Chapter 24: The CO is NOT the Branch!
A/N: The reporting structure is on a page. Check the navigation bar.
Ram’s POV
The first month in charge of RM Trenton has been a shocker. I always thought I had a handle on what the Core Team did, based on having run point in the past. I couldn’t have been further from the truth.
I owe Bobby a bottle of tequila. The man did this job and served as the medic. He’s a freakin’ genius.
Being the head of Client Services was an entirely new world for me. The client calls weren’t so bad, although Manny required I get a haircut before we went. I flipped him the finger but got the haircut. We went around to the high end clients and Manny introduced me as the new VP of Client Services for RangeMan Trenton- first time I’d gotten to use the title. He pimped my Special Forces background during every client call, and I finally told him that if he was going to treat me like that, I required payment later and dinner first.
He laughed.
“As Lester said to me, welcome to the world of client calls. The idea is to make them feel that we don’t have just anyone looking after their accounts. We have a Special Forces vet and the VP of Client Services coming to meet them personally. Besides, you have Lester’s silver tongue. I fully expected to spend an hour per call when I went out with Les. He was in and out in 20 minutes. You were in and out in 30. Not bad.”
Well, it’s nice to know I’m competent at this new job so far. Makes up for having to live in a suit. Man, I miss black SWAT.
I took the stack of unhappy client reports and went to see each one personally. Again, I was in and out in 30 minutes after calming ruffled nerves and personally promising to follow up on each incident. Most were minor incidents and simply required that we reposition a sensor or adjust a camera.
Only two incidents required true ego stroking. One of our jewelry clients maintained that our incident response team had been rude to his daughter when they arrived. I went back to the office, reviewed the tape and found that not only had we not been rude but that the daughter had been downright abusive to our men, calling them ‘thugs’ and ‘hooligans’. I took a copy of the tape back to the client and played it for him in front of his daughter, who turned red.
“Ma’am, our men are wired for audio and video. When we respond to a client distress call, we want to have extra eyes scanning the perimeter to determine if we need to send extra men out. We also record all interactions. It eliminates the possibility of confusion or allegations of misappropriation later. I also have video, sir, if you wish to see it.”
The client was apologizing to me as I left.
The second incident was the hard one. One of our Platinum customers, a bank manager, called me back requesting to meet with me. He wouldn’t elaborate what the meeting was about over the phone, so I had a pretty good idea. I arrived and was shown to Mr. Johnson’s office.
“Mr. Sinclair, I am informing you now that I intend to move my monitoring and security services from RangeMan Trenton to another company. I no longer have any faith that the security services from your company meet my company’s requirements for discretion and competency.”
I’ve been expecting this, so I raise my hand. He nods for me to proceed.
“I’ve been expecting this. You are concerned because of the press release announcing Ms. Plum as the Managing Director of RangeMan, LLC.”
He nods and takes a sip of water.
“In light of Ms. Plum’s history and reputation for, shall we say, fantastical captures, you assume that RangeMan Trenton will no longer be able to meet your company’s standards for discretion and competency.”
Again, Mr. Johnson nods. Good. I’ve had this speech planned ever since I took the job and I’ve been prepared to give it time and time again. Plus, I cribbed part of it from Ranger’s explanation at the Plum family dinner.
“However, were you aware that it was Ms. Plum who exposed the burglary ring that was running here in Trenton? Caught them red-handed, assisted in the retrieval of the stolen goods, and provided the DA with the evidence needed for conviction?” At this, Mr. Johnson raises an eyebrow. “Were you aware that it was Ms. Plum’s work that led to the dismissal of charges against a Trenton policeman and the apprehension of multiple killers?”
Mr. Johnson’s mouth twitches. Yeah. Like most people, he’s heard the stories but didn’t know what was behind them.
“Did you know that it was Ms. Plum who exposed the theft of multiple munitions and who uncovered a gamer murder ring? Were you aware that Ms. Plum is the only Bond Enforcement Agent on the East Coast with a 100% capture rate?”
By this point, Mr. Johnson has shifted in his seat. “Hmm…well, no. I was not aware of that. 100% capture rate? She’s caught every man she’s been contracted to retrieve?”
I nod. “Yes, Sir.” Steph is underestimated just as much as we are. “As you can see, I was prepared to answer these types of questions. I’m well aware that for our elite customers, such as yourself, the idea of Ms. Plum in charge of RangeMan Trenton gives you pause. You’re not sure if you really want to trust your security to the woman rumored to have blown up Stiva’s.”
At this, Mr. Johnson chuckles. Yes, please, fall into my trap.
“Some of those fantastical stories are not quite correct, not that newspaper reporters and gossip grapevines are concerned with accuracy. What’s important and less well known is that Ms. Plum has a history of excelling in her chosen field, a field in which she does not hold the traditional background and training. However, she has something most of us would kill to have: natural talent. Nevertheless, does that translate into running a multi-million dollar security business?”
I see Mr. Johnson blink. Most people aren’t aware of exactly how successful RangeMan is.
“The answer is yes. Ms. Plum has a background and degree in business. She worked as a buyer before becoming a Bond Enforcement Agent so she understands the financials. She’s worked almost every job at RangeMan Trenton so she has a good understanding of what is required of every man in the field.”
I can see Mr. Johnson is seriously considering what I’ve said. I smile and take a sip of water. Now to bring it home. “In her current role, Ms. Plum’s job is a more office-based role, a high level executive. She has the responsibility for overseeing five offices from Miami to Boston. She’s not running any one branch. The person now in charge of the day-to-day functions of RangeMan Trenton is Henry Linden, and if you would like to meet him, I can arrange that. I simply ask that you not move too hastily from RangeMan and give us an opportunity to show that the same standards of discretion and excellence still stand at RangeMan Trenton.”
I take another sip of my water and watch Mr. Johnson covertly. He’s watching me carefully, trying to determine what he wants to do.
“Mr. Sinclair, you remind me of Lester Santos.”
I chuckle. I can’t wait to get into the car. I’m going to laugh my ass off.
“I mean that. I always got the feeling I was being led down the primrose path with him,” Mr. Johnson says, smiling. “Fine, Mr. Sinclair, I won’t move our security contract, but I will watch to ensure that the same standards are being upheld. And I would like to meet Mr. Linden. I want to know that my bank won’t blow up.”
I decide not to tell him that Hal is a munitions expert. We stand and shake hands and Mr. Johnson shakes his head.
“I’ve followed the ‘Bombshell Bounty Hunter’ stories for years,” he says. “I was aware of some of what you mentioned but not all of it. Certainly not the 100% capture rate. That’s impressive, and it’s pretty much what has convinced me not to move my contract. Well, that and the fact that someone else is actually in charge.” We both laugh, and I turn to leave.
At Haywood, I relay the story to both Manny and Hal and we have a good laugh. I tell Hal to find some time on his schedule to come with me on this client call.
Manny turns and looks at us both. “Write down the relevant facts from that speech. I get the feeling the three of us will have to deliver it a few times.”
“Have we lost any contracts?” Hal asks.
“Not yet, but believe me, our biggest clients are nervous,” Manny replies. I can see him thinking about what to do, and we speak at the same time.
“Preemptive strike.” We both blink and laugh.
“Huh?” says Hal, confused.
“Preemptive strike, Hal. In other words, clear your schedule and pull out your suit,” I reply. “You and I are going around to every one of our Platinum and Gold clients and calming them before anyone has a chance to poach them.”
It took two weeks, but it was the right move strategically. We calmed all of our biggest customers, some of whom were ready to present us with final checks the moment we walked in. I think the very sight of Hal led them to believe that all would be fine at RangeMan Trenton. The knowledge that Steph wasn’t actually running the branch was the icing on the cake for most of them.
I broke open the tequila Bobby left after we finished the last call and the Core Team spent a night getting completely drunk. After two weeks of that, I could see why the job had been split between Bobby and Lester. Lester has the silver tongue and Bobby has the patience.
We’re also determined to burn every necktie we own. Black SWAT is where it’s at, baby.
The fourth Wednesday we were in charge, Hal held a staff meeting in Conference 1. We requested Steph not attend. It was branch matters only. I think we may have hurt her feelings slightly, but we wanted to draw a line between CO and branch. Plus, we had things to say that concerned her that she didn’t necessarily need to hear. We had contract workers cover the monitors for the day and suspended all monitoring in the room. She’s sneaky, so we had to thwart her listening in.
Once every man, and Ella, was in attendance, we got started. Hal went over the new reporting structure of RM Trenton, denoting changes in title and authority as required. We explained that there might be slight changes in the future, depending on how the current responsibility allocations worked out, but they would be kept informed.
We then moved into the structure of RangeMan, LLC. This was enlightening for all the men, because we realized that for the first time everyone was being shown the reporting structure. We contacted Tank about doing this and he approved it, sending back a flowchart with the lines of authority.
Once we got a look at it, some of the thoughts that had been niggling in the back of my mind were cleared up. Manny was betting that Leadership Core would probably never again take active day-to-day responsibility for a branch unless they were bringing one up. They would step back and think up the big ideas, bring up more branches, or (maybe) take on more black ops work.
We decided not to share his gut instinct with the men until we had more intel.
Even though Steph was known internally as the CO, according to the charts, for the outside world she was the Managing Director and was the only step between the Chief Executives (Ranger, Tank, Lester, and Bobby) and the XOs. Essentially, she held the day-to-day power over all the branches.
I think that blew everyone’s minds away. No one was quite sure how Steph fit into the structure, but now it was clear.
She really was our boss.
That was the day every man in RangeMan Trenton realized that this was no temporary move. This had been planned out well in advance. This was going to be permanent.
It was time to start finessing the CO. Flowers seem to be working. Would chocolate gifts be inappropriate?
Finally, Hal got around to discussing Steph directly. “Men, let me be clear. The SOPs in regards to the CO remain in place. At the moment, we are working with her to meet RangeMan standards, but that does not give you leave to drop. You will still be required to meet, indeed, exceed standards. We expect nothing less.”
There were nods around the room. Everyone already knew that, but best to say it anyway. That way no one could play the fool.
“In addition, we must be careful about how our treatment of the CO is perceived. The Core Team has already been given a warning that the Trenton office’s affection for the CO is obvious. This is nothing for us to be ashamed of. However, she is also our boss. We must respond to her as if she were Ranger. Inside this building, we can treat her like our little sister, but in front of outsiders and outside this building, we cannot diminish her authority. We cannot undermine her.”
Hal’s face takes on a hard edge. I know where he’s going next, and I stand next to him at the front of the room, hard blank face in place. Manny does the same on Hal’s other side.
“The only place where we have room to question her orders is in regards to her safety. Hector is her partner and he will be in charge of organizing her personal safety, but if you are in her company and Hector is not available, you need to do what is best for her safety, regardless of her wishes. If she refuses to comply, call me or Hector immediately. We will discuss it with her. Still, make every effort to keep her safe without diminishing her authority. Is that clear?” Hal says. He is adamant that Tank will not take him to the mats because Steph got hurt.
“Sir, Yes Sir.” The room echoes and it’s clear that each man is relieved by that order. Knowing that they have the freedom to do what is right for Steph’s safety has calmed every man in the room.
“Finally, I want to make it very clear to every man in this room: Moles will not be tolerated.” Hal looks each man in the eye and everyone nods. “I am aware that the XO from Boston is desperate to have a man feeding him information from this branch. He has his own subversive reasons for doing so. Any man caught or suspected of feeding information from this branch to anyone will find himself on the mats daily with the Core Team for two straight weeks. Are we clear?”
Hal might as well have issued a death threat.
“HUA!“
“This branch has been complimented for being tight knit and closed mouth. I want to continue that tradition. We have a history of excellence here at RangeMan Trenton. It will not slip simply because there has been a change in management. Understood?”
“HUA!“
I called Danny and asked if Chase had any bids he was going after any time soon. Manny and I were working with Steph on planning her first branch call to Atlanta, and I figured that I might stick around and learn from Chase during the visit. He was happy to know I might stick around an extra week or two, but since Steph had just given the go-ahead for Hospitality services, he thought that we should get together with Manny and Danny (hahaha, Manny and Danny) and work through bids in our area in a conference call.
Talk about an eye opener. After the first day, I asked Chase if he could fly up and help me make sense of it. He arrived two days later and we set him up in an apartment on 4. Steph was on hand to greet him.
“Chase, welcome to Trenton. I’m Stephanie, and it’s great to meet you.”
Chase is 6ft, with close cropped black hair and brown eyes. He looks like Bobby. He was also completely speechless meeting Steph. I smirked from my position behind her. Yeah, man. Meeting her for the first time does blow your mind. She’s hot, dude. Just remember, she’s Ranger’s.
He bent over and kissed her hand, and I had to turn to hide my laughter. Every man on the 5th floor was hiding a smile.
“Ms. Plum, it’s a true pleasure to meet you.” The man had a true southern drawl and looked as if he was trying not to faint. “Thank you for the warm welcome. You’re more beautiful than Danny described.”
At this, Steph blushed and every man at RMTrenton, including me, narrowed his eyes at Chase. Was he being polite or did he have a death wish?
Chase finally lifted his eyes and spotted me. I suppose the look on my face must have promised murder, because he blushed, turned back to Steph and said, “Might I be excused from your presence to settle in? I don’t want to keep you from anything you need to be doing at this moment.”
Steph made a face. “I’m headed to the gym. Treadmill time.” She looked over at Woody. “Make sure you log that I’m going.”
“No problem Steph,” Woody said, still looking at Chase. Steph finally left and Chase looked at all of us. He raised his hands.
“Don’t shoot. I come in peace. And now that she’s gone, I have all my wits back. How can any of you keep a single thought in your heads with her around?” Chase looked at me for an answer.
“Ranger,” I replied.
Chase immediately straightened and shook his head. “That did it. Thanks. Appreciate that.”
I gave him a smile and extended my hand. He shook, still looking slightly dazed.
“We’ve had time to develop some immunity, but don’t stick around when she eats. I’m warning you.” This warning got a small chuckle from every RMTrenton man nearby.
“Why? Does she lack table manners?” Chase asked, following me to the stairwell.
I could hear Binkie and Woody laugh behind us.
“You know that part in When Harry Met Sally when Meg Ryan’s character is faking an orgasm and the woman next to her says, ‘I’ll have what she’s having?'” I ask.
Chase raised an eyebrow. “Chick flick.”
I smirked. “Google it.” I left him to get settled in Apartment 3 and told him to find me in my office on 3 later.
Thirty minutes later he walked into my office and sat. “That loud?” he asked in bewilderment.
“Could make a dead man pound nails.”
Having Chase around for a week was fantastic. Don’t get me wrong, I know Danny sent him here to check out our office. We quietly informed the men to treat him as a ‘friendly’ subversive until we had the full measure of his visit. Otherwise, he was matter-of-fact and to the point about how to search for and walk through bids for service.
His presence in Trenton helped me put together packages to walk through six bids for Hospitality services in Trenton and Philly. Another $1.25 million in work. Hal and Steph were both thrilled and Manny immediately pulled his red folder (one day, I’m going to steal that folder and figure out what he has in there). In return, I helped him finalize his bids for Atlanta. We lost two before Steph advised us to dial down. Then we won eight for Atlanta, going after slightly smaller bids. $3 million dollars in work for him. I learned he had an entire team to help him do this in Atlanta.
“My territory is three times bigger than yours. There’s no way that I can handle all of it alone,” he said. Steph was present and taking notes. Chase had lost the ability to look her in the eyes after we went to Shorty’s for pizza. Hell, I had trouble walking back to the car. The woman knows not what she does.
“So how many people do you have?” Steph asked.
“For client services, six. One in Birmingham, one in Savannah, two in Atlanta with me, one in Charlotte and one in Knoxville. I really need another person in Charlotte, since it’s become so popular, but we’ve got to get the reserves in better shape first.” He realized what he said and fell quiet. Steph made a note and smiled.
“But you guys need more people, right?”
He smiled. She was allowing him to cover his goof. I wonder what’s wrong with Atlanta’s reserves. “Yeah, we need more people.” He then proceeded to walk both of us through the process for answering government bids, commercial bids, special event bids, everything.
Finally, Steph sat back with a hand over her face. “Do we have these procedures written down anywhere?”
Chase and I both frowned. Nope, don’t think so.
“So what your frowns are telling me is that we have chapters in the SOPs for examining the CO’s packages but nothing written on how to go after client work?” Steph said, looking at us, bewildered.
Good point. We both shrug.
“OK, well, that sounds to me like a company-wide project for the Client Services people. I’d like to see you guys get started, pull together a group, appoint a leader, and get some SOPs for handling client bids. I don’t care if each branch has slight variations; I want to be able to go to one document and figure out how to do it if I needed to.”
It’s a good idea. This is why Steph is in charge. 10-4.
