Chapter 43 - Traitors III

   Me, Little Lightning, and Elise... went to a couple nice dinners and other similar things. What few women were with these businessmen that streamed in? Sat at another table. The men all had large rectangular tables put together, so they could talk. Some personal, some business. Some lighthearted, some more serious. I got another chance to wear my expensive fuck me heels and the expensive dress we had purchased getting ready for our initial trip. Elise had been prepared for the trip as our secret backup, in the same fashion. Lightning had a nice dress and everything else she sometimes used for the occasional thank you work related dinner, when a project was completed and the outcome was appreciated.

   It felt a little weird. We simply towered and dwarfed all the women. Still, when in Rome. We went to sit with the women. Vladimir excused himself quickly, and came and got the three of us. We were brought over to sit at the table with all the men. When one of the little women came over and said something to I suppose her guy she was with about it, he just looked at her. He pointed at me as I was sitting quite near to him. Actually, he was indicating at my neckline.

   "She's on the horn."

   Then, he smiled, and patted her hand affectionately. And escorted her ever so politely, arm in arm, back to her table. Holding her fingers, to seat her. He did it with great aplomb and high manners. But? She was being politely dismissed, so she might take the hint. I later asked Vladimir quietly. What did on the horn, actually mean.

   "Oh. The little gold sword. That resembles the cross. Our, insignia. We jokingly call it, the Devil's Horn. And so. When a person wears it, and is supposed to be wearing it? They are said, to be... on the horn. You are in business, with your husband. Are you not used to sitting with the men."

   "Actually, at home. There's no... big business meeting, at least not for me. But, at the doughnut shop. The women sit at one table, the guys sit with the chief and the cops at their table. And yeah. I sit with the men."

   "Why."

   "Because. I can't stand most girly girls."

   Vladimir grinned.

   "Is fine. My Betanya? I found her to be beautiful. But, she was not a small and frail woman. You have my apology. If early in our new relationship? You feel I treated you like, little woman."

   I smiled.

   "Its fine. I am a woman. I really don't mind being treated like a lady once in a while."

   "What do you mind, then."

   I sighed.

   "I don't like being ordered around because I have tits."

   "We have women in Russia. That are treated like one of the men. And? Not all of them, are like Elise."

   "Vlad?"

   "Yes."

   "Is it rude of me, to ask about your relationship with Svetlana."

   "Not at all. I have told you. Yuri? Expects that every person in a meeting, gets their opinion. So a decision can be made, with as much information as possible. I was originally? Just a favorite of Yuri. Because I was loyal and could be trusted. With the food and the trucks. But, after fighting? There was nothing left for me. After university? Again. Nothing for me. And so, I follow Yuri."

   "Makes sense."

   "At this time? Yuri, was getting out of... shall we say. The various business adventures he used to be in. And, was getting into his newer ones. For example. The food trucks? Was, one of his newer adventures."

   "He was going more... legitimate."

   "Yes. Yuri always did, conduct only honorable business. But, do not confuse honorable? With one hundred percent... legal."

   "Naturally."

   "And so. Until Yuri got out of some of his... older business adventures. I might oversee things. Freeing up his time, to attend to newer things."

   "Svetlana? Was one of these things."

   "She was. Now. When Yuri finally got out of, shall we say. Svetlana business. Completely. Another man, takes over. After a time, this man was not as capable of a leader, as Yuri was. Things grew loose and weak, perhaps. The competition? Sniffed this lapse in focus and dedication. And the wolves, circled. Among the many things Yuri requires, he makes an effort to not have everyone at clubs, doing drugs and drinking to all hour. Is fine, but not every night."

   "Svetlana ended up on drugs."

   "Yes. When a strong leader leaves, and a weaker leader takes over? This is rarely a good thing. Well. Was good, for enemy."

   "The Bitches, took over some turf."

   "Yes. Yuri is the kind of leader? He sets the good example. He shows loyalty, focus, and dedication. Many people? Do fine, with a leader that leads like this. However, many of these same people? When the example is a poor one. They, do not do so well."

   "Svetlana was one of these people."

   "Yes. Unfortunately. Now. You asked about my relationship. Before Ukraine troubles? Svetlana, was in a village. On Russian side of border. Her husband, set a proper example. And so, she prospered. After her husband was killed in the fighting. She asked me, to take her to Moscow. I did. She was... how to say. Whores, come in many different prices. She was not cheap. She prospered, with Yuri's leadership. But, with the poor example? She did not prosper."

   "Drugs."

   "Yes. Now? You must remember. She was taken. She did not leave of her own free will. But? Fear of Sergei, and the drugs. She stay. But? She never did anything, that was considered disloyal. She is not enemy. She was taken, by enemy."

   Vlad upended his hands. A sort of hand shrug, I suppose.

   "Also? Is not bad thing, to have someone there. If it was thought to be important? We would quietly send someone, to purchase her services. And talk to her."

   "Checking up on things. Information."

   "Yes. In Russia? We have many saying. One saying is. A large man, that does not read many books, and does not play chess? May still be dangerous. But. A small man, that reads many books and plays much chess? Has the potential, to be much more dangerous. Yuri, and men like him? Play chess."

   I'm starting to get the picture. With her and the other girls usefulness greatly lessened? No sense risking open war, just to get some whores ruined on drugs back. But, if she's there anyways... Yuri considers it a piece in play no one notices. Information is power, sometimes. For a little money or drugs now and again? Yuri kept tabs on The Bitches from the inside. As Vlad had stated briefly before. No focus, no dedication... but with only simple loyalty? She was a  potential asset.

   Yuri, is some Russian equivalent of Uncle Mikey, or Panic. Cheap asset. Great location. And, this girl just paid off big time.

   It seemed to be some custom for the men to go up to the bar, and order drinks for the people around them at their end of the table. Vladimir made it a habit, to always take my fingers and then my arm, to escort me up with him. He's quite a gentleman, and has high manners when he wants to use them. He's also fully capable of devious planning and ruthless execution. Chopping up dirty murdering traitorous police, for instance. By sneaking in with stolen uniforms.

   My early hunch is proven spot on yet again. He's a lot like Panic. He fits right in with his surroundings. Like Wizzy always did. Drunken football players at a party, serious Army guys at fighting practice, the computer crew. Or, even around a townhouse full of girls, cooking and picking up. Wiz just blended into his surroundings and seemed as if he belonged. Panic has this trait as well.

   The one thing I'm not noticing out of the men around this big set of tables. There's none of that... bragging, one up thing going back and forth. A billion, is a thousand one millions. A billionaire, is talking amiably with a guy said to be in the 50 million range. The one guy could buy and sell the other? Literally twenty times over. And that's if its only one billion. Apparently, a couple billion is still a billionaire. And 50 million, is still a millionaire. I guess you hit a certain point, and its not the number itself. Its just how many digits string together.

   But, they're exchanging explanations of their business ventures and investments. The guy worth twenty times more, isn't taking the lead, and doing all the explaining. He's listening intently to anything the littler guy says. One guy was talking to Panic a bit. He's a novelty in this crowd. It seems all it takes, is to have some business or investment going, the size of it doesn't matter that much.

   When Vlad explained that Panic was thinking about starting out in the feeder investor program? The guy was overjoyed. Told him that was great. Show other people, how its done. He said its not the zero sum game, people take it for. The more people get into doing well? The better it is for everyone else.

   "It doesn't matter if you open up a coffee shop? Or a string of coffee shops across every state in the country. I don't care if a hundred men, open a hundred individual coffee shops. Or? One man opens up a hundred himself. Either way? There's a hundred places opening up, and that many people getting a job. And that? Is what turns things around. Not... buying and trading futures. That just benefits the select few. Very little trickles down from that. What we believe? Is that trickling down, will make us all more money in the long run. And? It makes the host country stronger. And? More happy people. That, is how things used to be done. And by god? Its going to work that way again, if we have anything to say about it. And you know what? We do."

   Another man explained to him and I could overhear. More people with better jobs? Is more retirement funds. More investment. People do a little better? They want to do things like buy little investments. And once again. If a million people, each buy a little stock? That's a great thing. More businesses open up. More people get decent jobs, and they do it too. It ripples.

   If these guys had their way? The roaring twenties, will be roaring again. The fact that its going to be the 2020's instead of the 1920's? Is a cute pun to them.

   One guy was happy to hear the basics of Panic's little lab he got going, with the tech he wanted to reward. He didn't know there was demand for routine lab testing like that. How told his buddy, when asked. He's starting out. In biotech. Thought that was dead? No, testing. Oh. Huh.

   Little Lightning? Men thought being a small producer and running a video and audio editing business, was a wonderful idea. The one guy said. See? One small business. A couple employees now. One small success? Is four more successes. A couple more people do that? Someone will open a car lot up. Ripples.

   The snottiness, the haughtiness I got from some individuals on the big boat cruise? Is entirely absent here. And most of these men could sneer at the people on the boat, who think they're old money and have real breeding. Even Elise was quizzed, and spoke of being close to opening up a big gym in a large city. More of a retirement business, than a real investment. No, that was wonderful as well. Himself? He gave retirement business a few thoughts. He was leaning toward some kind of fishing charter gig. He reminded me of one of the senior agents, on the Smiley Face Killer case back then. That was his dream.

   I'm looking at Little Lightning, too. She's being escorted by JG. He adopted Vladimir's affectations taking me up to the bar. I can tell by her demeanor and the look on her face, she's in seventh heaven. Its not all the money around her, either. I know her intimately, inside and out. JG is quite happy being seen with her. Getting smiles and approving nods from men that could buy and sell him thousands of times over. She's got her fuck me heels on, her black dress. Pearls might be fakes, though. Her signature physical attribute is those extra long dancer's legs, and she towers in her heels. She's taller than most of the men around the room wearing them. A good bit of them even without, as well.

   Panic refused to dance with her, but politely. She smiled and gave Junior some slow dancing lessons, instead. I could easily cry, but in the good way. I can close my eyes, and still see it. Going to pieces would have been an improvement. She knew what had happened to her, one night. And that, was bad enough. Wiz had an uncanny ability to piece together what happened through a gentle soft witness interrogation.

   She had already broken down, and bad. Finally, slowly approaching telling someone what had happened. Again, once to her belief. When he put together the pieces, the clues. How many times had those conditions been in place. She flashed her hand to indicate. Five... ten... wiggling hand. Some more, she hadn't kept count. What had been devastating enough, was now a dozen times worse. She already felt like the town's public urinal. Now? She knew she had been the town's garbage dump. That, was how she viewed it.

   And that break down, had been far worse, indeed. That out of the way? After a couple day's recovery, of course. She finally started on her way. Each breakdown, telling more and more, because now she was able? Was less. I was there when Wiz described that she reminded him of Giselle. Some, handsome capable young stud officer's wife. He was perfect, Giselle was perfect, too. Every man's dream girl, enlisted and officer alike.

   He told her. Giselle, honey. She was simply out of my league. She truly belonged, to that perfect handsome young officer. I can see you. The black dress. The pearls. The diamond earrings. Commanding the room. The men all staring. The women? Wanting to drown you in the punch bowl.

   Shortly before Wizzy died in my arms? She had started doing Giselle for him. I can remember her peeking around the corner of the living room, like a little girl ashamed to be seen in her pajamas. We got a flash of her trying out the dress and heels, then blushing and running away to change into her more usual. She did it more and more, until he took her out like that finally. And boys stared, girls stared alike.

   God, I'm so glad Wizzy can see all this. She's finally doing Giselle. She's ecstatic. Her long time now crush, is on her arm. The few women there? Are relegated to the ladies table, but she gets to be with the men. She's more important than them, and they don't like it. She wears it well, though. And Wiz was right, he had seen it. There was something flawless about her.

   I'll never forget him telling her. Honey? I could walk into any dinner party. With you two on either arm. All dolled up. A room full of millionaires? And I'm the lucky one. I get two of you, one on each arm. All that money, and you only have one? I have two. Honey, when you get to the end of this? You'll be out of my league.

   She cried and had another breakdown. How could he love her, why did he want to be with the human garbage. Because what happened to her, that's what it leaves in its wake. Devastation. He went about setting it right, and he did. Even though it cost him his life.

   Some part of him is back now, though. He's going to do it again. Instead of former MP's? He has a squad of Redwater men, and whatever support we end up with.

   Hell is coming to breakfast.

   Again.