From Nothing to Norton

Chapter 12 Fire Under the Roof

Newton and Drax swiftly made their way back to the mansion, entering through the open gate.

Inside the compound, a commotion unfolded as men engaged in heated arguments.

Newton noticed Grinch being questioned by his father, Mr. Norton, near the entrance.

Opting not to park his car in the garage, Newton chose to leave it in front of a water fountain at the center of the compound and hurried to his father's side.

Curious about the situation, Newton asked his father, "What's happening?"

Mr. Norton's face reflected concern as he replied, "The Lee's body was discovered behind a bush a few hours ago."

Taken aback by this revelation, Newton surveyed the surroundings, sensing the tense atmosphere among the men.

Unable to locate Drax, he assumed his friend must have parked the car in the garage.

Observing Grinch depart from his father's side, Newton approached Mr. Norton.

"What do we do now?" he inquired.

Mr. Norton responded solemnly, "Well, we must prepare for the worst. The Lees will undoubtedly seek revenge for this... Although I never intended for it to come to this, now that it has happened, we must face the consequences and be ready."

Newton realized that the same person who had released Mr. Belson, leading to his tragic demise, was present among them.

Grinch's voice interrupted their conversation, calling out, "Here he is, boss."

Grinch had returned, accompanied by the boy who had been falsely accused and imprisoned.

Mr. Norton regarded the boy with sympathy, expressing his regret, "I'm sorry about this. You were wrongly accused. The true betrayer has struck again, and Mr. Belson has been killed."

A tear welled up in the boy's eye as he replied, "I told you I couldn't betray you, boss."

Mr. Norton remained silent, offering a comforting pat on the boy's shoulder, before turning to retreat inside.

Grinch interjected, "What's our next move, Boss?"

Mr. Norton's response was curt, "We wait. We do nothing until we uncover the identity of the betrayer. You still haven't found him."

Grinch lowered his head, casting a glance in Newton's direction, and then bid his farewell, "I'm leaving now, boss."

Newton accompanied his father to his private living room, seeking further understanding.

"Why would anyone benefit from killing Mr. Belson?" he inquired, puzzled by the motive.

Mr. Norton let out a sigh of frustration and replied, "I don't know, son. Perhaps they hold a personal grudge against Mr. Belson. But that senseless vendetta is on the verge of igniting a gang war!" His frustration peaked as he flung his cell phone towards the large television, resulting in a crack down the middle.

Amidst the tense atmosphere, the ringing of Mr. Norton's phone shattered the silence.

The caller on the other end was Grinch.

"Boss, we received a call from Mr. Lee. He claims to have one of our men."

Cursing under his breath, Mr. Norton reacted with anger, "What? Damn that son of a bitch!" He instinctively raised his hand to throw the phone again but halted, realizing he hadn't retrieved the first one he had thrown.

"Shit. Tell that bastard not to take any irreversible actions. What does he want?"

"He didn't specify, sir. He simply informed us that he has one of our men," Grinch relayed the message.

Newton listened intently to their conversation, absorbing every detail.

"Okay, instruct each captain to contact all the boys under their command. Let me know who has been taken," Mr. Norton commanded, determined to get to the bottom of the situation.

"Understood, sir," Grinch acknowledged before ending the call.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Mr. Norton turned his gaze affectionately towards Newton.

"Son, we need to take immediate action, I mean right now," he urgently emphasized the importance of their next moves.

Newton remained silent, fully grasping the gravity of the situation.

"I've called the lawyer, and he'll be here soon," Mr. Norton informed his son, revealing his plan of action.

Just as they absorbed this information, a call came in, interrupting their conversation.

*beep* *beep*

"Boss... There is a man at the gate. He is neatly dressed, short, with a mustache, bald, and thin, holding a leather bag. Are you expecting someone?" Grinch's voice came through the phone, detailing the visitor's appearance.

Mr. Norton paused, recognizing the description as that of his lawyer.

"Let him in," Mr. Norton promptly instructed, confident in his decision.

In a matter of moments, the lawyer was escorted into the room by three imposing, muscular men.

Without wasting any time, Mr. Norton proceeded to sign over the Norton Corporation and all its assets to Newton. Swiftly, he wrote his signature and handed the documents to his son.

Newton followed suit, adding his signature to the papers, acknowledging the weight of the responsibility now placed upon him.

As the lawyer prepared to return the documents to his bag, the three men who had brought him in promptly escorted him out.

Curiosity overwhelming him, Newton questioned his father as soon as they were alone, "What was all that about?"

"You are now The Norton, son. Everything has been handed over to you. And I have a feeling it will be sooner than later," Mr. Norton responded, his words carrying a weight of seriousness.

Feeling a surge of fear, Newton sought to reassure his father, "Nothing bad is going to happen to you, Dad," though an undercurrent of anxiety remained.

Mr. Norton smiled warmly, his eyes adjusting as he lit his cigar. "Yes, your father is tougher than a badger," he quipped, attempting to alleviate some of the tension.

*Beep* *Beep*

Once again, the phone interrupted their conversation.

"Boss, you said all your men were accounted for. The Lees might be bluffing," Grinch's voice echoed through the phone.

"No, he's not bluffing. I know him. Double-check again. Someone must be missing," Mr. Norton responded, his voice filled with certainty.

"Nobody's missing, boss. I'm sure of it. They are all fine," Grinch reported.

"Okay," Mr. Norton replied before abruptly ending the call. He remained convinced that the Lees had indeed taken someone, but the question remained: who?

Newton gazed across the table at his father, observing the weariness in his eyes. He longed to uplift his father's spirits and contribute to finding a solution to their predicament. His love for his father had deepened, and he held him dear.

"How about we go to the shooting range?" Newton suggested, a spark of enthusiasm lighting up his face.

"Not now, son... I'm in a tight spot here. You should be thinking of solutions to these problems. Don't you realize you're the boss now?" his father responded, acknowledging the weight of their circumstances.

Determined to stand his ground, Newton persisted. In the past, he had often yielded to his father's arguments, but this time he aimed to sway his father's perspective.

"Yes, but sitting here won't solve anything. Why don't we release some tension with target practice?" Newton countered.

His father paused, considering the proposition.

"Fine. If you insist," he finally relented.

"Mary, you've given birth to a stubborn one," Mr. Norton muttered to himself as he walked out with Newton, heading towards the shooting range.

With two golden pistols in hand, Newton skillfully aimed at different practice targets, hitting the center circles with precision.

"You're quite the sharpshooter, son," his father remarked, acknowledging Newton's impressive marksmanship.

Mr. Norton retrieved an Uzi and proceeded to unleash a relentless stream of bullets upon the practice targets, reducing the wooden objects to pieces.

Removing his earmuffs, he looked smugly at Newton and asked, "How about that?"

Still amazed by the destruction, Newton couldn't help but comment, "But you didn't hit the target!"

His father erupted into laughter.

"I hit all the targets, son. I was ruthless," he declared proudly, reveling in the display of firepower.

Shaking his head in disbelief, Newton chuckled.

His father continued to laugh, sharing in the moment of lightheartedness.

As Newton holstered his weapons, he watched his father's laughter and realized that his father was now happier.