HEADS TURNED AT the loud, guttural sound as Jon's car sped down the street. His phone rang as he swerved into a street, he tapped at a screen on his dashboard. The phone was connected to the car. Lucas's voice came through the speaker, "How's it going, Jonathan?" He asked. "I've left the hospital," Jon replied. "Is she going to be alright?" Lucas asked."Yeah, the doctors said she'll help fine," Jon said. Lucas sighed in relief, "That's good to hear. I'll speak with you when you get back home.""Wait… there's one more thing," Jon said. "Yeah?""She said something," Jon pressed his horn at some people crossing the road. "She said it wasn't an accident." "What do you mean?" Lucas asked. A second later, it dawned on him, "Someone was responsible?" Jon made a sound from his throat in agreement. "Did she say who?" Lucas asked. Jon made that same sound. "Who?""Maxim Ivanov!" Jon spat the name out. His tires screeched as he swerved into another street and accelerated. "Oh God!" Lu
"DAMN, MAXIM. Did you get run over by a truck?" Antonio asked. Maxim snorted and brushed past him. He looked around, the toen wallpaper and untidy corridor had been fixed. "I like what you've done with the place," Maxim muttered. "You should see the music room now," Antonio said, "I would have taken you there but it looks like you have more pressing matters at hand." His eyes went to the ice pack in Maxim's hand. Maxim chuckled. He caught the joke. "But seriously, Maxim," Antonio said, "What happened to you? A truck?" He asked again. "Yeah, more or less," Maxim muttered. He collected the drink that was offered to him and took a small drink before saying, "I was hit by the truck of Jonathan's rage." "Which Jonathan?" Antonio asked. "How many Jonathans do you know?" Maxim snapped. "I met a Jonathan in Madrid last year. Lovely fellow, you know. You would like him," Antonio counted off his fingers, "Then I met another Jonathan in Germany the year before that. Was it Jonathan or ju
JON WAS VERY tempted to reverse and turn back to Maxim's house and beat an answer out of the Russian. The track skipped and the voices were scratchy at some points so Jon could not hear what was being said. He took out the tape and put it in his pocket. He was going to get an answer by any means. He was going to cryptically ask Vincent if there was any way to get the content of a destroyed castle tape. If anyone knows how to do it, Vincent would surely know the person. But now at the moment, he was here to give a little ghetto town some hope of a brighter future. He stopped and parked at the edge of the community. He got out and looked around, the sun was high and harsh. Squinting against the light, he closed the door, locking it securely and then putting on dark sunshades. As he made his way into the ghetto, he noted that things were not any better than the last time he was here. And he remembered that Miguel had told him that a big man – no doubt Maxim – was willing to employ them
JON DROVE NONSTOP and got to the hospital in record time. He parked just outside the ER and walked up to the nurse's desk. The nurse gave him a bright smile and greeted, "Mr. Stone. How may I help you today?" Jon returned the smile and said, "I am here to see someone. Nicole Bishop." The nurse nodded and flipped through the papers in her front, "Miss Bishop is found well. She was transferred from the intensive care unit to a private room on the second floor." Jon released a breath of relief. Nicole, being transferred meant that she was over the worst. "What room is she?" The nurse gave Jon a thick card. Printed on it was the floor and room number. Jon nodded at her and walked up to the elevator. He got in with a couple of nurses and dropped off on the second floor. As he walked down the hallway, he kept muttering the room number, like that would make him find the room faster.Nicole's room was at the far end of the hallway, and Jon was thankful that none of her parents were ther
IT HAD BEEN two days since Jon left his mansion in New Jersey. To him, it was like New Jersey was the base of the Stone Empire and not New York as his father said. He simply had too many ties to this city. But this morning, he had woken up with an urge to check on the tower and even call in New York. He had to apologize to Vincent for delaying his retirement. After a quick breakfast and a text to Luke, he got into the already waiting limo and Luke drove him to the tower. They came to a stop in the underground garage of the tower. Jon rode the elevator directly to the top floor and came out. Oliver was waiting for him at the top. "What's going on, Oliver?" Jon asked, walking briskly down the hall and to his office. Oliver hustled beside Jon, fumbling with some papers in his hands before saying, "I got hold of a building contractor.""Hmm," Jon said without stopping or slowing down. Oliver held open the office door for him to enter before following and saying, "I set an appointment
JON WAS STARTING to turn and walk out when the call was answered in New York. "Hello Vincent," Lucas said cooly. Jon paused at the door as he listened to the call. "Everything is alright here. Yes yes, the accident was terrible news and it is in fact related to why I called you," He paused and listened to what Vincent said. Then he gave a hearty laugh and said, "No no, It was not Jonathan in the car… and he is not in a hospital. Matter of fact, he is here with me, but still, we might have to snag on your retirement plan for a while." Lucas kept quiet and listened. Then he looked up at Jon who still stood by the door and gave a small nod. Jon raised an eyebrow in question, Lucas held the phone from his ear and said, "He wants to speak to you." "Why did you tell him I was here?" Jon muttered as he collected the phone. "Master Stone," Vincent's voice came through the line. "Vincent," Jon replied. "It was a relief to hear that you were not involved in the accident." Jon wanted to
"BY THE SHOCKED look on your face, I am guessing that they are not your bodyguards," Aaron said without any worries in his voice. Jon shook his head. "No, they are not." Aaron sighed but didn't say anything more. He put his arm along the headrest of Aaron Jr.'s seat like he was trying to shield his son from whatever it was that was out there. Jon did not need to think hard to guess who had put the tail on him. It was obviously Maxim Ivanov and Antonio Orsatti. He sucked in a breath through his mouth and whipped out his phone. He dialed a number and said, "Hello, Lucas… I am being followed." "Followed?" Lucas asked, "What do you mean by that?" "I mean, there is a fu–" He glanced at Aaron Jr. by his side and met the eyes of Aaron, " – fudging car following me. A brown sedan with two guys in it." "How do you know?" Lucas asked. "My guest saw them from the moment we left the tower," Jon explained. "For fuck's sake," Lucas swore. "There's a kid beside me," Jon said. "Is the call
THEY GOT TO the tower a half hour later. Luke parked near a large pickup truck. Aaron and Aaron Jr. got out. "So, is there any agreement that I would need to sign?" Aaron asked, standing near the front of the truck. Jon got out of his car and said, "Yes, I assume there might be," He nodded at the truck, "She yours?" Aaron nodded proudly and laughed, "Do you have anyone in this tower that looks like they can handle this?" Jon thought for a while and shook his head. "I thought as much," Aaron laughed and slapped the car's bonnet lightly. "When your crew arrives," Jon said, "I will have the contract ready for you to sign." Aaron nodded, "Deal." He hopped into the car beside his son and started the engine smoothly. The loud rumbling of the engine filled the quiet garage. "See you soon, Mr. Stone," Aaron called as he drove off. Jon nodded as he watched the car leave the garage. He collected the documents that Maria had signed from Luke and he rode the elevator to his office floor.
"HOW ARE YOU feeling today?" Jon asked as they left the hospital. His hand was around Nicole's waist, supporting her as they walked out with her nurse in tow. "A lot better," Nicole smiled. "That room was starting to feel a little crampy." Jon chuckled. "There is a lot of space where you are going now." Nicole smiled. They got into the waiting limousine and Jon's driver pulled out of the parking lot. It had been a week since Maxim fled for Russia and things had been relatively quiet. There were no talks about assassins or attempted murders anymore. For Jon, the only annoying part was Antonio Orsatti, strutting around like a peacock. He had to do something about him. But what? He asked himself. "What are you thinking about?" Nicole's voice drew Jon back to the present. He shook his head. "Nothing, nothing. I'm excited you are coming home with me." Nicole gave him a knowing smile and said. "Maxim is behind us now."Jon coughed out a laugh. "Why said anything about Maxim?" He as
JON DROVE TO the hospital parked, at the end of the lot and sat in the car, taking deep breaths and calming himself. He ran his hands over the steering wheel. There was a loud whine of an engine behind him. He turned to see a Porsche squeal into the parking lot some yards away from him. He turned to see Antonio get out of the car. He flipped a loose strand of his long hair behind his ear. He put on sunshades and then walked into the hospital. Jon was in awe of what Antonio was doing here. "What the fuck?" Jon muttered under his breath. "When did they even release him?" He asked himself. He wanted to follow Antonio and confront him about what he was doing here, but he decided to wait it out and see how it played out. He did not have to wait for long because, after a few minutes, he saw Antonio coming back out. Jon opened his car door and folded himself out. Antonio was taken aback for half a second when he saw Jon standing in the parking lot. He looked hesitant to approach Jon bu
THE MANSION WAS lit up with sirens the following morning. A servant tapped on Jon's door to wake him up. He brushed his teeth, washed his face, and went down in his pajamas. Alex Brandon and Mirtovic stood in his grand foyer. He stepped out just at the same time as Vincent, who was a little more formally dressed than Jon. "Head director," Vincent nodded at Mitrovic, and then he turned to Brandon, "Head director," he nodded again. "To what do I owe this surprise?" Jon asked dryly. Lucas came out of his suite and eyed the men. If looks could kill, both Mitrovic and Alex would have dropped dead. "Have a seat and drinks maybe," Mitrovic said. Jon snorted and led them into the study room. Lucas poured out 5 glasses of Whiskey. Vincent declined his, "A little too early for alcohol. Don't you think?" Jon nodded in agreement. He collected the glass from Lucas but did not drink it. "What do you have to tell us?" Mitrovic took a drink from his cup before saying, "News just got to us.
"YOU CAN GO in now, Mister Stone." Jon stood up and gave a small nod at the FBI agents who had spoken to him. He walked into the room to see Lucas seated. Lucas looked up and gave a smile that did not reach his eyes. "I told you something would happen," Lucas said when Jon came in. "They screwed it up, didn't they?" Jon nodded. He paced the small room and massaged his eye socket. "You should call Vincent," Lucas said. Jon stopped and looked at Lucas like he was about to argue. But then he nodded again, "I will. What were the charges against you? Why did they bring you in?"Lucas scoffed. "Did they need to have a reason?" He asked back. "I saw the way the Brandon guy looked at me that first time, he wanted to bring me in from there." Jon didn't have anything to say to that. So he sighed and said, "I am going to get you out of here." Lucas nodded as Jon left the room. He got back into his car and sped out of the parking lot. His mind was spinning as he drove into the mansion. H
IT WAS ONE importance of having numerous contacts in every area of the world. One of his contacts had informed him of the incoming arrest. Maxim had been in the kitchen, making himself breakfast when he received a text from his contact saying that there was a big arrest of a Russian coming the next day, all the bosses in the head offices were riled up and prepared. That was all the heads up that Maxim needed. He tossed the eggs into the trash can and left the house without even parking a bag. Just his car key and the clothes on his body. He hopped into his G-wagon and drove gently – He didn't overspeed. Nothing to catch their attention – to the airport. He told his pilot to take a one way flight to Russia immediately but that was not possible. The pilot had told him that the fuel wouldn't carry them nonstop, so they had to make a stop in France to refuel, before making the last half of the journey. That sounded fine. He just wanted to be out of New Jersey when the FBI came knockin
JON HAD A very short night. He woke up 3 hours after he closed his eyes, and his eyes remained open. After lying prone for a long time, he turned and glanced at the bedside clock. It was 6 a.m. "I might as well prepare for my flight back to New Jersey," He muttered as he threw the covers back and swung his leg over the edge of the bed. He grunted to his feet and went to the bathroom. He stepped into the cold shower to wake him up for the morning. After washing up, he headed downstairs where the maids were already setting the table. Vincent had told them last night that the big boss was going to leave very early the following morning, so they had to wake early to make sure he is well taken care of.Jon took a seat at the dining table and nodded as his meal was served. "Have one of you get my bags from my room upstairs," He said to a servant boy who nodded and headed up immediately to get the bag. Jon took a bite of his breakfast and then turned to another servant nearby, "Go knock o
JON COULD NOT believe his ears. He stood on the port deck and watched the distance as Chambers approached their closest ship docked in the open sea. "Did you hear what I said, Master Stone?" Vincent asked. Jon nodded and said, "I just need some time to process the information." Vincent nodded and held his hand behind his back. He let Jon mull over the information in silence. After a few minutes, Jon asked, "Are they going in hot?" Vincent nodded, "Frok what he told me, They've got the FBI and Interpol with them. I don't see any way Maxim Ivanov would escape his arrest." "Lucas seems to think they'll screw it up somehow."Vincent gave a sad chuckle. "Your stepbrother has always had a pessimistic outlook. But I want you to see the bright side." Jon nodded, "By tomorrow, everything will be over. Maxim will be behind bars or facing trial snd my fiance will be safe again." Vincent nodded. "Yes. You should be glad."Jon was not sure how he was feeling. He still had a tugging at the b
JON HAD BEEN flying constantly between New York and New Jersey over the last week. More guards had been stationed from Washington D.C. to his house and office. He had a fleet of 8 large vessels now and was finally going to speak with Miguel about the trading routes. He was just finishing a cup of coffee when Oliver popped into his office. "Sir, there's someone here to see you," He said. Jon raised an eyebrow, "Who is it?" Oliver cane in and closed the door gently behind him. He cleared his throat and said, "She said she's from the NBC news station. They want to run a story on you." Jon was surprised. "Me?" He asked. Oliver nodded. "Personally, I don't like the media. I can turn her away if you like. The desk downstairs held her." Jon swiveled on his chair and thought aboht it. Then he shook his head and said, "No. Let her up." Oliver nodded dutifully and walked out. Jon shook his head and smiled wryly. He picked up his telephone and called Lucas's office. He was answered wit
IT WAS ALMOST a week since Jon went to see Mitrovic with the evidence. The past week has moved in a blur and it had been relatively calm. There was no assassination attempt, no faked accident. It was just a week of business, visiting Nicole, staying in constant communications with New York, and handling things in New Jersey.Jon was at the office when Oliver walked in, "I just secured another deal for a large vessel." "Hmm," Jon nodded. "That makes it the seventh.""Yes, sir.""How much did this one go for?" Jon asked. "Uh, 120 million dollars," "Is it worth it?" Jon asked. Oliver nodded. "Yes, yes. For sure." "Okay then," Jon rubbed his palms together. "Have it sailed and docked in New York. I will be headed there by the end of this week. I'll have the workers ready too." Oliver nodded. "We would need a sea line plotter," Jon paused and looked up, "What do you mean?" Oliver cleared his throat, "We'll, sir. They can't just be roaming the free waters like some pirates. They nee