"I am with you there Ramos. Since I have been working with Kip in business, I find myself with all the money I need and my pension goes to support a single mom’s home."
"Ah, I take it that you also visit the home and discourage any abusive guys that want to continue to prey on the moms or their kids."
"Well, let’s say that I have had to have a couple of conversations that led to a better understanding of how a fellow should treat a current wife, ex wife or girlfriend and her kids, you know, to foster a healthier relationship."
"And this single mom’s house wouldn’t happen to be the one at 27th Street and Green Street, would it?"
Danny almost choked on his drink. "Guilty Ramos, how did you figure that out."
Ramos smiled and refilled his coffee cup before answering. "Information in the neighborhood flows by my door each day like my own little stream. It is actually more reliable than the news media. It seems that the two free clinics near that single mom’s house have treated dudes that recently visited the house. More than a few of the men they patched up received treatment for exactly the same issues that the women who those guys abused suffered. If the woman had a broken jaw, a black eye, and a bruised rib cage so did the man. Of course, the guys had one noticeable exception. Each suffered from a broken little toe on the left foot. Care to comment?"
"I figured that if they all limped for a couple of weeks on the left foot, the word would get out in the neighborhood fast. A guy could go macho and claim that the black eye or broken arm was the result of a fight. But coupled with the left limp, no one would believe him."
"That is pretty much the effect it is having Danny. That and a sudden increase in the amount of financial support the kids are receiving. Is that your doing too?"
"Well, Mos, let’s just say that in spite of the pain, I sort of had their undivided attention before I left them. That was the point where I laid the actions versus consequences talk on them. I was specific about a man having a kid and not supporting the kid was a choice of theirs that could make a reasonable fellow, such as myself, lose all control in a fit of rage. And then there was the bit about if I had to visit them again they would get to find out if they could make it to the hospital while trying to keep their intestines from falling out on the sidewalk. Yeah, I know it was a bit melodramatic and medieval. However, it was all I could come up with the first time. After that, well, I wanted to be consistent."
"Ah, now I understand all the comments and curious results from the blocks. You probably did not even need to use your harder-than-granite Top Kick demeanor during that discussion."
Mos finished his cup of coffee.
"By the way, thank you. I should have known that you would be made of the same stuff Kip is made of. You see my favorite Aunt volunteers at that house. I think she always secretly wanted me to step in and do what you did. Ironically, she is strongly religious and teaches the mom’s that violence is not a long-term solution. Even if I could trust my knee not to give out in the middle of a tussle, I would never hear the end of it at holiday gatherings. I promised her that it was not me, as much as I would like it to be. The funny thing is that she has not said one negative word about whoever is educating abusive males in the blocks. She just smiles when she tells me about each incident."
"Kip, will this Shadow stuff really fix my knee?"
"Mos, I won’t lie. Your knee will be as good as or better than it ever was. But, the price you pay for the big physical up tic is going to be going to bed sore almost every night. If your work outs are not sincerely rigorous every single day, your body will tell you about it. That, my friend, is a bitch session that you won’t want to go through twice."
"Kip, you get me my knee back, you can beat the crap out of me every day and I will consider it a fair trade."
Danny laughed. "Duke will do that anyway Mos. I will help. We call it sparring. The fun part is that you get to beat back. We know that it will take you some time to get up to our speed. Enjoy the drink buddy. You can probably imagine how much slack we are going to cut you."
Mos laughed as Kip poured them all more Buffalo Trace. Life was good and getting better. Tomorrows were going to be more interesting in the future. Danny is a great guy. He is going to be fun to work with and even more fun to harass.
The chairman gaveled the ICMA (Inner City Merchants Association) to order. After the reading and approval of the prior meeting minutes, he pointed at Danny.
"Mr. O’Malley was kind enough to join us for this special meeting of the association. With him is Ramos Short, a man many of us know. Mr. Short is now employed by GalTech.
"Mr. O’Malley, your company recently partnered with four businesses that are members of the association. All of us wonder why you would do that. Because of Mr. David’s relationship with the Emperor, we are fairly sure that this is not some kind of protection racket ruse to take over our businesses. May I give you the floor to comment, explain, pitch GalTech, or do whatever you can to enlighten or educate us?
Danny stepped up to the podium beckoning Ramos to follow. The forty-four members of the audience watched them intently.
"Chairman Nassir, thank you for your invitation. I appreciate the ICMA’s willingness to allow us to speak to you. To the two members of the Green Fang Gang seated in the back, thank you also for attending. I invite you to hear our comments and relay them to your organization. If you behave yourselves, you can listen and then leave unmolested."
The two that Danny stared at scowled defiantly but did not speak or move.
"GalTech is a company dedicated to owning and growing low to high technology businesses that make at least an eight percent net profit each year. Our preference is for lower tech adventures. We will either start new businesses or invest in existing businesses.
"We will not start a new business that competes in a community with an existing profitable business that is already operating in that community. One of our goals is to assure a stable business environment in communities where we own businesses. Hurting a neighboring profitable business that provides local jobs is contrary to our goals.
"We will not pay extortion or tolerate any who would attempt to extort money from us. We will also not tolerate those who would harm our employees or conduct illegal activities close enough to one of our businesses to threaten our employee’s well-being. There will be no pity on anyone who harms one of our employees or one of their family members.
"To that end, we have a small but efficient group that deals with these types of problems. They work closely with local law enforcement. We are not a protection business. If a solution is needed to a threat, we will provide it just like providing a resource and solution to any other business problem.
"I have received requests to consider partnering with other of the Association’s members. Realize that it must be a sound business decision. If we have no expectation of profit, we will not partner. In the case of an existing business that is profitable, or can be with a cash infusion, we will not participate for more than a maximum of twenty percent equity. If the business requires a larger cash infusion than twenty percent would yield, we may consider loaning the business the needed remainder at the current prime interest rate plus one-half percent.
"I insist on having our CTA (Certified Teaman Account) appointed to the board and to have the authority to do a quarterly audit of the books if he feels it is warranted. GalTech has rented a community office just six doors south of here and our CTA will be there should any of you want to have a discussion with him. He should join us in a few minutes. He had a meeting with one of our new business partners that should be over soon.
"Because we desire to be a model company and neighbor, we offer that any partner can buy out our shares at any time for book value during the first twelve months and for slightly more after a year has passed.
"After a thorough review of your business and business plans, we will determine what added value we can bring to your business and to the community and communicate that in writing,
as we have done with those who we have already partnered. If you cannot agree with our added-value proposition, we will stop there. We will not invest in a business unless we think there is something we can bring to the table besides just money or protection. However, since we seem to have the total resources of Teaman University at our disposal, finding a value we can add has not yet been difficult.
"Why would we do this?" The question got most of the audience to sit on the fronts of their seats. "To us the answer is obvious because our goals are simple. We would partner and supply any cash needed in order to make a profit, make our local business environment friendly and secure, buy from local businesses, buy from some businesses we have invested in, and to not have to worry about finding a good management team for every business. The best manager we could hope to find is someone that already knows how to run the business at a profit. We feel that kind of person with help or expertise we can supply can grow the business and its profitability. If warranted and needed, we have considerable ability to secure or supply additional financing.
"Since a partnership is only good so long as both parties benefit, we offer to let you buy us out at a reasonable price anytime over the first five years."
The crowd sighed and a smattering of applause became a torrent. Ramos noticed that the two gang members were dumbfounded and stared at each other with open mouths.
"Now I would like to introduce you to our newest Vice President, Ramos Short."
As a neighborhood champion and known player to the members, Ramos received a loud round of applause and cheers.
"I can’t tell you how happy I am to be a part of Kip David’s team. There is no man that I consider more honest, sincere, or capable than Kip. Many of you know me and are aware of the things I have worked on in the community. What you might not know is that Kip supplied money out of his own pocket, worked up a sweat right next to me, and has been one of the best silent friends our neighborhood has ever had. By my count, he has helped me create over four hundred jobs, financed over eleven projects, and helped over ninety people right here in the community get loans to buy their house."
Just then two young men pushed through the front door and one pointed a capacitive discharge laser (CDL) at Danny and fired. It hit him in the chest. Both Danny and Ramos were moving but both would be assassins crumbled to the floor. A man who appeared to be in his fifties sauntered over to the two bodies while Danny tapped the microphone to get everyone’s attention. Before he could speak, the two seated gang members raised their hands above their heads, stood slowly and declared that they had nothing to do with the attempt and neither did their association. Danny waved them back to their seats.
Ramos said, "Well, that certainly got the adrenalin flowing! Ladies and gentlemen, we seem to have neglected to introduce Mr. Johansen, one of our security specialists. He is the man that made me and Danny wear some hot, sweaty, body armor under our clothes today. Thanks Sven, I love ya’ even if you let that thug shoot Danny."
Johansen shrugged. He knew that Danny saw that there were too many people in the way for a preemptive shot, even for a retired Shadow. That possibility was why he insisted that Danny and Ramos wear body armor. He shook his head and waved to Danny and Ramos as he continued to take pictures and DNA samples from the two very dead bodies on the floor. The one finger salute he wanted to give Ramos was not appropriate for the current venue.
"Folks, I was happy to join GalTech when Kip David asked me. After all that Kip has done for this community, my friends, and my family, I wish there was more I could do for him than just accept a job. One thing I know for a fact, you never deal with a company. You deal with people. The company is only as good as the people that direct it. In my book, that makes this the best damned company on this planet. If any of you ever have an issue with GalTech, you know how to get a hold of me and I expect you to do just that."
"That is my long speech for the day. Danny, in spite of the burn in his coat and shirt, will join me at the back of the room where we have snacks and drinks for everyone. Our CTA for this area should join us there in about five minutes. We will stay around as long as you have questions. If you don’t have any questions, Danny and I will try to outdo each other telling outrageous versions of slightly true war stories."
"Whoops I almost forgot. Please avoid the area around the two bodies that Sven marked with those little flashy-light-cone thingies. That would be the crime scene and the police, who I am sure Sven called, will appreciate your cooperation."
One day later, Danny walked in on Ramos and Kip making lunch in the office kitchen.
Ramos was shaking his head and frowning. He said, "Your internal Shadow-thingy really does not want you to eat dairy products or fat juicy steaks? Really? Maybe I need to rethink this Shadow business. How about scotch and bourbon? Does the thingy have any problems with a drink or two?"
Kip was cracking up so Danny replied. "Since you have a Zeta clearance now, I can share that your Syrt community will encourage you, not MAKE you, eat lots of veggies, beans, nuts, and other protein that does not tend to cause cancer or autoimmune issues in your body. Booze does not get you as much flack as cow’s milk. If you eat the fatty steak, your Syrt has to work harder to help your body keep you out of trouble. Trust me, after a while you won't have a problem with it. And there is nothing wrong with that fried peanut butter, jelly, and banana sandwich you are making or the coconut oil you are frying it in. Make me two of them and I will get us some beer."
"By the way Kip, we are now partnering with twenty two businesses from ICMA and our CTA has been invited to speak to three other inner city associations. Security is working on the details. This project is a net addition to us of nineteen million in new annual sales from the first group at a ten to eleven percent net.
"Better than that, we have three low tech businesses that our brokers found for sale that we can move to this initial community and easily triple in size. The projection there is about 600 new employees and about 500 million in sales. We really need that recruiter and some additional managers and engineers. I have been working hard on that and I think I am ready to start talking to recruiters. I can’t begin to describe the amount of turmoil I caused when I went to New Maui to look up a couple of ex-teamies that retired. I am certainly going to need that recruiter available after Shadow training to help with that. Mos too."
Kip looked up sharply. “Is there an opportunity there?”
“Kip, there is more opportunity than you would dare to imagine. It seems that we needed a stream but found a raging river.”
Chapter 10 – Retirement…Really?
Danny stepped off the rented space yacht that Kip insisted he rent for the trip to New Maui. I am still having a hard time realizing that my time is a limited commodity and warrants the cost of fast transportation. Wow, this is a nice climate.
New Maui was a moon discovered less than forty years earlier. It was small and covered with ocean except for one very large island in its equatorial zone. The planet it circled was a gas giant planet dubbed Odin. Odin was a gently swirling display of changing colors and lightning flashes. It was beautiful to view from New Maui but lethal to visit.
Once discovered in Teaman Space, New Maui was the immediate solution to a problem nagging the Emperor. How did one keep the secret of the shadows when retired Shadows started having physical problems and hospital staffs concluded that there was no mechanical augmentation giving them their extraordinary abilities? New Maui was too small to grow an economically viable population and had limited land mass to support farming, mining, and most export producing products. The Prime Minister pointed out in a meeting that any population that grew there would have to be fairly dependent on imports, making it too expensive for most tourists to visit. The Emperor saw the obvious use and jumped on it. It would be a place designated for the exclusive use of retired Shadows. Any shops or businesses would be supported initially by the Empire but owned and run exclusively by ex-Shadows. Only cleared medical personnel would staf
f the hospital. If you were not a Shadow, you could not permanently live there. If you were, living was free as was medical treatment. Retirement pay went a very long way toward providing a comfortable life. Non-Shadows were security-screened heavily, given mandatory mind-wipe implants, and reevaluated at random.
As Danny walked up to the modern visitor information center, he noticed many sensors and cameras that were probably doing an in-depth analysis of his little old self. When he entered he was greeted by a man that looked to be in his late forties or early fifties. It took Danny a moment to register that he was a Shadow.
The muscle hesitation of a Shadow that did not work out daily to at least eighty percent of capacity was usually a dead giveaway to an active Shadow. After looking hard, Danny could only detect a small trace of that hesitation. This Shadow was in shape!
The greeter smiled and said, “Retired Command Sergeant Major O’Malley, welcome to New Maui. We never operated together but your reputation precedes you. I am retired Sergeant Major Troy Koontz. First of all, how can I help you. Second, what the hell is GalTech?”
Danny loved dealing with Shadows. No preamble, no standing on ceremony, they just get to the issues.
“First, I came to look up some old friends. I queried Shadow Net to locate them. I know they are here, but have no idea where. As I saw it from the air, New Maui turns out to be a little bigger than I expected. I could use a hand reaching them.
“Second, GalTech is a company started by Kip David. In a fit of bad judgement, he hired me. The Emperor is helping him with funding and we are putting a lot of people to work growing low tech industries.
“Now it’s my turn. Why are you retired? You don’t look that old. You are damned sure in good shape and keep your workouts up. By the way, my team name is Topa. My friends all use it.
“Okay Topa, mine is Thrower. To be honest, I already knew yours but thanks for inviting me to use it. We have just about everything ever put into a personnel or operations file available to us. As soon as the sensors identified you, my little pal TRO went to work. I believe he could pick one fact out of an encyclopedia in less than a minute. I used to hate computers before TRO got so fond of data. All I will need is the team names you want and I will give you call numbers, maps, locations and the works. Or TRO can check everyone you ever operated with to see if they are here and give you all their contact and location info.
GalTech and the Shadow Warriors: Growth of a Star Empire Page 12
