Knight's Call Part 2

            By eight, Michael had dressed, eaten and made his way to his office in the east wing of the house.  He had another office downtown for official functions and to meet with clients, but after thwarting a third kidnapping attempt, Gavin and Gabriel had cornered Hunter and given their professional opinion that it would be much better, not to mention a lot less stressful, for everyone if Michael moved his main workspace into the family’s domain.  Gavin had put it into his usual blunt terms.

            “Either make room for him here, or there will come a day when Michael won’t come home because he’s too stubborn to give the kind of jackals who’d grab him what they want, and they’d end up killing him.”

            That had decided Hunter, and Michael had a secured lab set up to his exact specification within a week.  This is where Michael headed once he was done with breakfast.  Whereas Gabriel and Gavin specialized in physical security, specifically bodyguard services and personal security, Michael handled electronic security.  He designed and oversaw the installation of security systems, as well as computer security.  He had a number of clients all over the world, from England to India, in addition to his numerous state-side clients.  This morning, his first order of business that morning was a call to the owner of a small antique shop in London.

            Michael was rather particular about who he agreed to sell his products and services to, so all prospective buyers and their employees were required to go through an extensive and intensive background  and criminal history check.  Since his system had never been beaten, nor his encryptions cracked, businesses were willing to go through the lengthy, often invasive, process, but between his, as well as his brothers’, contacts on both sides of the legal line, very little escaped his attention.   James McGregor, the owner of the antique business had easily passed all the background checks, and Michael was looking forward to the video call to the elderly Scottish gentleman to make arrangements for an in person visit to his store to begin the process of individualizing the security system for his exact needs and set-up.  This was the second reason Michael’s system was in such demand; it blended in seamlessly to any location.  More than once Michael had been asked, only half teasingly, if Michael had used magic to disguise his additions, so well integrated into the environment were they.

            Normally this was the point in the transaction where Michael handed the account to one of his hand-picked representatives to take over managing the account.  From day one, however, there had been something about McGregor that had just drawn Michael in, despite their differences in age and occupation.  Besides, Michael liked the older man’s snarky, sharp-tongued manner.  Calling up his video conferencing program, Michael dialed the now familiar number, and in mere moments a familiar grizzled face appeared on his screen.

            McGregor was in his sixties, though his ramrod straight posture and clear blue eyes belied his age.  His silver hair, what little there was, was cut short in a no-nonsense style.  With a tan, rather weather-beaten face, he wasn’t exactly the typical image of successful antiques dealer, but Michael was quite familiar with the sharp mind that had made McGregor the success he was.

            “Good morning, you old goat,” Michael said with a cheeky grin.

            “That’d be good afternoon, y’upstart colonial,” McGregor growled back good-naturedly, his Scottish accent making his words just shy of being unintelligible.  “What can I do for you this fine day?”

            “Not that it’s any surprise to you, but your background checks all came back clear, so we are ready to make the arrangements for one of my people to visit your store to get a feel for the layout and set up,” Michael told him.  Then, following an urge he couldn’t explain, Michael said, “No, change that.  I will personally handle the initial evaluation.”

            “Don’t get me wrong lad, I’d love to meet you in person, but isn’t a little unusual for the boss to handle this kind of job? I thought you had lackeys to handle the mundane details.   At least, that’s what I seem to recall from the sales pitch.”

            “In most cases, yes, but I wouldn’t want any of my people scared off by having to deal with a sour old curmudgeon like you,” Michael said.  “I’ve worked too hard to break them in just how I want them.”

            “A curmudgeon I might be,” McGregor shot back, “but I’ll show you old and sour, you young know-it-all.”  Then, in a more serious tone, “I’ve been around for a long time, boyo, and you’re not fooling me any.  You’ve got something weighing on you.”

            Immediately, an image of the book from him dream flashed through Michael’s mind, accompanied by a drive to find it so fierce it was almost like a fist in the gut, coupled with the knowing that it was essential he visit McGregor’s shop.  Fighting, and most likely failing, to keep the distress off his face, Michael opened his mouth to reassure his friend all was well, when he surprised himself when, instead, he said, “I had some rather urgent personal business come up last night that is bringing me your way anyway, so I figured I could kill two birds with one stone.”

            Not completely mollified, but recognizing the younger man wasn’t going to share anymore, the Scotsman replied, “Then just let me know when you are in town, and I’ll make sure I’m on hand so show you around.”

            “If I can get a flight I hope to be in London by tomorrow, the next day at the latest.”

            “So quickly?”

            Michael flashed him a wry grin.  “Apparently my other business can’t wait.”

            “Well, like I said, just let me know the details and I’ll arrange to show you around.”

            “Will do,” Michael said affectionately.  “See you soon, old timer.”

            “Take care of yourself, runt.”

            After ending the video call, Michael picked up the phone and dialed his secretary’s number.  Ms. Meredith Greene was about Hunter’s age, and had only been working for him for about a month.  His brother hadn’t cared for his previous secretary, and after a lot of back and forth with his youngest brother, had convinced Michael to allow him to find him a “proper” secretary.  Ostensibly, Meredith was what Hunter considered an appropriate replacement.

            “Meredith, I need a flight to London for sometime in the next two days; commercial will have to do.  Don’t bother with a car, though; I’ll take a taxi as needed in town.  However, I will be making a stop in Newcastle, and will need a car there.”

            “A commercial flight, sir?  Wouldn’t you rather wait until your brothers return with the family jet?”

            “Can’t wait,” Michael told her.  “Last time I talked to Gavin, he wasn’t sure exactly sure when he and Gabriel were coming back from Germany.”

            “Very well, sir.  Anything else?”

            “Once you have the details, let Mr. McGregor know, and tell him I will call him once I’m on the ground to arrange a time to meet him.  Also, let the staff at the London house know I will be there, one, likely two, nights, so arrange for the car to be available on that second day. Oh, and make my return flight from Edinburgh.  I have some personal business in Scotland to take care of before I return home.”

            He spent the next few minutes hashing out the details of the trip with his secretary, when she mentioned something about letting Hunter know his plans.

            “There’s no need to tell Hunter I’m going.  I’ll only be gone three, four days at the most, and I will keep Gabriel and Gavin informed of my whereabouts.”

            “I’m sorry, sir, but part of my contract is that I am to keep him informed of any plans to be gone longer than overnight.”

            I’m not eight and having a sleep-over at a friend’s house, Michael wanted to point out to her, though he knew it wasn’t her fault his oldest brother was ridiculously over-protective.  Fortunately, thanks to his other two brothers, he knew a way around his brother’s meddling.

            “Very well,” he conceded, “you may inform Maeghen of my plans.”

            “Sir, my orders are to report directly to Mr. Drake,” Meredith countered.

            “And I, as your employer, am modifying those orders and telling you to inform Maeghen instead.”

            “But…”

            Michael didn’t lose his temper very often, but the meddling of his oldest brother, even when well intended, was enough to push him past his limits.

            “Ms. Greene,” he said, his voice quiet but grim, “the last time I checked, I signed your paycheck.  Now, I won’t countermand my brother; I won’t put you a position of having to choose who to obey, since technically he was the one you hired you, but that doesn’t mean I have to conform to the Hunter Drake play book.  Therefore, since you do work for me, this is how this will happen: you may provide my travel arrangements to Maeghen, Gavin, and Gabriel.  If it becomes necessary, one of them will let Hunter know where I am.  And for future reference, unless otherwise instructed, all future itineraries and travel plans will likewise be copied to the three previously mentioned individuals.  Do we have an understanding?”

            “Yes, sir, “a much subdued Meredith replied.

            “Then, if there is nothing further, I am headed upstairs to pack, and then down to the lab.  Just email me when the plans are settled.”  And with that, he disconnected the call.