanna Doyle. They all get the family treatment if and when they come back. Ted and Joanna are currently employed by the group that has been persona non grata around here; however they are welcome here any time."

"I'm glad to meet all of you," Ginny said. "I'm Virginia Hastings, but I prefer Ginny. I hope you have an enjoyable lunch." She turned and led the way across the room and turned down the hallway to the right, stopping at an open door, and ushering us into a nicely set conference table inside.

Mike and Ginny had a short hushed conversation. Finally she spoke out loud, "Whenever you're ready, boss man."

Ginny stepped out of the room and Mike came over to the table. He chose to stand behind the chair at the end of the table. Judy had chosen to sit at the end of the side of the table to Mike's right. Joanna sat beside her. Ted and Marion sat next to Joanna. Kim, Beth and I sat on the side to Mike's left.

Mike remained standing until all of us were seated. He took a deep breath and looked at Judy. "Do you think we're ready for this, sweetheart? He asked her.

"As ready as we're ever gonna be," she answered him.

Mike pulled out his chair and sat down.

"Dan, I need to clear up a couple of details. Last night was the first time any of you met me. I am new to this geographical area. I was imported from Southern California to take over a group of businesses known as the Turner Companies. I was completely ignorant of the situation you have been through, till last week. My current partner was the driving force behind what happened at the show you saw a few weeks ago, and he and his granddaughter have been in charge of the security detail that you have been learning about in the last couple of days."

"This morning during our run I told Joanna the things I'm about to share with you. I asked her to come to lunch with us to help the rest of you work with the new facts."

"You already know my real name is not Mike. My mother named me Marshall Edgar Mitchel. I go by Marsh. I saw the look on your face, Beth, when you heard Ginny call me Marsh when she met us at the door. Ginny doesn't know that I've ever been "Mike", and if y'all can make the switch, I'd like it if you start using my real name, - Marsh. Unlike my pilot, I was not using a disguise when you met me. This is the real me. What you've seen is who I am."

"The beautiful red-head to my right is not Judy. This is the love of my life. She has been the chief pilot for the Turner Companies, and has developed a reputation in the shady underworld of mercenaries. She has been nicknamed, The Flaming Red Widow Maker. Please meet my fiancé, and executive vice president of the Turner Companies, Rebecca Andrews. She usually goes by Becca, and between the two of us, I did more of the destruction to your kitchen than she did. The blood pools were mostly from the intruders, but Kim was correct last night. One of them managed to get a blade on me, so there was a little of mine there. I really appreciate Joanna and the rest of your crew cleaning up after us. Part of my team carried me from your pond to the mobile ER, out on the road where my partner started the patch job. And just to clarify Becca is not wearing a disguise this morning. She's the real deal and Kim if you want a disguise we'll make you one but I'm keeping the original. Well, I guess I'll share the original with my neighbors."

"The Turner Companies include a rather significant group of mercenaries, providing security services to companies and a few small countries around the world. Please understand that I had nothing to do with establishing any of these companies. I'm a simple emergency room doctor that got caught up in a unique new field of medicine, and ended up attracting the attention of the founder of the companies."

"Dr. Turner tricked me into driving here from Southern California, and used the sneakiest trick in the books to get me to stay. Becca is the identical twin sister of my late wife, who was killed by a drunk driver four years ago. I'm not going to bore you with the long story. Short story is that I live across the street from you now, and I'd like us to be friends. I'll take you on a tour of some of our locations after lunch."

"Mike...uh... Dr. Mitchel..." Marsh held up his finger and turned to a phone that was on a table behind him. He spoke to someone for a few seconds and then turned back to us.

"Let me tell you a little about The Hole. That's this restaurant. The Turner Company bought it several years ago after it burned down. It was rebuilt to serve the hundreds of employees that cycle through the area. Our employees spend time in a lot of different countries, and when they are here at our headquarters, and the local training facility, we like to make sure they are well fed."

"Chefs and cooks have been hired from around the world. Since we have transport planes coming and going from all over the world, on a daily basis, we also have foods brought in from all around the globe. Our chefs are trained to prepare any food you want, at any time of the day, 24/7/365. If you want Cheerios, you can have them. If you want steak and lobster you can have that. We get Maine lobster, Alaskan king crab, Rocky Mountain Rainbow trout, Pacific blue fin tuna, Wyoming Herford steak, or most anything else you can think of. And your meal will be prepared as you would like. If you would like Italian food, Oriental food, Greek, Mexican, and so on, two of the chefs will be in here in just a few minutes, and you can tell them what you would like. Whether it's a simple sandwich or a complex European dish, they will make it for you. You can even get a plain cheeseburger and fries, if you'd like. You call it."

Marsh had just finished telling us about the food, when a man and woman in white aprons walked into the room. The man began by introducing himself. "Good afternoon, I'm Jack Davis. I'm the head chef here at The Hole. This is Teresa Gonzalez. Her specialty is Mexican food but she can make almost any other dish you would like. We'd like to take your order and prepare your lunch."

Ted was the first person on his side of the table. "Marsh said you have rainbow trout?" He sounded a little tentative.

Teresa smiled, "Would you like that grilled or baked, sir?"

"Ah, how 'bout grilled." Ted replied.

"Spicy or plain rub?"

"I think I'll try the plain rub."

"Would you like tartar sauce, Hollandaise or just fresh lemon?"

Ted smiled. "Tartar sauce I think."

Teresa smiled back at Ted. And would you like a vegetable with that, I have some really good asparagus and baby red potatoes, or some great fresh peas and carrots, and corn on the cob?

"Oh my, you want me to make so many decisions. Let's try the asparagus and red potatoes." Ted responded.

"No problem sir. Would you like something to drink? I have a nice white Pinot Noir if you'd like to try it."

"That would be fine." Ted replied

Teresa went down the other side of the table taking orders from each member of our group, while Jack walked down our side. The fresh foods they offered and the drinks were amazing. I wondered how the food would turn out.

When Teresa got to Becca and Marsh, they both ordered in Spanish. I could tell from her smile that Teresa was very pleased with that. I had no idea what they had ordered, but I was pretty sure I'd see it when it came out.

I had decided to test them and ordered a steak and Maine lobster tail. Jack went through the sides and drinks and I felt like I was in a very high class restaurant.

While we waited for our food, Marsh and Becca answered a lot of questions. I was impressed at how open and freely they answered us.

Beth's phone rang while we were sitting at the table. She got up and left the room to take the call, and our conversation around the table continued.

When Beth returned, I could see a genuine look of consternation on her face. Marsh saw it as well. Beth turned to me and tried to speak softly. "That was the resort in Hawaii, Dan. They just had a fire and the bungalows we were going to stay in have been destroyed. What do you want me to do?

Becca perked up. "Excuse me, she spoke up. Did you say you just got bumped from a reservation in Hawaii?"

Beth sounded despondent. "Yes. We were supposed to leave tonight and spend the weekend on the North Shore of Oahu. I don't think I can find a place that quickly at this point. I mean I know it's not their fault, a fire is not something you can preschedule, but we had six bungalows reserved for twenty some people."

Becca had a huge smile on her face and I wondered what she was so happy about. She quickly ended my curiosity.

"As it happens, Beth, You came to exactly the right place. Marsh just happens to have just acquired a resort on the North Shore. He signed the paperwork yesterday. His partner bought it a few years ago to provide R & R for some of his employees. There are almost always some openings. Let me make a quick call."

Beth's face was a mixture of deep concern and shocked disbelief.

Becca pulled her cell phone out of a pocket in her flight suit. After a short conversation with whoever it was who answered the phone on the other end, Becca covered her phone and asked, Beth, would eight bungalows that sleep four to six in each be enough? They're kinda off the beaten path, and the beach is kinda private, and you won't get to see throngs of almost naked women, unless you bring your own."

"Oh God, Are you serious? That would be awesome. We were going to be in six, four person cabins. It was supposed to be on a private beach also. How much will it cost us?" Beth was in shock, and quite frankly I was more than a little surprised myself. These people were something else.

Becca pulled her phone up to her ear again, and spoke to the person again. I heard her say, "That would be great Leyanni. I'll give Beth your number and she can call you back in a little bit. Thanks girl, I owe ya one."

Becca pushed the end button on her cell phone and turned back to Beth. "Done deal. You're in the coconut grove, by the beach. There's a couple of surfing instructors and a couple of dive boats, with guides available to you during your stay. There are also a couple of conference rooms if you were going there for business. The main lodge has a cafeteria where you can eat, or there's a restaurant there almost the same as this place."

"You can give Leyanni a call after lunch, and tell her how many there are in your group, and what time your flight gets in, and she'll have helicopters at the airport to pick y'all up and take you to the resort. Will that cover it for you?"

"Oh yeah, I should warn you." Becca added. Leyanni hates to wear clothes, so she has a couple of BIG guys that hang out around her, to discourage the Mercs from messing with her. I doubt she really needs the guys, 'cause she's a little package of hell on wheels. I think it's on account of her brother doesn't trust that she can defend herself."

Beth's mouth hung open, and suddenly I realized mine was just like it.

Jack and Teresa broke the screaming silence in the room, as they pushed a couple of food carts in and began to serve our lunch. Everything looked and smelled fantastic. The lunch plates were placed in front of each of us, and while Teresa put the last three plates down, Jack poured the wines. Like at any fine restaurant, Jack asked each of the wine drinkers to smell the cork and he poured a very small portion for each to taste before he filled each glass. Each wine selection was a perfect match for the meal it was served with. This was a high class restaurant.

Jack and Teresa took the food carts out of the room, and Jack came back in a few minutes and asked if everything was alright. Did anyone want anything more or different? My food was cooked to perfection, and it looked like that was the case around the table.

Ted's face looked like he was close to ecstasy. I don't think I've ever seen someone look that pleased with their food.

"Dan, I hope your food is close to as good as this trout. This is the best fish I've ever tasted. The vegetables are cooked just right, and this white Pinot Noir sets it off perfectly. Marsh, I'm impressed." Ted was genuinely appreciative.

Marsh smiled as he finished the bite of food he had just put in his mouth. He finished chewing and replied, "Ted I can't take any of the credit for this. Yesterday was the first time I've been here, and I certainly share your assessment. Somebody did a great job hiring the cook staff, and the fresh food selection is fantastic."

"I'm going to be proud to share this establishment with my friends, but I'm pretty sure it's Dr. Turner's doing."

I looked at Marsh. "Marsh, can anybody show up here and buy a meal, or is it invitation only? I can see myself bringing my family and friends out here frequently if it's open to the public."

"Hmmm," Marsh mused. "That's a good question, Dan. I've heard that the city police are generally not welcome. Present company excluded of course. This section of the county road isn't well traveled, as I understand it. I also have it on reliable information that the new owner is a friend of yours, so I suspect you and your family are on the preferred guest list. If you're not, I know you soon will be."

"And is there a menu, or a price list?" Kim asked.