Chapter 47: The Arrival
The thunderous sound of the Jang’s private jet landing echoed through Dalton’s airport, drawing the attention of those nearby. As the large aircraft taxied down the runway, it made its way towards a private hangar, away from the public’s prying eyes.
The rain fell heavily outside, the thick droplets loudly pelting the ground. Despite the rough weather, a lone figure waited patiently near the hangar, seemingly unaffected by the harsh conditions. It was Ben Atlas, standing tall and steady, his eyes trained on the approaching jet.
As the aircraft came to a halt, the door slowly opened. The first to descend was Edmund Jang, followed closely by James Rudder. Both men were dressed impeccably, their perfectly fitted and unwrinkled suits a stoic contrast to the raging weather around them.
Edmund Jang looked around, his sharp eyes taking in the surroundings before landing on Ben. He gave a small smile as he approached the younger man.
“Ben,” he greeted, extending a hand towards him. “It’s been a while.”
Ben shook his hand firmly, a polite smile on his face.
“Edmund, welcome to Dalton. I hope your flight was comfortable.”
Edmund nodded, his gaze drifting back to the hangar's doors.
“It was. But this weather...I didn’t expect it to be quite this bad.”
James Rudder, who had been quietly observing the exchange, finally spoke up.
“There’s always a surprise when you come to Dalton,” he said, his tone carrying a hint of amusement. “The city’s charm, some might say.”
Edmund chuckled at his comment, turning his attention back to Ben.
“Well, we’re here now. I assume you’ve arranged a place to meet? There’s much to discuss.”
“Of course,” Ben assured as he nodded in confirmation. “I’ve prepared everything for our discussion.”
Edmund’s guards worked efficiently and methodically, unloading their equipment and ammunition from the plane. Each case was handled with meticulous care, reflecting the discipline and professionalism of the Jang family and also a respect for the dangerous and deadly contents of each case.
As they were finishing up, a fleet of ten black SUVs appeared in the distance, their headlights piercing through the heavy rain. As they got closer, the vehicles pulled smoothly into the hangar, the rumbling of their engines drowning out the rain outside.
“Well now,” Edmund exclaimed, giving Ben a joking glance. “It looks like the Hall family still has some formidable resources up its sleeve.”
“Indeed,” Ben replied, a hint of pride in his voice. “The Halls always taught me to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. These SUVs were designed and built for high-threat scenarios and equipped with advanced features to ensure the safety and security of its passengers. The windows are made of bulletproof glass, capable of withstanding high-caliber rounds, and the armored plating makes them virtually impervious to outside attacks.”
“Ah, I see, very impressive,” Edmund replied as he admired the vehicles.
Ben walked over to one and opened the door for them.
“We’ll be riding in this SUV. I have guards stationed along our route to ensure our safety, and my staff is ready for our arrival.”
Very impressive, indeed.
As they made their way to the Rising Phoenix Hotel, Edmund received a call from one of his assistants back at the Jang Castle.
“Sir, I’ve received a request from the Gund Intelligence Network,” the assistant reported, his voice slightly strained. “They’re saying that Tammy Gund will be arriving in Dalton and wishes to arrange a meeting with you.”
“Tammy Gund?” Edmund mused aloud, a hint of surprise coloring his tone.
His brow furrowed in thought as he considered the unexpected information. Tammy and the infamous Gund Intelligence Network were far from unknown to him. In fact, in the early stages of his burgeoning real estate empire, he had often relied on the network’s services to gather the crucial information and intelligence he needed. Of course, that was back when Thomas Gund was running the show.
Thomas’ network had proven invaluable during those early days, providing him with insights into the real estate market, emerging competitors, and even potential threats. However, as his empire grew and his resources expanded, Edmund formed his own team of spies and informants, gradually eliminating his dependence on Thomas’ network.
Now, Edmund found himself with a well-established empire and an abundantly reliable intelligence team of his own. He hadn’t had any professional dealings with the network for quite some time. The sudden request for a meeting from Tammy herself was unusual, to say the least. It piqued his interest and curiosity, prompting him to wonder what could possibly motivate her to reach out after such a long period of disconnected business relations. Out of respect for Thomas, he decided to accept this meeting.
“Tell Tammy I’ll meet her on the condition that we meet at the Rising Phoenix Hotel,” Edmund ordered, pausing momentarily to glance at Ben. Seeing Ben’s nod of agreement, Edmund continued.
“We’ll meet in the afternoon, the day after tomorrow. Tell her to pull up to the lobby, and my guards will escort her to a private meeting room where we won’t be overheard.”
“Yes, sir,” his assistant replied. “I’ll notify you when the appointment is confirmed.”
***
“Tammy Gund? From the Gund Intelligence Network?” Ben asked Edmund, his eyebrow raised in surprise.
“Yes,” Edmund confirmed. “Apparently, she wants to meet with me to discuss something.”
As they rode to the hotel, Ben contemplated the implications of this new development. Tammy Gund had quite the reputation, an impressive one for someone who had only recently taken over the family business from her grandfather, Thomas Gund.
What could she possibly want with Edmund? Perhaps she wanted to warn him about the Amos brothers?
Tammy Gund’s intelligence network was renowned for its efficiency and extensive reach. It’s likely she was aware of the Amos family’s recent activities and thought it best to warn Edmund. After all, the Amos and Jang families had been at odds for years, and any information regarding the Amos family could prove invaluable to Edmund.
However, it wasn’t in the Gund Intelligence Network’s typical proceedings to offer up information without it first being requested. Furthermore, it was highly unusual for the head of the network to travel to meet a client on such short notice. A wealthy and efficient organization like the Gund Intelligence Network shouldn’t need to make arrangements in such a rushed manner unless there was more to what was happening that she couldn’t reveal over an unsecured channel.
Was it possible that she had already dispatched her spies and security detail to secretly patrol Dalton ahead of her arrival? He recalled an incident a few weeks ago when his guards, Tommy and Richard, had apprehended a man tailing David. The man had no identification, no known identity, and had refused to reveal his employer. Could that man have been a member of one of Tammy’s special spy units?
If, indeed, that man had been from the Gund Intelligence Network, then it would make sense as to why Tammy was alerted to activities in Dalton. The loss of a spy is no small matter, especially to a network like her’s. However, Ben wasn’t particularly worried about the consequences of eliminating one of Tammy’s spies. After all, it was the spy’s own fault for poking his head into places it shouldn’t have been. The Hall family had its own network of spies and informants, so it’s not as if Ben needed to be on Tammy’s good side. But, if it came down to it, a few million dollars should be enough to compensate for the network’s loss and smooth out any ruffled feathers.
Ben’s primary concern, however, was the implications of increased spy activity and how it would impact David’s safety. The Hall family did still have substantial resources, but not nearly enough to protect him from the prying eyes of the Gund Intelligence Network, the Amos family, and other potential threats if they were to discover his presence, or his existence for that matter.
“Ben,” James said, breaking him out of his contemplation. “I see you still have that habit of turning quiet as a mouse when you’re deep in thought. Tell us what’s on your mind when we get inside.”
The convoy of SUVs had finally reached the Rising Phoenix Hotel, gradually slowing to a stop.
“Yes,” Ben replied as he snapped back to reality, his eyes glancing towards the hotel. “Let’s head inside.”
Copyright © 2024 by A. J. Knight
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