Thin Blood Thick Water (Clueless Resolutions Book 2) Read online

  THIN BLOOD - THICK WATER

  W B Garalt

  Copyright 2015

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form, or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

  The publisher is not responsible for websites (or their content) that are not owned by the publisher. The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Author: W B Garalt

  contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Prologue

  It was a gray and dreary day in early August when Max Hargrove drove to Universal Security Associated Partners. On this first day of his new job, a new chapter in Max’s life was about to open. The accurately predicted high humidity was beginning to assert itself as he stepped out of his car and felt the warm moisture envelop his face.

  The company headquarters building was a rather non-descript industrial warehouse-type structure with a glassed-in corner office section on the front. The balance of the exterior walls were finished with channeled concrete block. The flat, tar-and-gravel roof was at forty feet in elevation and five cube-shaped enclosures were on the surface which contained four HVAC components, elements of the heating/cooling system, and one other enclosure for roof access.

  Following the curved concrete walk to the office entrance, Max pulled open the heavy gauge metal and glass door and stepped into the receiving foyer.

  “Good morning Mr. Hargrove, welcome to USAP,” said Heather, the office secretary-receptionist, using the customary company acronym.

  “Good morning,” returned Max. “Is Mr. Chaplain in?”

  Chapter 1

  One year had passed since Maximilian ‘Max’ Hargrove started in his position as a ‘Partner’ in Universal Security Associated Partnership (USAP). Harold ‘Chip’ Chaplain, the senior Partner and CEO of the company, was a college alumnus and old friend. He had recommended Max to replace the original finance department head, Ernest Bickford, one of the Partner-Specialists. Bickford had died unexpectedly as a result of an airplane mishap.

  To become a USAP Partner, it was required of Max to purchase an equivalent bloc of shares and to be unanimously accepted by the board of Partners.

  Each Partner took a monthly salary-draw against an equal portion of the company’s annual net earnings. Most USAP Partners were United States of America military veterans, some with a Special Forces background. The late CFO Bickford’s Partnership specialty had been fiscal management, befitting his civilian Certified Public Accountant status.

  Max was several years older than the deceased Partner had been at the time of his demise. Max was not a CPA but he had a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration, along with over twelve years of business management and investment experience. In addition, he had a career specialty as an expert in real estate valuation.

  The position Max had taken was as Chief Financial Officer of the association, serving at the pleasure of the USAP Board of Partners, of which he was one.

  CEO Harold ‘Chip’ Chaplain served as the operations manager. He managed the security operations and assignments of the association. The public and private security services provided by USAP were through positions as watchmen, gate-keepers, armed couriers, airline marshals, escorts, and guards. The salaried staff members serving in those positions were mostly retired police personnel. The main operational area for these services was concentrated in central New York State. Outlying areas in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Manhattan Island, and Long Island, NY were occasionally covered under period-specific contracts.

  Internationally, USAP had contracted with the CIA, the Secret Service and, on occasion and by request, with the U.S Special Services.

  In contrast to the contractor staffs and the local salaried security staff, along with their supporting office personnel, the Partners were confidential specialists with expertise in various occupations, none of which were limited to geographical boundaries. This created, from time to time, the need for a Partner, of groups of Partners, to travel on short notice with little time to prepare. The overall success of the USAP operations many times depended on the rapid physical response by a Partner Specialist, or a specialist team.

  Interstate travel was frequent, and occasionally international travel was required. In any event, the assignments contracted for by USAP were actuated confidentially and, unless it included another Partner, or Partners, USAP’s actions and results were not generally known among the others within the organization, or at times, the Partners own family members.

  The company founder, Chip Chaplain, was the sole individual with continuous knowledge of all operations. After resigning his military commission Chaplain had become an operative in the Central Intelligence Agency. Having had experience as a CIA operative and as a retired U.S. Army Captain, he was well-qualified to order all special USAP assignments within the organization.

  When away on assignment, Partners were referred to as being ‘on leave’.

  Max Hargrove had wrestled with the peculiarities of the job description when first exposed to the operation by Chip, his onetime colleague, and he had to come to grips with the realization that with this venture there were no guaranties and no predictions. Therefore there were no ready answers to quell any doubts he may have had. With that understanding, he took on the job under his own volition.

  Aside from Chip Chaplain, Max Hargrove had discussed joining USAP with only one person, Margaret Marshall. ‘Maggie’, a long-term business associate of his, was a trusted companion and a dear friend. They, as a couple, had been romantically connected for several years. Notwithstanding that relationship, their mutual understanding had been that Max’s decision to join the Partnership was his own.

  Max had, for the most part, been master of his domain and in control of his fate over his adult lifetime but there were two instances that were exceptions.

  One such exception was during his military service, when he was sent into combat during the Gulf War in the Far East. During that time, in order to survive, he had to be hyper-dependent on his team members, and they on him.

  A more recent interruption in his self-governing regimen was during the previous year when, inadvertently and innocently, he had briefly been under a police investigation for possible complicity in a triple-murder crime spree, in south-c
entral Connecticut. Max was eventually absolved of any wrongdoing but for a while his lifestyle had been turned upside down.

  During both of those two exceptions to his independence and self-reliance, he had followed his instincts. He had relied on persons whom he judged as being trustworthy, and he had come through those experiences unscathed. In making his decision to join the USAP Partnership, Max had ultimately sensed that Chip Chaplain was following the same rationale as he recruited each of the team of Partners. Those who Chip Chaplain trusted, Max felt he could trust as well.

  During the first months on the new job Max had to adjust to getting settled in the small village of Lakeside, a suburb of Ithaca, which is located near the geographical center of New York State.

  The history of Lakeside was that it was originally settled in the 1920s as a summer resort colony for wealthy industrialists and financiers. The advent of the great depression and its adverse financial effects decimated the seasonal summer populace. By 1937 most of the Lake area properties had been sold or subjected to lender foreclosures.

  A resurgence of interested buyers during the 1970s had resurrected the area and Lakeside had, since that time, become reborn. Many of the large summer cottages had been purchased and converted to recreational condominiums, some of which were leased to year-round residents.

  Max Hargrove was a recent tenant in a furnished four-room second floor apartment provided by the Partnership. It had a two-car garage below and included a speedy runabout, a hybrid all-terrain vehicle/golf cart powered by a performance-enhanced gasoline engine. The runabout was for shuttling to and from his office in the nearby USAP headquarters building.

  The tenancy included four free golf rounds per month on an 18-hole course, during the golf season, free use of tennis courts, and use of a boat dock on Black Bottom Lake. An on-site clubhouse contained the office of the Lakeside Community Association, which provided maintenance of the grounds and monitored recreational activities for the residents.

  Although Max played tennis he was not a good golfer and he didn’t own a boat, so he couldn’t avail himself of all of the job-related extras. Getting settled in the quiet, picturesque surroundings was a welcomed pleasure however, while he was becoming acclimated to his new occupation.

  Most weekends were spent back at his apartment building in East Wayford, Connecticut, catching up with personal business and spending time with Maggie Marshall, his significant, dearest, and favorite other person. They did avail themselves of the golf facilities at Lakeside and had taken introductory lessons.

  Maggie had benefitted from the cursory fundamental lessons during her week-end visits and Max renewed his early-days interest in golf. They enjoyed playing together as a mixed ‘twosome’ three times during the summer months, but the shortage of available tee times during the busy golf season limited their opportunities to play.

  Maggie was a licensed real estate broker, had earned a degree in finance and was experienced as a financial specialist. She and Max had worked in tandem, successfully, in the New Haven/East Wayford Connecticut region, for several years. When Max relocated to his new position in Lakeside she had agreed to manage “Hargrove House” during his absence. It was an eight-unit apartment building which Max owned and resided in. Maggie had given up her rented duplex apartment and she was co-habiting with Max in his owner’s apartment unit.

  Maggie spent a few weekends with Max in Lakeside during his first summer there and together they both enjoyed the relaxed, leisurely atmosphere. Both Maggie and Max had full work schedules during the week and their weekends together were a special treat.

  The arrangement worked well for the couple with one exception. The drive to and from Lakeside and East Wayford took approximately three hours and twenty minutes.

  Max had taken flying lessons several years earlier. He requested, and was granted credit from the Federal Aviation Administration for those lessons and he resumed taking them during the late winter, spring and early summer seasons. He had recently finished his student pilot flight requirements and flight time. He had successfully completed his cross-country solo flight and was awaiting the issuance of his private pilot license and expected to have it any day now.

  Since he had free access to company-owned small airplanes as part of his status in USAP, Max was anticipating a solution to the tedious weekend driving regimen. The fuel would cost a little more but he felt that the extra ‘off-duty’ hours would be worth it. Maggie was looking forward to it as well. She would gladly make the ten-minute drive, over and back, to the local New Haven area airfield to pick up and deliver Max.

  Chapter 2

  On a brisk Friday morning in early September Max’s mailbox contained his private pilot’s license for single engine light aircraft. He was elated over the prospect of avoiding the arduous drive to East Wayford and entered Maggie’s number on his cell phone.

  “Hi Max,” she answered. “What’s up with you?”

  “Well, all of me will be up shortly…in the air that is. My flying license came in the morning mail,” he said, in an up-beat mood.

  “That’s great!” Maggie exclaimed. “Are you going to fly down here tonight?”

  “I’m going over to the airstrip this afternoon to talk to Brad Charles about which of the planes is ready to go,” Max said. “I’ll call you when I get airborne, probably around 4:30. I’ve got to get going to the office now, I’ll catch you later.” Carrying his overnight bag, he hustled out to his run-about shuttle cart.

  Maggie was anxious to find out how the flying was going to work out. She was not exactly thrilled at the thought of having to make those grueling drives to, and from, Lakeside. She had also agonized over the idea of Max’s having to spend six or more hours almost every weekend driving down to East Wayford and back. She had driven up and back four times and, other than looking forward to spending time with Max, she found it to be a boring trip. There were some long stretches through hilly woodlands where cell phone contact was less than reliable, and Maggie knew that Max was really uncomfortable with her making the trip on her own. For that reason he had insisted on his making the drive to East Wayford and back, for most weekends during the past year. This was the only downside to his new position, everything else was good. The challenge of the learning curve on the job at the Partnership and the interesting aspects of the unusual employment had been energizing but both Max and Maggie felt there was a strain on their relationship because of the travel time. A lot was hanging on the commuting by air.

  Max drove his runabout shuttle cart to the USAP building and went through the parking area directly to the private fenced airstrip behind the headquarters main structure. He hopped out of the run-about and entered the service door of the internal hangar. Brad Charles was in his upper level office and waved to Max when he noticed him coming into the maintenance section.

  “Hey Max, what brings you to the back door this morning?” Brad asked.

  “I finally got my wings,” Max answered while waving his private pilot license papers in the air. “I was wondering if any of the small aircraft would be available for this afternoon.’’

  “Congratulations Partner!” said Brad as he walked toward Max with his hand extended for a shake. “Yeah, they’re all ready, what did you have in mind?” he asked.

  Partner Bradford Charles’s specialty was transportation. He was a proven expert in aviation and proficient in most other modes of transportation. As a highly ranked aircraft technician in the military he had detected a flaw in an aircraft that was about to transport the family of the sitting United States Vice President. Out of appreciation he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and, by executive order of the highest United Sates Office holder, he was granted the lifetime status as a Federal Aeronautics Administration Aircraft Certifier. Semi-retired now he was in high demand as a federal government consultant and was registered with the FAA as an aeronautics hobbyist.

  Over the years he had accumulated a variety of classic civilian and surplus military aircra
ft. He had restored and modified a variety of craft in almost all classifications of air transportation ranging from speedy, to limited-take off/landing, from fixed-wing to rotary-winged, from propeller-powered to jet-propelled, from single-engine to multi-engine, and to non-engine gliders. Brad also restored and maintained a variety of specialized motor vehicles.

  To sum it all up, Partner Brad was a well-qualified USAP Transportation Specialist and the go-to guy when a fellow Partner needed to get from place to place quickly.

  As a fledgling pilot, Max explained that he would rather take one of the high-wing Cessna aircraft since he was familiar with the type and had trained in a C172 model. Brad suggested the Cessna 182 “Skylane”, an advanced model which would give him some experience with a slightly heavier, faster model than the 172. Seeing that Max was just a little hesitant Brad explained the differences as he showed Max around the shiny, almost brand-new looking C182 airplane parked facing the closed hangar door.

  “I just ran though the review check and she’s ready to go,” he said, using a female reference as he did to all the machines in his inventory. “The extras on her make her a little heavier but with the larger engine she flies a lot like the lighter one.” Max accepted his suggestion of the aircraft choice and arranged a 4:00 PM-departure time.

  Max stowed his overnight bag in the Cessna and walked through the long hangar to the two-story front office section. He entered the upper office area through the second floor hanger access door and went to his desk. The phone message button was blinking and the secretary filled him in with the list of messages. Max noted those which were noteworthy.

  “Thanks Heather,” he said to the very efficient office supervisor. “I’ll be here till around 3:30 if anyone needs me.” The secretary was surprised that he had come in without her being aware of him. Max explained that he came in through service area because he had to see Brad Charles.

  “Oh, you could have seen him at lunch; we’re having a quick office meeting in the conference room at 12:30,” she informed him. “You’re included”.