Page 67 of Tempest

CHAPTER TWENTY

Sunday Afternoon

Ryan watched Ivy sit at the dining room table with Phoebe, Grace, and Colin. They were going through the reports that Phoebe’s computer had been spitting out and separating the information by department. Ryan had made a trip earlier to Best Buy and bought a couple of printers and laptops so that they could work more efficiently. It was a stopgap until Phoebe could redesign the system and network at Bellows Energy. She was going to mirror what they had at the SAI offices. Lucky had spearheaded the design, and it rivaled what the CIA and Homeland Security had. Bellows Energy was going to run as securely and efficiently as SAI when they were done. It made him think that there were a ton of companies in Texas that could benefit from their services. Who knew? Maybe SAI Texas would be a future location.

The doorbell sounded and pulled him out of his thoughts. He got up from the couch and checked his watch. It must be Ken and the guys from Butchko Security. Surprisingly, they had made time in their schedule and flew from Houston to meet with them. Opening the door, he greeted the group and welcomed them into the house. “Thanks for taking time to come out on a Sunday,” Ryan said as the men filed in. “Come on in,” he called, “Honey, the guys are here.”

The group walked in, and Ken started making introductions. Mac muted the game on TV and gave his dog a command as everyone gathered around.

Ken shook Ivy’s hand and then Colin’s and introduced the two men from the security company. “This is George and Devin. They are the principals of the company, and they are up to speed on the challenges we’re facing.”

“Let’s get you something to drink, and then we can sit in the family room and you can tell us your proposal,” Ivy said. “Drinks are set up in the bar, and Ryan can help you out.”

Ryan got everyone organized with a drink, and they found seats in the massive room. Bill Bellows must’ve entertained here, because they could’ve fit in ten more people.

Ivy stood and started off the meeting. “First off, Colin and I would like to thank you for making time on the weekend. Our wells are burning, but from what I heard this morning, the fires are under control. Apparently Daddy pissed off more than his family when he was alive, and Colin and I inheriting the company probably exacerbated the problem. It’s our impression that Ken has had his hands tied since he took the job, and his many ideas were never taken into consideration. We’re starting at ground zero in terms of security. Ryan, Mac, and Rick could secure the wells, but that doesn’t leave us with a long-term plan. So that’s what we need today. Colin and I would like to hear the overview, but we don’t have the expertise to make an informed decision, so we’re leaving it up to Ryan, Ken, Mac, and Rick. We trust their decision.”

Ryan watched the group of men and measured their reaction. If he didn’t see respect, then they were not the company that they needed to work with. He watched George stand and nod his head. “We appreciate the opportunity. We’re familiar with SAI and have a ton of respect for the company. The fact that you’ve called us lets us know that we’re on the right track. Devin and I are retired Rangers, and we spent a lot years in the sandbox seeing oil wells being blown up. When we came home, we realized that there were a whole lot of folks who could use our experience.”

Colin looked at the group and smiled. “That’s what we need. Tell us what you’re thinking.”

Ryan nodded to Ken, sat back, and listened to the proposal. These were the right men to bring in. Once they had revamped the security protocol, he, Mac, and Rick would have fun testing it. The fact that Ivy had handed it over to him let him know that she had understood what he’d said this morning. If they worked together, then they were going to be fine. It was going to be a huge adjustment for her, because she had no experience trusting a man to follow through on his word. It was going to take a while for her to have faith in him. As long as he knew it and remained patient, then it would work out. Hell, there wasn’t another choice. This was it.

***

Four hours later, Ryan walked into the dining room and saw Ivy with her head bent over a stack of papers with Phoebe and Grace. They were color-coding the packets and had some kind of system going. Colin sat at the other end of the table with his nose buried in the computer. “Honey, we’re done. The Butchko guys and Ken are ready to leave.”

Her eyes flew up, and she took a moment to focus on him. “Oh…all right. Come on, Colin, let’s go say goodbye.”

A loud grunt sounded as Colin lifted his eyes. “My brain is fried.” He stood, stretched, and kissed the top of Phoebe’s head as he followed his sister out of the room.

Ivy and Colin shook everyone’s hand and agreed to meet the day after tomorrow. Ken hung back and waited until George and Devin left. “So, what do you think?” Ivy asked.

“I like them, and they have the ability to put a solid plan in place,” Ken said. “They can implement it quickly and we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.”

“All right. Let’s talk more tomorrow. We have a big day ahead of us with the company meeting, and we’re going to need you rested and ready for whatever happens,” Ivy said.

“Sounds good,” Ken said. “My wife Allena promised me my favorite dinner tonight, and I don’t want to be late.”

“Not if you plan on living a long and happy life,” Ryan said. He shook Ken’s hand and walked him out.

“What do you think of the plan they proposed?” Ivy asked Rick and Mac as they moved into the kitchen.

“They have the basics down. We gave them some suggestions and they were open to them,” Mac answered. “It’s a big change from what the company has done in the past.”

“Which is what the company needs. Each well is a ten-million-dollar investment with a multimillion-dollar payout. They should be treated that way,” Rick said as he sat down.

“It doesn’t make any sense to me,” Ivy said as she pulled a tray of steaks out of the massive fridge. “I feel like there’s a missing puzzle piece. Once I have that, everything that is happening will make sense. It all has to be connected. The person who took a shot at me, the fire that was set at Daddy’s Austin house, the sabotage at the wells, and now the fires.” Pulling out a pitcher, she started to make margaritas. “I think one person is at the center of this, and I can’t wait to find out who it is.”

“I bet it’s two people,” Rick said. “Two people who think they’re working together but have opposite agendas.”

“I hate mysteries,” she replied. Ryan walked back into the kitchen and studied the group. “Anyone want to take a run before dinner?”

“I’ll go,” Mac said. “Rocko needs to get out and let off some steam.”

Colin came in and stood next to his sister. “I need to get out of the house and get some exercise. I report in a week and a half; I can’t show up out of shape. I haven’t spent this much time inside since I was twelve.”

“Come on,” Ryan said. “Let’s go.”

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