Chapter 45: New York, New York
Steph’s POV—Sunday Morning
I spent the last two weeks in Trenton preparing for the NYC trip. I’ve reviewed Javier’s financials and Manny and Diego’s ideas for his pipeline, and I’m ready to help Javier back up on his feet. Diego reports that in the past week they’ve been able to move with some of their ideas, especially in business investigations, so the demand is there. He also reported that in the past month they’ve been able to pull back contracts that were lost, so he’s hoping the bleeding is contained to being thwarted in bids, not a loss of reputation.
Lester was pleased to hear that and said he would arrive on Tuesday to help get things sorted out. The lawyers on retainer filed suit against CombinedSecurities and, given that they can’t find Liam, they want to talk about a settlement. Lester smells blood and his number starts in the nine figures. After all, the CEO is looking at major jail time.
“Pay or play,” he keeps saying. I asked him to explain during our last call and he snorted. “The bastards will pay or we’re headed to court. If they’re willing to deal, what little bits Bobby played must’ve scared them shitless.”
I shrugged. My job is to focus on Javier and the branch. I called Ryan and ordered him to fly up to NYC for week one. He’s the company accountant and we’ll need his help to pull the branch back from the brink.
Hector refused, point blank, to allow me to go back to NYC without him. It was our first major fight that didn’t involve a pillowcase.
“I’m going.”
“No, you’re not.”
“I’m going and you’re not stopping me.”
“I can order you to stay.” I could have, but I didn’t want to. That would make our relationship awkward. Hector doesn’t really report to me because we’re partners, but I’m still the CO. He still has to uphold my authority.
Hector said nothing, just raised an eyebrow. I raised one back on him and watched him smirk. Damn. Still haven’t managed it.
“You have gunshot bruises. You’re still walking stiffly. I scheduled massages for you starting next week.” I blew out a breath and sat back. “I want you better, Hector,” I said softly. “I need you to be OK. After all, I can’t really see you letting me go back to Miami alone, can you?”
His mouth set in a firm line. Got him. If given a choice between having my back in Miami and having it in NYC, he’ll travel back to Miami any day.
“This isn’t over.”
“Yes it is. You need to get better. I need you to be better, for me. I don’t want to leave you, but I want you to get the best possible care. You’re staying.”
Hector glared at me and walked out. I flopped back in the chair. My partner is more stubborn than I am. I sensed the fight was not over.
Hector was almost impossible to be around this past week. He cornered Sarah and ordered her to start physical therapy for his shoulder. He ambushed Zero and got more pain pills. He slept more than four hours a night. He relaxed in the whirlpool. He pushed himself to get better, as if he could do it through force of will alone. Maria was the only person who could handle him and even she rolled her eyes a few times.
Finally, he walked into my office on Friday.
“I’m going.”
I flopped back in the chair. “We had this argument. You’re not going.”
“I asked Lucia to find me a masseuse. I went with Zero today to get the hematomas checked with ultrasound. They’re fine, so I can have massages. Sarah is going with us, so she can continue the physical therapy. Lester’s apartment has a Jacuzzi, so you can share.”
He sat in the chair, smug. He’d found a way around every restriction.
“I drive.”
His mouth thinned. “Fine. You’re determined?” I nod. “Then you have to be me. Two guns. Five knives. One gun and two knives on your person at all times. You have to remain aware of your surroundings. You have to be prepared to shoot to kill.”
I groan. Damn. I’m Hector’s bodyguard. He’s getting the raw end of this deal.
We left for the NYC office at 8:00 this morning. Hector wanted to leave earlier, but I wasn’t waking up at the butt crack of dawn for it. We would be there before noon and that’s all I cared about.
Sarah arrived bouncy and happy. “You know, this might sound completely selfish, but I’m glad I took you on as a client.”
I actually like her now, so I agreed, but I was curious. “Why?”
She smiled. “I’d never been to Atlanta before that trip. I’ve never been to New York. Well, not since middle school. Everywhere else in the country, but not NYC. Honestly, I hope I’m still around for Boston and Miami.” She grinned. “Especially Miami.”
I laughed. “Well, we’re in Brooklyn this time. Don’t know how exciting that will be.”
“You kidding me? Brooklyn is turning into the ‘cool’ part of NYC, outside Manhattan. And Prospect Heights is becoming another ‘hipster’ central.”
Hal and Ram, who had been packing the SUV during this conversation, walked over, both hiding smiles.
“SUV is packed,” Hal said. “Got directions?”
I nodded.
Ram smiled. “I packed a map, GPS is juiced, she’s gassed, and Hector’s …” they looked at each other, “Hector’s Hector.”
I nodded. Translation: He’s not happy he’s not driving, he’s irritated at being treated like an invalid, and good luck to you. Don’t forget, he’s still deadly.
Hector arrived in the garage, Maria walking behind him quietly. Sarah, Ram, and Hal all slammed their military-issue blank face into place while I bit my lip. Hector had his ‘psycho’ blank face on. I caught Maria’s eyes and closed my eyes. She was trying not to laugh.
“Are we ready to go?” Hector asked, looking annoyed. I looked at Ram for a translation, although I understood the sentence.
“Yup. Everything’s packed. Let’s head out.”
Hal and Ram packed Hector’s bags (he scowled) and Sarah hopped in the back seat. Hector stood on the passenger side glaring at his seat. I looked at him from the driver’s seat. I wanted to ask if he needed help, but I recognized that look. Hector was glaring at the passenger seat as if it was a personal enemy.
Finally, he climbed in and buckled up. Thankfully, it was his left shoulder that was injured in Miami, so the seatbelt wasn’t going to hurt. Another argument against him driving: pain from the seatbelt.
I took off, but within minutes, the GPS was driving me crazy. I know how to get to NYC. I just needed instructions on how to get to Prospect Heights.
“No.”
I glared at him. I wanted to turn it off, but I couldn’t say that with Sarah in the car. This sucks.
Over the next 1.5 hours, the GPS drives me crazy. I consider dropping it out the window on the Turnpike, on the bridge over Newark Bay and on the bridge over the Hudson River. I stop hating it once I get to Manhattan and actually need the help. Finally, we hit Brooklyn and the RangeMan NYC offices.
The RangeMan NYC office is a curious building. It was created by taking two 6-story buildings and demolishing the interior walls, so floors have an ‘A’ or ‘B’ designation to state where offices are. The monitoring floor at any RangeMan office is always on the 5th floor, but here it’s 5A and Client Services and Bonds Enforcement works from 5B. Lester’s apartment is on 6A and the other apartments, for guests, are on 6B. I like the setup but I don’t like that the men are directly under me. Lester did tell me that he had his apartment soundproofed the moment he took possession.
I choose to believe he did that to dampen the noise from 5.
The official entrance for clients in on the ‘A’ side and the RangeMan entrance, including access to the garage, is on the ‘B’ side. I asked how they managed to dampen the noise from the garage, gun range and gym, and Les said it was more industrial-strength soundproofing.
We arrive in the garage and are met by Javier, Manny, and Diego, all smiles. They immediately stop smiling once we park and it becomes clear to them that the CIO is not a happy man.
“You drove?” Manny whispers. Hector has his computer case. I won that argument. It was either his suitcase or his computer bags, not both.
“Yeah.”
“He look like that the entire way?”
“Yeah.”
Manny shakes with silent laughter. “You’re a brave woman, Wifey.”
I laugh quietly. Diego appears at the trunk. “Yo! He’s glaring. Better get a move on,” he whispers.
Javier grabs my bags, Manny gets Hector’s and Diego grabs Sarah’s, and we head to the elevator. Javier smiles.
“Well, on behalf of the NYC RangeMen, welcome back to RangeMan NYC, CO. Good to see you again.”
I smile. “Thanks, Javier. I’m beat. I can’t wait to take a shower.”
He nods. “I have a list of suggested activities in the apartment. Danny told me to make sure I had things for you to do in the downtime, so you didn’t get bored.”
Everyone hides a smile. We get off the elevator and Manny and Diego escort Hector and Sarah to their apartments while Javier fobs me back into Lester’s. I was surprised when I saw Lester’s apartment two weeks ago. I’m not saying I expected jungle prints or a red velvet couch. Actually, I didn’t know what to expect from Lester’s apartment.
What I got was minimalist. Lester’s NYC apartment is not a place I would associate with him and, talking to him last week, he admitted it was surprising to everyone who knew him except Ranger.
“I like open space. Nothing frustrates me more than the feeling of being pinned in. Ranger gets that. You’ve seen his apartments. If you really look carefully, the only real differences are finishes and color schemes.”
Now that I’m looking at the apartment a second time, I see that Les is right. His apartment is decorated in shades of blue and grey and it can take on a cold feeling in the morning, but now that it’s summer, the apartment has a refreshing feel to it, as if you can feel cooler and cleaner just stepping in. I wonder what kind of feeling this apartment gives off in winter. If this apartment was in Trenton, it would feel depressing in winter.
Lucia, the NYC Housekeeper, meets us in the apartment. “Stephanie, it’s good to have you back.” I like Lucia. I crashed on the couch after Liam’s “exit interview” and awoke to find myself covered with a blanket and Lucia in the kitchen warming a meal for me. It was delicious, somewhere between an ‘Ella’ meal and a ‘Maria’ meal in fat and calories. Plus, she slipped me some dessert. Ram and Bobby pretended not to notice.
Lucia takes my bags and I sit on Lester’s couch and close my eyes. “Javier, stay for a moment.” Javier returns to the couch. I roll my head to loosen up and point to my computer bag. He passes it over and I pull my legal pad.
“OK, before the others join us, tell me how’s it been going in the past two weeks.”
He smiles and sits back. “I wish I could convince Diego to stay. He’s brilliant. He’s pulling back contracts left and right, and we’re already at a point where I could start hiring to rebuild the branch. I mean, when I called you five weeks ago, I had no idea that the right man could get this branch turned around so fast.”
I smile. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear. So, Shane’s definitely not coming back. Ever.
“What’s he like to work with?”
Javi’s smile dims. He thinks for a moment. “Well, he’s blunt. He has absolutely no concept of sugar coating anything. It works here in New York but,” he shrugs, “sometimes it’s hard to be on the other side of his tongue. Why?”
Hmm …is that XO behavior? I’ll need to ask Hal and Danny. “I know nothing about him and since I won’t see him in action in Miami, this is my only time to really learn anything about him. Is his blunt tone a problem for you? Is it disrespectful?”
Javier smiles. “Is it disrespectful? No. I think that he really doesn’t have a filter. He says exactly what he means, no faking, no bullshit. I’m finding I appreciate it. I always know exactly where I stand with him.”
“So, you do feel he respects you as a leader and as the XO here?”
Javi nods. “Yes.” He blows out a breath. “The day he and Manny leveled with me about the branch, he told me that he rarely had respect for men like me because I’d allowed myself to be bullied. That was probably the most painful but honest thing I’ve heard in years.” I nod. “I didn’t like it, but I respected him just for saying it. I accepted that he was right. I had already copped to it.” He laughs a little. “It’s the difference between him and Manny. Both will tell me the same thing, but Manny cushions the blow a bit more. Diego assumes you’re man enough to take it. It’s toughened me up, believe me.”
I hold my hand up to think about this. I don’t like it because it does sound disrespectful, but . . . it sounds as if Diego is Javier’s Hector at the moment. Diego is willing to speak hard truth to him. Diego is trying to make Javi stronger. Just as I know Hector will tell me things that I don’t like very bluntly, I accept he does it because he loves me and I’ve realized that he is the only person in my life who does it consistently. I take what Hector says seriously because Hector says what he means and he only wants the best for me. I need to see Diego myself, just to see if I’m calling this right, but I can accept it for the moment. I smile at Javi to continue.
“The positive is he’s honest, hardworking, and loyal. He’s quick to enforce order and ensure everyone is on task. I’ve seen a complete change in the men here. Between him, Manny, and the guys on loan, they’ve got the men accepting the idea that standards are serious and not to be ignored.”
I nod. “The men do know you’re in authority here, right?”
He smiles. “Oh yeah. He’s quick to defer to me. I didn’t mean to imply that he’s acting like he runs the show. He doesn’t do that, but he’s quick to ensure that the men respect the leadership. He defers to me in public and private. It’s a nice change.”
Hmm . . . sounds like Diego might be XO material. We’ll see. “Wonderful! By the way, how did the search for a liaison go?”
Javier kicks off his shoes and gets comfortable. Lucia leaves after bringing us glasses of water and a pitcher.
“I ended it early. I didn’t think any of them were right for the job once they actually started trying to fill it, and Adam confided that he didn’t think any of them were right either. I asked Manny to search the company for a liaison for me and I think I’m more comfortable with that. I want people around me that are fresh to the branch, who owe their allegiance to me and me alone.”
I nod. Smart move. “What else? The men OK?”
“Well, the attitude of the men has changed. I can feel the difference.”
I nod. I’m betting Bobby’s speech did a lot of good. “Do you feel they respect you more?”
“I know they do. It’s a complete 180. Mack, the head of Client Services, came to speak to me. Told me that he apologizes for not working with me more, for not supporting me like he should have.” Javier looks at his fingers. “None of them realized what it meant to me to be in charge of their livelihoods, of their opportunity to thrive here at RangeMan. With Liam and Shane out the way, they actually see me for who I am and their opinions are starting to turn around. I’m not saying that everyone is all gung-ho for me now, but I don’t feel like they’re rolling their eyes the moment I turn my back.”
I nod. I know that feeling. It’s exactly how I feel every time Mark participates in an XO call now.
“What are you doing to help them see you as the leader?”
Javier is quiet for a while. I refill the water and sit down. I need to know. I need to see if what he is doing will work for me.
“Well, Manny told me, point blank, to get a specialty on the mats. I was a decent boxer as a kid, but I fell out of it. So, I went and signed up for some refresher lessons. I’m getting better, back to what I used to be. I also signed up for some jujitsu lessons. Knowing that both Manny and Diego had skills in two disciplines helped me realize that I needed to step it up.” He smiled. “I was thinking of things in terms of PIPs and HR talks and Manny said to trash that. He’s right. If I’d been able to take Liam on the mats, I could have put an end to that ‘dumbass’ situation long ago.”
Nope. That won’t work. Damn. I guess Hector is going to be my physical threat for a little while longer.
“It helps that Manny and Diego won’t tolerate disrespect of me either. They’re quick to take the men to the mats for insubordination. So I’ve been taking men to the mats more and more, which is good for me and them. Diego told me that the men were confused about who was the leader here. They’re holding me up, but they’ll leave at some point and I have to make sure the men are never confused again.”
I nod. Yeah, that’s pretty much Hector’s role. I need to think on this more. I still look like a weak leader. Javier is getting stronger. I need to come up with something.
“I also spent time in each department here, riding along with the men, doing their job. It helped me see what they go through and it gave them an opportunity to talk to me one on one. I didn’t really do it before because I was so caught up in trying to keep the branch afloat but I’ve learned that, in some cases, the info on the ground is different from the reports. Not huge things, just nuances that don’t translate well on paper. Having leadership I can trust means I’m not as isolated. I can trust them to hold the office while I look at the ground, so to speak. In any case, I’ve had a chance to write down things I noticed and think about some ideas, but I haven’t made any decisions yet.”
Interesting. “Like what?”
Javier fidgets for a moment. “Well, the one thing I keep reminding Manny and Diego is that NYC is a different beast. What works in other parts of the country may not necessarily work here. So, our traditional portfolio of residential and commercial monitoring is great, but I’m thinking about the usefulness of Bonds Enforcement.”
I frown. That’s a money maker all over the company. Javier notices my face and smiles.
“Yeah, you’re wondering why I might want to drop it.” I nod. “The expenditures outweigh the costs at the moment. It may be because I need more men or it may be that we’re taking too long to bring them back into the system. Anyway, we used to be fourth in the company in captures. We’re last now, thanks to Danny.” He grins. “I need another skip tracing workshop here if we keep it. Thanks to you, we’ve gotten better but still, there’s room for improvement.”
I groan. Zip is gonna kill me. Javier laughs.
“I’d like to ramp up ‘redecorating work’ to offset it. I’m getting calls from as far away as Nassau County for that and it’s growing. NYC’s crackdown on panhandlers and drug addicts means these people have nowhere to go, so they’re taking over abandoned property. I’ve had a 500% increase in those requests.”
Wow. That’s huge. “How long do you think it will last?”
He shrugs. “Dunno. I mean, the crackdown started under Giuliani, and has just exploded since the financial crisis. It’s insane. I couldn’t handle it before because I didn’t have enough men, but in the last four weeks I’ve been able to make major bank from that using the men I was loaned.”
Hmm . . . OK, so just because it works one place doesn’t mean it has to be a core offering everywhere. I need to think about that.
“OK, so what’s your plan now?”
Javi sits back and grimaces. “Well, I have a lot of options thanks to Diego and Manny, and I need to make some decisions. I’m weighing each option and looking at alternatives. I’m really trying to get more information.”
I nod. I know that feeling. There’s a knock on the door and Javi answers. Hector, Diego, and Manny walk in, looking confused.
“We were looking for you two on 5A,” Diego says, smiling.
“Been here the entire time. What’s up?” I ask.
“Cena,” (dinner) Hector says, rubbing his belly. I smile. I know that word.
“Necesito una ducha,” (I need a shower) I reply, miming a shower. Hector rolls his eyes exaggeratedly and shoos me to the bathroom. I can hear the conversation behind me.
“The CO is learning Spanish?” Manny asks.
“We’re partners. She can’t remeda for the rest of her life. Basic stuff. Hungry, sleepy, bathroom, that man has a gun,” the men laugh, “things that will make our partnership easier. She is luchando para learn it.”
This isn’t correct. Hector says I’m doing really well but he wants to keep the expectations low until after Miami. He doesn’t want Miami to guess at my proficiency. Much easier to eavesdrop that way. What’s remeda? Mime? I need to look that up. That Spanish-English dictionary was a great investment.
“I expect that the CO’s language lessons will not travel beyond this room.” I can hear the threat in Hector’s voice and I smile.
Even with a broken shoulder, Hector is still scary.
Brooklyn is a foodie paradise and this poses a problem for the guys. I shouldn’t be eating this stuff, but . . . I mean, who goes to NYC, to Brooklyn and doesn’t get a slice? Hector is biting his lip not to laugh by the fourth one, and Javier and Diego are looking at me in shock. Manny is shifting. Sarah is matching me slice for slice.
“Er . . . CO? Steph?” Manny asks. I glare.
“Don’t even suggest it. Do you know how long it’s been since I had anything from Pino’s? A slice in NYC just barely tops them, and I’m eating pizza till I pop. Sarah can make me pay for it tomorrow.” I take another bite and moan. She grins.
“You better believe it, Plum. You’re looking at serious cardio right there.”
Oh well. I shrug. “There’s something in the water they use to make the crust,” I mutter. “It just can’t be beat.”
Hector laughs, tears running down his face. Manny sits back and bites his lip.
“Let her have her fun today. It’s been months since she’s had a pizza. Don’t ruin it for her,” Hector says. Javier translates and I nod.
“Right. Don’t ruin this for me.”
Hector proceeds to do just that by pointing at the salad I was steadfastly ignoring. He glares until I eat the entire bowl. Just for that, I have another slice, but I have to call it quits. The useless salad took up valuable real estate in my stomach. Diego and Javier look at each other and start chuckling, then laughing. The tears are running down their faces, and Sarah and I are sitting back with happy smiles.
“What?” Sarah asks.
Diego wipes his eyes. “We heard the CO was good to put away a plate or two, but damn! I’m so used to watching Ranger deliberate a salad I forgot what it was like to watch a CO eat. Watching Steph reminds you to enjoy the damn meal.” He smiles at me and I’m reminded to check the RangeMan contract for the physical attributes clause. “Hell, I’m so used to watching Miami women pretend they’re not hungry I forgot what it was like to watch a woman eat.”
Javier wipes his eyes. “NYC women, man. If they’re in Manhattan, they’ve never seen a lettuce leaf they haven’t wished was lower in fat and calories.” He shakes his head. “It’s why I don’t date Manhattan chicks. If I’m paying for the meal, you’re eating it, dammit. Gimme a Bronx sista who likes her yucca frites and tostones any day.”
I grin. “Damn skippy. What’s that? Sounds good, like dinner.”
Everyone at the table looks at each other and laughs.
Remeda: Mime
Luchando para: struggling to
