Warming The Cold One - 21. Building Plans and the Start of Trouble

Tala and Edward pull into the driveway and see Sean and Jay talking on the front porch. Tala gets out and heads over towards them. “Afternoon Sean, is my mate behaving himself?”

Sean turned and blushed a bit not hearing them pull in. “Yes, I was wondering why he was watching behind me. I forgot you might be the only lycan I cannot feel coming.” Sean then turned toward Edward. “How did the drive go?”

Edward smiled. “The moral boost was well needed. Everyone was glad to see us and we had to decline multiple different offers of coffee, lemonade, beer and booze.”

Tala piped up now. “You two have really done a wonderful job here. I wish I could stay longer but I’m afraid I’ll have to fly out with Bjorn and Toby when the council meets. I’m also sorry that you are going to have Lisbeth back on her feet and no one to hold her down.”

Both Sean and Edward faked a look of horror. “Tell me she won’t have superpowers, please,” Sean begged. “Better yet, take her with you so she has the care she needs.”

Jay laughed. “Only if you tell her she has to go with us.”

Edward held his hands up. “Nope, I’m out. I was afraid of her before and I’m really afraid of her now. Freshly turned and stir crazy? I’m going to keep my head down and do patrols.”

Tala almost fell over he was guffawing so hard. “Very smart!” He got himself back together for a second. “It was good riding with you Edward. However, Jay and I need to check up on the newly turned ladies before we start packing for the trips ahead.”

Edward got back in his truck and Sean walked over to the passenger side. “Mind dropping me?” Edward unlocked the door and they drove off moments later. Tala and Jay went inside and closed the door.

Tala turned to Jay when they got in the living room. “Do you think they will have extra abilities just by being turned?”

“I’m not sure about Lisbeth but I’m positive your mother will.” Jay sat down on the loveseat. “Your mother’s side of your family was very strong. Hank is going to have a hard time keeping up.” He patted the seat next to him. Jay sat down and Jay kissed him. “I know we should be going but it is so nice just sitting here with you.”

An hour later, Tala and Jay pull up to where Lisbeth and Karla have been convalescing. Once downstairs, Tala whispers into the hall. “Hello? Is anyone awake?”

The first to answer is Karla. “You don’t have to whisper. We have already threatened Hank and Bjorn to not treat us with kid gloves.” Tala walks into the room and Karla gets up and hugs him. “I am doing really good; you don’t have to check on me multiple times a day.”

“I stop by once a day and text with Hank once a day. How is that too much?” Tala grabs his mother’s hand. “I’ll worry about you until I know everything is back to normal.”

Karla laughed. “Normal? You think turning me will mean anything will be normal?”

Tala giggled. “Okay, what our normal was supposed to be.”

While Tala and Karla argued, Jay went over to Lisbeth’s room and knocked lightly. “Everything okay in here?”

Lisbeth motioned him in. “Everything is fine. No more headaches and I’m really starting to get my mind back on my work.”

Jay smiled. “Good. I do have to talk to you about something though.” Jay saw Lisbeth frown. “Nothing bad. However, we need to slow things down a bit. I had to pull some loans to cover the rest of this construction phase and maybe two more family-sized homes. I think once the budget stuff is cleared up at the council, we can get back to finishing the houses.”

“I see.” Lisbeth grabbed her laptop and pull up the phase map. “I have the library, security office and the second floor of the pack offices here. We need only two more houses and the condo building and this side of everything is done. That just leaves the hotel over here and I can call us done building. The utility add-ons are simple as well. We just need to light up the fiber and we can dump the cable internet and the satellite dishes.”

Jay looked it over. “Who are the houses for?”

Lisbeth checked her records. “Well, one was going to be for Karla. She didn’t tell anyone but me. She already picked out the plans and she insisted to kick in some money. The other doesn’t have a name. Just was going to put it in to finish the block kind of thing.”

Jay rubbed his chin. “Okay, then finish her house. I’ll let you handle the money she wants to kick in and just have you put it in the account that the loans will get paid out of. Skip the second house and let’s light the fiber.”

Lisbeth thought for a second. “That will work. I’m also going to do something that is going to make Tala mad. I’m going to bid a box store. We need our own store and not have to drive to Longview or up to Toby’s pack store. By the time that bid is back, we should have enough together to get the condos going.”

Jay nodded. “I like that. You are right he will hate that, but it needs to be done. We also need a restaurant and some other retail options to go with the hotel. I’ll work on him and see what I can get done.”

Tala walks into the room to see where Jay went. “What am I being asked to do?”

Jay turns around. “Nothing right now.”

“Uh huh, I see. We’ll talk.” He turned his attention to Lisbeth. “Doing good?”

“Yes, I am doing fine. I’ll be better when Bjorn and Hank get back with the food.” Lisbeth’s stomach grumbled if on cue.

Jay and Tala both laughed. “Find out how much it will be to get a franchise of a fast-food place, a diner, and a steakhouse.” Tala saw both Jay and Lisbeth stop for a minute. “I hate relying on Toby as well. I’d prefer small business to a big box store.”

Lisbeth started to babble for a second. “How?”

Tala smiled. “Karla relayed everything. Her hearing is still really elevated like mine was.”

Lisbeth raised her voice just a bit. “Snitches get stitches!”

Karla yelled back from her room. “Love you too!”

About an hour later, Bjorn and Hank came back with the food for their ladies. Hank saw that Tala and Jay were there and smiled. “You should have called us. We could have picked you up something.”

“We were just checking in and were going to go back home and cook something.” Jay nodded over to Tala. “We’ll let you ladies eat in peace.”

Karla grabbed her take out bag and Hank and made sure to kiss Tala and Jay on their cheek before they left. “This smells amazing!”

Lisbeth opened the boxes Bjorn handed her. “Is this what I think it is?”

Bjorn smiled. “Yes, we had Lily cook this up special for you two.”

Karla looked at the food drooling before she grabbed the fork and started eating while standing up. “I haven’t had venison in years.”

“Master Taj, we just got word that Toby filled a petition to speak to the full council when they meet in a few days.” Taj was sitting in his office listen to one of Vukasin’s assistants he paid to keep him up to date on things. “He says he can prove that there is fraud.”

“Talk to your contact in Ulrik’s office. Have them get a message to their elusive clan head, Zechariah. I think it might be a benefit to be close when this blows up. I knew Tajsin had taken things too far.”

“Would you just stop worrying about me. It’s been a week and you need to get back to work.” Lisbeth is in the bedroom helping Bjorn pack up his stuff. “Karla and Hank are here, Ann is here, Sean and Edward will be looking in on me. You need to focus on the Clan’s needs.”

“Fine, but I’m flying back for the full moon.” Bjorn hugs his wife. “I want to spend time with you, and I feel like my job takes me away too much.”

“You’re damn right you are flying back for the full moon.” Lisbeth kisses her husband. “Things will calm down and you’ll be able to spend more time at home. Now go before Tala leaves without you.”

“Toby, you know you are always welcome to fly with us.” Tala and Jay are standing on the tarmac by Tala’s plane with Toby. “I wanted to be there to support you and see how Hawk has been doing.”

Jay poked his head out of the plane, “I’m anxious to see how many packs have applied to have Tala come by and bring them back in to the fold.” Jay almost looked giddy.

Tala laughed. “Calm down. We will have plenty of places to go and alphas to meet.”

The look on Toby’s face was priceless. “Who are you and what happened to my reserved son?”

Tala sighed. “He is forever changed. The effects of love irreversible.”

Tala saw a car roll up to the edge of the tarmac and Bjorn stepped out. He walked over to help Bjorn with his bags. “Good morning Councilman. May I take you bags?”

As he said this Sean was getting out of the jeep to help unload the back. “Oh no Sire, allow me. You mustn’t dirty your hands.”

Jay and Toby are looking over at the jeep and wondering what the hell is going on. Jay raised his voice, “will you three stop playing around and get everything on the plane?”

On cue, all three all answered in unison. “Yes Master.”

I average height man stood on the center of the dais in the meeting hall. “I call the meeting of the Lycan Council to order. Please rise for the Circle.” All the people in the room stood and a side door opened. Five impeccably dressed bodies flowed in the door and took their seats above the main dais. “Please be seated. Good morning everyone. For those who don’t know me, my name is Owen Wolfson and I represent the Red Lake Pack of Minnesota. I have been appointed this sessions Sergeant at Arms. All questions of protocol shall be addressed to me, and I will act as moderator. Those not following the rules will be asked to leave.”

A shorter man walked over a small book and handed it to Owen. Owen took it and thanked the man. “Our first order of business is a request by Celtic Clan Head, Tobias Whelan, and supported by Rolf Reid. Master Rolf, please come down to the dais and present your business.”

Rolf stood from his seat and came down to the dais. “Thank you Mr. Sergeant, I will be brief before I invite Master Tobias in to the chamber. I receive a troubled call about a week ago that there was evidence of fraud in the council budget. I knew that something was wrong as I had called him with concerns expressed to me from another. I was sad that I was not involved with verifying the claim before the request was filed with me so I will be hearing it all as a neutral party.” Rolf pointed to some people by the door. “Please escort our guests in. I welcome to the chamber Master Tobias Whelan. Please use the podium to the left of the aisle. Address the Circle and only the Circle.”

Toby walked to the podium and set some notes down in front of him. “Thank you for allowing me to present. It is an honor to be here before the Circle and before the entirety of the council. My allegation of fraud comes with a heavy heart. It was not something I wanted to find.”

Rolf had gone back to his seat and Owen was back at the center of the dais. “You are granted an open clock at this point to outline your case.”

“Thank you Mr. Sergeant,” Toby began. “Over the last couple months, as I have assisted in getting the American Clan on their feet so to speak, I have found many times where things didn’t make sense. At every turn, I was hearing all kinds of inequities popping up. There were rumors that some clans and packs were paying for things and others had that taken care of by the council. Most of these were along clan lines. I started to review the monies I was putting out each month for fees and staffing and other expenses. I would call other clan heads and drop hints and try to get information and it was soon clear that something was wrong. It wasn’t until I requested a copy of the books that I knew.”

Toby took a sip of water. “In reviewing the books, I could see the money I paid didn’t match what was being reported. It showed amounts that I knew to be wrong. Therefore, I called an independent auditing firm, that the council has on the approved list, and I requested an audit with my own money. Then, I called a second and requested the same audit, to be done at the same time. The time it took them differed by almost a week. The first audit looked almost identical to the clan’s records. The second audit was vastly different and more closely matched what I knew was right.”

Raul put his hand up. “Mr. Sergeant, I recognize Master Raul Awe has a question I yield some of my time and the floor to him.”

Owen made a note on his ledger. “The floor has been yielded to Master Raul. Please use the microphone in front of you.”

Raul flipped the switch, and the microphone made a small hiss. “Master Tobias, are you able to provide copies of the audits to the council?”

Toby had expected this question. “Yes, Master Raul. I have the full reports as well as a basic summery document explaining where the numbers differ and how I can prove what numbers are correct.”

Raul looked troubled. “Please provide them to the council by the end of the day. I yield the floor back to Master Tobias.” He turned his microphone back off.

Owen made another note. “The floor is yours again Master Tobias.”

Toby sipped the water again. “The summery I will provide is going to trouble most of you. It exposes the corruption that has run rampant for many years. That corruption has cost the Celtic Clan over 150 million dollars. Mine is not the only clan that was cheated. I am requesting a review of the budget and a plan to compensate for the theft. My request also includes language that evens the playing field for other clans to again be on a level playing field in the council.”

The whole room erupted in talk and murmurs. Owen struggled to be heard over the din. “Order! This room will come to order!” Once the room calmed down, he addressed Toby. “Thank you, Master Tobias. At this point I believe it best if we take your evidence in to consideration. Please exit the chamber though the main doors.” Once Toby had left and the doors closed, Owen continued. “Since I know this request may have upset a lot of you, let us have a thirty-minute recess. Please do not leave the chamber. There are restrooms and a large urn of coffee at the front right of the chamber. This council is at recess.”