Wreckless ( Ddlb ) *Complete*

News

Finnegan:

Yesterday was Monday. Yesterday was three weeks from the day I submitted our bids. No news is bad news. I talked to Megan yesterday and again just now, I've kept her on payroll out of my own pocket for several reasons but it boils down to the simple fact that she's the best administrative assistant I've ever had and good ones are never out of work. She will have another job within a week if I have to let her go and when there was any chance at all of me going back, I kept her.

She told me to keep my head up and keep hoping, that this is in fact the third week and we're dealing with the military who is used to running on their own schedule. I decide to give them until Friday. This weekend, if I must, I will talk to Emmett. I'm dreading it.

At dinner, my father tells me that a new site has been identified and looks good. Once that site is a go we'll work on selling the Baltimore plant. The new factory is in better shape he says although smaller. It's in a little town near Little Rock, Arkansas. All I know of Arkansas is Bill Clinton and the fact that it is very, very southern. Southern to me is scary. Southerners vote for Trump, shoot black guys for jogging through their neighborhoods and definitely don't approve of gays. Yes, I know it's judgmental. Yes I know some southerners are wonderful people. Still, look at who they elect. Look at the laws that are passed. The percentages are not on my side. Michigan is too redneck for me and I can't even fathom what Arkansas will be like. Maybe no worse. That would be a win.

My sister rolls into town on Wednesday and it is very good to see her. She's younger than me and halfway through law school. Having us both in town means that mom goes above and beyond and makes a huge pot of coddle and homemade bread. We drink, reminisce and laugh and I desperately need all three.

Right before lunch on Thursday I get a call from Megan. We have mail. Mail that she had to sign for. Mail from the DoD. I tell her to open it as I run to my room for some privacy. I'm silently begging her to hurry up when she whispers "Another currier. What do I do?"

Why is she whispering? "Do? Go get it, I'll hold." I mentally go through her getting up from her desk, going to the glass door that separates my office suite from the rest of the building, chit chatting and then signing. She should be back at her desk now. Now. Fine, now. MEGAN.

"Mr. Walker, it's just like the other set. So weird to see something not addressed to Walker Industries."

We either got both contracts or the DoD sends very nice, very expensive rejection letters. "Open one, please, I'm freaking out."

"You never freak out, okay, I'm skimming." She doesn't know the half of it. Of me.  "We got it!"

I feel like she's speaking Chinese. I hear her and understand but my brain takes a second to compute. We got them. I can't believe it. "I will have someone from legal come pick them up this afternoon. I need you to scan and send me every page first."   I have a lot of reading to do.

"No problem."

"And Megan?"

"Yes Mr. Walker?"

"This is just the beginning; now the hard work starts. Once legal comes by you can take the rest of the day off." I need to call Emmett.

"Thank you. When are you coming back to the office?"

I have no idea. Some quick calculations happen and "Monday" pops out of my mouth. There's just one slight problem though, one small thing left to do before then. I have to talk to my father. I have to tell him I went behind his back and that I want to go back to Baltimore and rebuild so that we can help the government by supplying circuit boards for their radar systems and drones. He has to approve because even with two DoD contracts I can't go back and rebuild without him giving me a good bit of money, manpower and help.

Securing the two contracts that Megan is currently emailing me was truly the easy part, as hard as it was. Now I have to get my father's blessing. Then I have to rebuild the factory to new, tighter specs to meet DoD guidelines. We need to be up and running, the sooner the better, to fill these contracts on time because I'm only going to get one chance.

I want to call Emmett and tell him that my plan worked. That I can come back. I can be there Saturday and we can have time before the chaos begins.

But I can't. Not until I talk to my father. Still, he needs to know I'm still trying, that things are moving.

FW4: EM! We got two contracts. Still a lot of hurdles on this end but things look much better today. I know you said 3 weeks but I need a few more days, please? I miss you.

So much is wrapped in those three last words. I hover over the button and finally hit send. I don't expect an answer right away but I get one.

Daddy: Sounds like good news. I can wait. As long as there's a chance I'll wait. Miss you too.