Security - 24. Chapter 24

Flying back to California, I thought about the General. There was the real Prime Minister. He might not have a lot of the finesse needed for diplomacy but he knew his people. I was surprised that it was Bobby who met me at the airport. “I hope you didn’t mind but I rented this car. I wanted to talk to you on the way to the cottage.”

“I don’t mind I thought about buying a car for the cottage as I have at the surf cottage. What do you think about that?”

“Does that mean I can drive it as well?”

"Anyone staying at the cottage could drive it as long as they have a valid driving license.” He just looked at me and smiled.

“I spoke to Noah, he said he’d like for me to follow him. I told him about your proposal and he said for me to take it. If I’m successful, I could pay you back in a few years. I still am a little confused as to whether I should go or not.”

“The school you are attending now isn’t providing the courses you need. Without Noah, you’ll end up as a liberal arts student. I would encourage you to follow Noah. We can discuss the money, I have no problem helping you out.” I got not only a thank you but a hug as well. If I had children, I’d want my son to be exactly like Bobby. He was a fine young man and I knew his children would follow in his footsteps.

Bobby finished his first year as an A student. I knew Noah had played a role in that. During the summer he went to the Gulf and worked for his dad. I saw him occasionally when I was at the Gulf cottage.

I spent the summer, negotiating contracts for the security bracelets. I checked on the General, Dave said they were about ready to wrap it up. I also made presentations on my bracelet to certain potential customers. I can’t say I was busy, but I was enjoying the summer. When I wasn’t selling, I was spending time between California and the Gulf.

Bobby had a few parties at the cottage pool, I was okay with that. His Uncle Mark hasn’t shown up since the Christmas break. He was happy and was getting along with his family. Since everything was going along so well, there was bound to be a hiccup. And when it happened, it was Uncle Mark at the bottom of it.

Uncle Mark got involved with the wrong crowd and needed a place to hide out for a while. Guess where he chose to hang out, right, Bobby’s mom and dad’s place. I told Bobby he needed to be careful and to make his dad aware of what could happen if they find out where he’s hiding. Bobby moved into the Gulf cottage.

Flying back to the California cottage, Bobby was in high spirits. He was going to start at the college in Monterey Bay. Before we left the Gulf, we notified Noah when we would arrive and ask him to meet us. Of course, we knew he would ask us to dinner.

Bobby started school and he was very happy, evidently going to a school that offers marine management as a major meant a lot. He was happy and the cottage reflected it.

I was busy making my bracelets. One strange event happened. I got an offer to attend a private party. This was a group of gentlemen, who had through their financial interests, had amassed a great deal of money. With this money, they were able to influence governments, not only the US but also Europe and key countries in the East. There were always rumors about these people, some were supposedly connected to crime syndicates.

Later that evening I spoke to Bobby about the invitation. “What do you think?”

“It seems like a good publicity opportunity. Maybe they want to buy a bracelet from you.”

“You might be right, except some of these men have a dubious background. I’ll go but I’ll be careful.” The night of the meeting, I made sure Bobby knew where I’d be and when I’d be home. “If I’m not back by then, call Noah.”

The meeting was at one of the exclusive restaurants in LA. Walking in, I gave my name to the hostess, she escorted me to a private room. Twelve men were standing around talking and drinking. One of the men, Mister Latish, came and welcomed me. I knew Mr. Latish from the newspaper. He had just made a significant investment in a company that was a major importing and exporting conglomerate. The group was cordial and they notice my bracelet. It was so superficial, later I found out they wanted to buy the technology. I told them it wasn’t for sale. One said he’d pay me two million dollars for the patent. I never patented the bracelet. I left right after dinner. My excuse was I had to drive south and I didn’t want to drive late at night. I was told to think about their offer. They would contact me soon.

On the way home I thought long and hard about what they said. I would be fooling myself if I didn’t say I was scared. I knew that if they removed my bracelet they would be burned. But they could say anything as they all would stick together. I needed something else. A backup system that I could depend on.

I called Dave and discussed options, “Chaz, I’ll send you some literature that just came across my desk. I’m sure you can come up with something.” Several days later, I received a letter from Dave. It was a brochure on several types of cameras that could be used for surveillance. I looked over all of the types. There was one that I thought had a possibility.

I mentioned this to Bobby, “Chaz, you need to check out one of those spy and protection shops. They have all kinds of gadgets, like an exploding briefcase requiring a code to open, cameras, and recording devices. I’m sure you can come up with something.”

I had to fly back to the City to find a shop that would sell what I had in mind. When I walked into the store, I couldn’t believe all of the personal safety security devices they had. Within ten minutes I was in a deep conversation with the owner. He showed me a selection of cameras, one was so small it was hard to believe it was a camera. “This camera is very popular in small stores where the owner doesn’t trust his cashier,” laughing. “They use it as a back up to an overall security system.”

"What type of power does it need and how about the clarity of the picture?”

“Here I’ll show you.” He pulled out a small tv, turned it on, and as the screen lit up I saw a very clear picture of myself.

When I left the shop, I had two of the cameras, two charge packs, and a special monitor that I could use to view the camera. I also knew if I needed anything else, I’d return