Sandy's 737 landed at Savannah International Airport just past eleven o'clock, Wednesday morning, and taxied to the General Aviation terminal. Two passenger vans and a paneled van pulled up to the aircraft ramp. Four security guards exited the vans and walked to the exit ramp. Two of the security men from Sandy's on-board detail walked down the stairs and met with the guards waiting at the bottom of the ramp. After they spoke, one of Sandy's men left the group, ascended the ramp and gave the signal for the passengers to disembark.
Dan, the four boys, Joe, and Sandy's parents followed one of Sandy's guards down the stairs. Pete, his wife and family came next. Behind them were the nurses, carrying the babies, who were followed by the rest of the staff. The last to deplane were Sandy and the remainder of the security detail. While they all were being escorted to the waiting passenger-vans, the paneled van was loading up the luggage. Once the last passenger was seated, the security team boarded the vans and they headed to the ship.
At the dock, the vans pulled up to the boarding ramp of the Danny Boy to be greeted by the several crew members who assisted the passengers up the ramp. The younger children were carried up the ramp for their own safety. They all were welcomed aboard by the First Officer and his aides. Dan and Sandy were the last to board and the First Officer saluted Dan with a special greeting for the owner. The stewards showed each of the passengers to their assigned cabins. The babies and their staff were led to the nursery. Joe helped Dan take his children to their cabins next to Dan and Sandy's suite. Everyone was given an opportunity to freshen up in their staterooms before they were all to meet in the main ball room.
Captain Nelson and his officers greeted all the passengers once again. "Ladies and Gentlemen, on behalf of Daniel Dunnlap, the owner of this fine vessel, I welcome you aboard the Danny Boy for her maiden cruise. As soon as this assembly is over, lunch will be served in the main dining room, which is through the doors to the left of this ballroom. After lunch, we will be conducting a tour of this ship. As soon as that is over you will all return to this ballroom with your life jackets and we will hold a drill to instruct you how to use your life vests and where you should assemble in case of an emergency. Again, I thank you for your attendance, and my officers and crew wish you a pleasant voyage. Now, if you will, please proceed to the dining room."
Everyone clapped and then walked into the dining room.
The dining room tables were set-up in a U-shape configuration, where Danny and Sandy and the three boys were seated at the top of the 'U', with Pete, Penny, and Sandy's parents on one side along with their staff. On the other side were Joe, his son Steve, and Murdoch and Ryan with their family. At the bottom of the 'U' was a long table that held Sandy's and Murdoch's staff members.
When everyone was seated and the wine was poured, Dan rose to speak. "May I have your attention please? I am pleased that you could all join us on this maiden cruise. The Captain and Activities Director have planned a list of activities and entertaining events that both the adults and children will enjoy. They will outline them for you right after the lifeboat drill. They will also give you the meal schedule and the time the buffet will be available. The Activities Director will take into consideration the children's tutoring periods and plan accordingly, again thank for your time and enjoy your lunch."
Everyone clapped and Dan sat down.
"Ryan, what time did you arrive this morning?" Sandy asked.
"Our plane landed around 8:30 and we were on board by 9:15. The Captain was kind enough to have the vans meet our aircraft and take us to the ship. Dan, I was overwhelmed by the size of this vessel. I thought we were cruising on an oversize yacht, but the Danny Boy is an ocean going ship. It is quite beautiful. It appears to be in the class of a small cruise ship. We'll have to keep an eye on the kids, they could get lost on this vessel. Murdoch told me that you have the most sophisticated communication equipment on board. I'm anxious to see exactly what you have."
"Dan and I will be will take you up to our quarters and show you our layout. You're welcome to use it for your satellite communications. Dan's business does not require any satellite time at all. Now that you and Murdoch are working with us on our new venture, I don't need to use the equipment as much."
"There's the whistle for us to pull away from the dock," Dan said. "If you will excuse me, I would like to see this. Sandy, would you like to join me?"
Sandy said, "I'll take a rain check this time around."
Murdoch said, "Do you mind if I join you, Dan?"
"No, please do. Ryan, how about you?"
"No, thanks, you and Murdoch enjoy yourselves."
"Let's head up to the bridge where we can have the best view," Dan said.
Dan and Murdoch excused themselves and headed to the bridge.
Captain Nelson welcomed them on the bridge and guided them to the railing that had the best viewing point of the dock and the harbor.
"If you will excuse me, gentlemen, I need to be in the control room. My First Officer will be with you to answer any questions."
Dan asked the First Officer, "Are we being pushed out by tugboats?"
"No sir, this ship is equipped with the most modern propulsion engines. The main engines are pod mounted. The pods are pivoted so the engines push the ship away from the dock, and when we are a safe distance away from the dock and any other ship, the pods return to their normal position and propel the ship forward."
Dan said, "That is amazing. I guess I was not aware of that detail when Sandy purchased this ship."
"Yes sir, although the initial price tag was rather high, we save a lot of dollars in the overall operation of the ship. We are not at the mercy of tugs in our docking operations. With these engines we don't need to schedule tugboats to maneuver the ship in and out of the dock. You would be amazed at the amount of time we save. We don't need to have constant communication with a tugboats during docking. The skipper said it is much safer this way because he is in direct control of his ship. We also have cameras mounted on all sides of this ship so we can monitor our movement and make any necessary corrections during the operation."
"That is quite an improvement over your normal ship docking operation." Murdoch added with a chuckle, "Unless it's a calm day, with no wind, I have difficulty docking my cabin cruiser."
Dan said, "Give my compliments to the Captain on the smooth undocking operation. Thank you for your time."
Dan and Murdoch returned to the main ballroom. While the passengers were being escorted on the grand tour of the ship, Dan and Sandy returned to the Owner's suite. Dan said, "Sweetheart, this is a wonderful ship and I'm very happy with my gift. I learn a little more about the operation and innovations of this ship each time I'm on board. I'm sure we will be very happy sailing aboard this vessel."
"I'm pleased that you are alive and able to enjoy your present," Sandy said. "I'll tell you one thing, I would never step foot on this ship again if those murderers had succeeded it taking your life. How do you feel?"
Dan replied, "I'm a little tired; it's been a hectic day so far. I think I'll have a lay down for now. I want to be refreshed for our dinner tonight."
"You need your rest, Danny. While you're resting, I'll make the rounds and see if everyone is enjoying the cruise and to make sure the children are amusing themselves."
Sandy's first stop was the nursery to check on the babies. Tara Goodwin, the babies nurse, and Patty Nelson, the nanny, were feeding the babies.
"Hi, would you like another pair of hands to help feed the babies?" Sandy asked.
"Your son is the next in line for a bottle," Tara said. "Your help is welcomed."
"Then I'll just sit in this rocking chair and gladly feed my son."
Tara lifted the baby from his crib and handed him to Sandy. "I'll be right back with his bottle."
"This guy must be hungry the way he is sucking on this bottle," Sandy said.
Tara said, "They didn't receive a full bottle at their last feeding. It's not a good idea for them to travel on a full stomach with all the excitement of the ride in the van and the flight to the ship. They are so used to their orderly every day environment at the Manor that they are quite aware when they are bundled up and taken out of their nursery on a trip. It's not that they are scared, or feel threatened. It's a new learning experience. The next time this happens, they will remember this experience and will accept the change. I think it’s good for them to be exposed to these occurrences early on so they will become good travelers in the future. I'm sure you will be taking them on other trips."
"I can see there is a lot to learn about raising babies," he said. "And yes, there will be many trips in the future, both on this ship as well as flights to the United Kingdom and Europe."
Sandy Jr. finished his bottle and fell asleep in Sandy's arms."Do you want me to take him now and put him back in his crib?" Tara asked.
Sandy smiled, "No, it's not that often I have the chance to hold my son. I'll just sit a bit with him and enjoy holding him. He is just so cute and small. Just think, in a few more years he will be too big and too active for me to enjoy times like this with him."
Tara smiled and said, "You're right, they are so adorable at this age, you can't help but love them, but they are never too old to express how much you love them."
After a while Sandy kissed his son and laid him in his crib. He left the nurses to care for their charges.
He found the adults on the after deck and joined them. "So folks, are you enjoying yourselves?"
Penny spoke up, "This is heaven, it’s so nice to sit and relax and not have to worry about running the household and minding the children. This is the way to go."
Mrs. Dunnlap added, "This is really a beautiful ship, Sandy. Everything aboard is first class. Your decorators did a wonderful job."
"You must tell Dan," Sandy said. "He thought some of the bright colors were a little too strong. But, Dan is very contemporary in his tastes. I'm sure he will come around after a while. I agree it's not something we could live with every day. It would be too unsettling."
"Where is Dan?" Pete asked.
"He's resting. He's still weak from the accident and this was a stressful morning for him. He will be joining us for dinner."
"Well, I need to check up on my older children. Our babies are sleeping soundly with no ill effects from the trip to the Danny Boy."
Murdoch said, "I think Ryan and I will do the same. I'm sure our children are behaving, but, kids are kids and we want them to know we are keeping an eye on them."
Sandy went to the communication room adjacent to his suite. He sat at a computer and read his messages. One was from Mike Lee requesting a video conference with Sandy, Dan, Murdoch and Ryan at eight o'clock that evening. 'If this is not convenient, please email me with a convent time tomorrow.'
Sandy called Murdoch to see when he and Ryan would be available.
"Randy and I will be available tonight."
Sandy answered the rest of his messages and signed off. He returned to his suite to take a short nap.
After dinner Sandy, Dan, Murdoch and Ryan excused themselves from the dining room and headed to the communication room to attend Mike Lee's video meeting. Sandy set up the equipment and the four of them sat before the large screen display. At exactly eight o'clock, Mike's image appeared on the screen.
Mike said, "Good evening, gentlemen. I'm sorry I had to cut into your vacation like this, yet I thought it was important to brief you on the latest information we have recovered from our investigation of WorldCom Ltd. and of your good friend Brian Neely. We have now have proof that Brian Neely is the culprit responsible for stealing the new software program Dunnlap had developed and turning it over to WorldCom, Ltd. We also know that Ian McConnell, the CEO and Shane O'Sullivan, President of WorldCom Ltd. were partners in crime with Brian."
"As far as we know Brian did not receive any upfront money for turning over the program to them other than a generous expense account. We understand that he was promised a senior VP slot with WorldCom and a third of the profits on the sale of the program. From what we learned, Brian was shocked when he was fired from Dunnlap. Shane O'Sullivan, in order to avoid any scandal, decided not to bring Brian on board while they were still negotiating with Nippon Industries."
"After the Dunnlap/Templeton joint venture with the purchase of Integrated Circuits, and U.S. Semiconductors was rolled into Nippon Industries, we learned a lot of inside information about WorldCom. We found out that Integrated Circuits was supplying WorldCom with some patented components essential to some of the products that WorldCom was selling. Frank Irving, President of Nippon, told Donald McKenzie, the Group President of Integrated that they were not to sell WorldCom any more components because the Dunnlap/Templeton joint venture was in direct competition with WorldCom."
"When Shane O'Sullivan was told that Integrated Circuits was canceling their contract with WorldCom, he went ballistic. His spies found out that Dunnlap was one of the partners. Brian and Shane developed a scheme to not only get even with Dunnlap, but also hit Sandy where it would do the most harm. We cannot prove, as yet, that Shane bankrolled the hit against Dan, but we feel WorldCom and Brian were angry enough to pull this stunt. After all, Brian knew the Dunnlap's operation from the inside and felt that Dan was Sandy's weak link and that he should be the logical one to go. Brian also knew how and where to send the hit team to eliminate Dan."
"Frank Irving learned from Donald McKenzie, that Jules Schenk, WorldCom's Director of Finance and Purchasing, was not happy with the way he was being treated by Shane. He also did not want to be a party to Shane's scams. It seems that Jules was the one that was promised the position of Senior VP. However, when Shane decided to make Brian Neely Senior VP instead of Jules, Jules took the issue up with Ian McConnell the CEO and Chairman of WorldCom. Ian told him that it was out of his hands and Shane was running the show."
"Jules decided to leave WorldCom and started looking for another firm. McKenzie asked him to send him a copy of his resume and what kind of salary package he was seeking. Jules confided in McKenzie that he was not happy with the way Shane was running the company anyway. He claimed that Shane was spending too much of the company's money on under-the-table deals. A check for $250,000 was paid to a software engineering company in Russia. Yet, Jules never received a purchase order or contract from this firm. When Jules questioned Shane about this, being without contract or letter of intent from this firm, he was told that Shane was handling the contract personally and would issue a purchase order to cover the payment. Jules was told to do his job and to stop questioning Shane about this, or any other, contract. After all, Shane was the boss and Jules should follow his orders."
"I questioned Donald McKenzie myself and asked him if he could use Jules Schenk in any of his divisions? He said he was an intelligent, hard working employee and he thought there was room for him in their organization. My next question was did he think that Jules would help us to blow the whistle on Brian Neely and WorldCom?"
"Donald said he thought there was a good possibility if he could find a slot with Nippon Industries. However, before I proceed any further, I think that you gentlemen need to decide if you want me to take the next step and talk to Frank Irving, the president of your new joint venture. I know that each group is autonomous, but I feel that this issue is something that you and your managers should approve."
Sandy asked, "Why are you so cautious about approaching Frank Irving on this issue?"
Mike said, "Some ethical issues could develop down the line with WorldCom. They could accuse Nippon of spying on their organization and have the whole case thrown out of court before we had a chance to present our case."
Ryan said, "I feel that we have enough on our side as it is to blow WorldCom out of the water. Sandy has shown that Brian Neely is a thief and has documentation to prove that. Secondly, we have proof that WorldCom was playing two companies against one another. Further more, we can prove to the court that the software program they are promoting is stolen. I don't feel that WorldCom can cry 'foul', because one of their employees can testify to their dishonesty. The most important issue now is to follow the money."
"We know for a fact that the gang that tried to assassinate Dan was part of the Russian mob. I think we should concentrate on that. I personally feel that we should squeeze every drop of information out of Jules Schenk and once we have confirmed some of his facts, we should get a sworn statement from him and offer him an executive position with Nippon. Who knows, maybe Jules can point us to some of the other people that have information about Shane's shady dealings. What do the rest of you think?"
Murdoch, Sandy, and Dan all agreed with Ryan.
Sandy said, "As far as we are concerned, Mike, you have our permission to proceed with the case against WorldCom. You go ahead and talk with Frank Irving. I'm sure he will be just as anxious to get rid of WorldCom as we are. I want to let you know that we are pleased with the way you and your associates have responded to our needs. I also want you to thank Charles Lattimore for all his help as well."
"Thank you, gentlemen, for your support," Mike said. "I hope to have more news for you in a few days."
The monitor went black. Sandy said, "Well, partners, things are looking better every day. I feel confident that Mike and Charles will nail these guys and we can start making some money with our new joint venture."
Ryan said, "Charles Lattimore is one of the best agencies in the business. When it comes to spies, he only hires the top people from the intelligence field, and he has the most sophisticated electronics equipment available. I don't think Uncle Sam is as advanced as he is. Of course his fees are astronomical, but well worth it. Mike Lee has a super network as well. Mike has one of the best national and international organizations going. Again, he only hires the best people. I feel very confident with these two agencies working for us."
"My family has used the Lattimore organization for generations," Ryan continued. "Charles's grandfather started the agency many years ago and the present Charles Lattimore is a third generation director. His father still works in the business, but on a part-time base only. I have the utmost faith in their abilities."
"Well, folks," Murdoch said, "unless you have more business to discuss, Ryan and I need to check on our kids. Our nannies are off the clock after dinner. Ryan and I like to spend bedtime with the children."
Sandy said, "Thanks for your support. Dan and I need to see that the boys are ready for bed. I know Mom and Dad enjoy taking care of them, but, they like their quite time as well. We'll see you at breakfast tomorrow, unless we see you in the lounge later tonight."
Sandy said, "I can't believe that a week of our vacation has gone by. This has been so relaxing and you, my love, look rested and back to your old self. As soon as that cast comes off, you will be as good as new."
"So far," Dan said, "this cruise is like a second honeymoon for me. I've enjoyed spending the time with our kids and the family. Everyone looks well rested and relaxed."
Sandy said, "I hope that Mike Lee has some good news for us. He sent an email message saying he would have something for me later today. I feel very safe aboard this ship. At least we don't have to be looking over our shoulders all the time."
Sandy received a call. "This is Sandy."
"Sandy, this is Nelson, I regret to inform you the Craig passed away an hour ago. I've already contacted the funeral home to have his body picked up. How do you wish me to proceed?"
Sandy said, "Craig wanted to be cremated. I think we should have the funeral director have his body cremated and hold the ashes until we return. I'll contact my VP of public affairs to handle the media and place the obit in the newspapers both in Dunnlap and London. I don't want to make the official announcement until I've had a chance to talk to my family. I want to thank you for your time. I know that you will want to move on to other cases. I'll have accounting send you your final check."
"Thank you, Sandy, I always enjoy working for you and your family. Yes, I would like to get back on another case. There not much for me to do around here now. I don't envy your task of breaking the news to the boys that their father has died."
"Thanks again, Nelson," he said, ending the call.
Dan said, "I couldn't help in overhearing your conversation with Nelson. It's a blessing that Craig has passed away. He was brain dead for some time. I'm amazed that he lasted this long in that vegetative state. When do you plan to break the news to the boys?"
"We'll withhold this news from them for now. There is no reason to spoil their vacation at this point. Anyway, there is really nothing we can do right now. The funeral home will need a couple of days to schedule the cremation and make all the arrangements for a memorial service. Our Public Affairs Department can make all the other arrangements until we return to Dunnlap. Of course, I plan to tell the adults about Craig's demise."
"I agree with your approach," Dan said. "You may want to plan the memorial service for the day after we return, this way your family can attend the service before they return home."
"Good thinking, Dan. I'll ask the family when I give them the sad news."
Mike Lee called Sandy on a secure line. "I'm in the field so I thought it would be better if I called you on the secure line rather than by video. I wanted to let you know that we have some good news that I feel will bring us closer to connecting the money between WorldCom and their Russian contacts."
"Frank Irving extended an offer to Jules Schenk to work for Nippon. Jules accepted the offer and handed in his notice to WorldCom. Shane O'Sullivan accepted the resignation and asked him to clean out his desk and leave that day. Jules was not surprised and had anticipated Shane's decision. After receiving his severance check, he signed the release form and departed."
"Jules met with Frank Irving and handed him a copy of the canceled check that Shane had sent the Russians and copies of the canceled expense checks that WorldCom paid Brian for his expenses. These checks and vouchers were issued during the time Brian was employed by Dunnlap Industries. Frank sent copies of the information to us and we are tracking the Russian connection. One nice thing about dealing with the Russians is that they would sell their mother for a price. So we don't think we will have a problem learning who received the money from Shane."
Sandy said, "This is great news, Mike. You have my authorization to spend whatever it takes to bribe these crooks. I've already instructed my accounting department accordingly."
Mike said, "I will send your VP of accounting an invoice indicating to whom and how much we paid out against your account. Don't worry, Sandy, we will track down these guys and confirm that it was WorldCom that paid for the hit on Dan."
"Thanks, Mike, you have made my day. I will pass this news on to Murdoch and Ryan."
Sandy called Murdoch, Ryan and Pete to ask them to join him and Dan in their suite for a brief meeting. When everyone arrived, Sandy repeated the information that Mike had given him and told them of the demise of Craig Shelby.
Pete said, "I guess we had to take the bad with the good. I'm relieved, yet pleased that we are going to catch the bastards that were responsible for the attack on Dan. I'm sorry to hear about Craig's death. He was a brave man and I admire his strength in making the tough decision about his boys. I don't think I could be as brave. When do you plan to let the boys know?"
"We are scheduled to be back in port Sunday morning," Sandy said. "My thoughts right now are to let them know Friday afternoon. This will give them a couple of days to adjust to the news. I'm going to schedule the memorial service for Monday morning. Depending on their reaction, I thought to let them return to school Tuesday morning. I think the sooner they get back amongst their friends and their normal routine, the quicker they will adjust. They have not seen their father for several months and he was out of it for the last few months while he was still at home. Therefore, I feel that the sorrow at the loss of their father will not be that hard on them."
Murdoch said, "I know what your family and the boys are experiencing. The same thing happened with my children when their dad died. But, it was harder on them because his death was so sudden. You may wish to ask the psychologist what he recommends. If it is helpful Ryan will stay over until after the service on Monday. Maybe our kids will be a comfort to them since both Ryan's and my children have suffered the loss of loved ones."
Dan said, "I think that is a great idea, Murdoch. Children have a special way of dealing with situations like this and I think our three can relate to your kids' loss."
Pete said, "If you want, Sandy, we can let the older kids stay over until Monday. Penny and I will be happy to have Dad and Mother stay with us until the service on Monday."
"I'd appreciate that, Pete," Sandy said. "You know how close our boys are with your kids."
"Well, good," Dan said, "that is settled."
Ryan said, "I'm pleased that Frank Irving was able to find a place for Jules Schenk. I have a feeling that he will be very helpful in giving us an insight into the WorldCom operation."
"I agree on that, Ryan," Sandy said. "Pete, would you let Mother and Dad know about Craig and of our plans for Monday? Well, gentlemen, unless you have some other business, I think we should join the family for lunch."