Chapter 1 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

A smiling woman walked with her son out through the gates.

"Momma! It's so much fun! Can we come back tomorrow?" The little boy asked.

She shook her head. "No sweetheart. We have to go home tomorrow. We have to get up early to drive home. We'll meet Daddy at the airport and bring him home with us."

"When can we come back?" The boy asked.

His mother sighed. "School starts week after next. Maybe for the Spring Break, but we'll probably have to wait until next summer."

When they got to their car and let the hot air out, he asked as he settled into the seat. "Next time can I dress up as a princess like that one girl we saw?"

"Don't you mean a Prince?" His Mother asked.

He shook his head. "No Momma. A princess! I'm going to be a girl."

"Why don't we talk about it some other time." The woman said.

By the time she drove up onto the highway, she looked over and found the six-year-old had fallen asleep. The rest of the drive back to the motel she felt slightly off. Where had such a request and statement come from?
 
 

---

 
Terry drove through the empty lot and stopped in front of the gates to park. Slowly he eased out of the brand new red 2017 Trans Am Outlaw. He stared past the gates and saw only devastation. The pictures online didn't really have the same impact as standing there and seeing it for one's self. Pavement was cracked everywhere, grass grew wild all over. Trees, weeds and all other manner of flora had overrun what had once been a place of fun and merriment. The noise and laughter of people was absent and now only the call of the birds could be heard.

Tears welled, he didn't see the point in stopping them. For several minutes he cried. Long ago Terry made a promise, to nobody but himself; one day he would return as a girl and be a princess. It didn't happen. A week after returning home, a tornado rampaged across that county. The city had been spared, but not the park. It had been ravaged. Damage so bad it couldn't be repaired, it would have to be rebuilt. The owner paid off everybody employed then filed for bankruptcy.

"Hey. Pretty obvious from your plates, you're not from here." A voice said from behind Terry. "I have to tell you, you're not supposed to be here."

Terry turned and saw a Deputy.

The Deputy was a bit surprised to see the tear-streaked face of the young man, practically no more than a kid. At first glance he believed to be looking at a woman. Platinum blonde hair on a man was rare to see. Even more so when it was long enough to be almost mid-back length. The condition of it look to be a point of pride for the person.

He had a feeling and went with it. "You been here before?"

Slowly Terry nodded. "Once."

The Deputy sighed and leaned back against the railing. "I grew up here. I'm Jimmy Sloan."

"Terry Frost." Terry said heavily. "For now."

"Huh? What do you mean 'for now'? You're not going to be Terry Frost anymore?" Deputy Sloan asked.

Terry shook his head. "No. Not much longer."

Sloan's eyes narrowed. "You want to elaborate on that a bit?"

Terry finally wiped away the tears then straightened up and said firmly. "First, I'm going to buy the park. Second, I'm going to transition from male to female while I rebuild it. I'll be Tessa, not Terry. The way I should have always been."

"You're joking." Sloan chuckled then stopped when Terry slowly shook his head with an intense look. "I mean about the park. You're serious? You're going to buy the park and re-do it?"

"Yes." Terry said. "It'll be better than it ever was."

Deputy Jimmy Sloan had heard many voice the dream of bringing back the park. "No bank around here will float a loan. No matter how good your credit is. There's been talk over the years of people fixing up the park. Nobody that wants to, can. Those that could, aren't interested."

Terry shook his head and walked back to his car. "I'm not them. Just watch. Not only am I going to rebuild the park, I'll be its queen."

Sloan chuckled and walked over to his cruiser. "Yeah? Well, if you do that, I'll turn in my badge and come work for you."

The Trans Am roared to life then the window rolled down. "Enjoy your last year as a Deputy, Deputy."

Sloan laughed as the car drove away and said to himself. "I needed that laugh. Nobody can do anything about the old park. It's a just a memory for us and a daydream for the kids."

Out on the road, Terry had already turned the volume as loud as it would go and finally sang along with a change of certain lyrics. "I can't see today. I can't see tomorrow. You're burnin' out my head and in my brain they were ALWAYS WRONG! I will live today. I WILL LIVE TOMORROW! No matter what they said or done. EVEN WHEN THEY SAID I'M GOIN' WRONG!"

The sports-car faded into the slowly setting sun.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Monday morning Craig Stewart sat down. "Good morning Mister Frost. How can I help you?"

"I'd like to open a savings account and checking account. Later on I'll open business accounts. I have cash to open the two personal accounts and will transfer in the contents of my account electronically in a few days." Terry informed him.

Craig looked confused. "The bank will be happy to accommodate, but I'm a bit confused why you felt the need to see me personally."

Terry didn't blink. "I'll be transferring in 587 million dollars Thursday. I thought you'd like to know who it actually belongs to."

The bank president looked as if he were about melt into his chair, quickly he leaned forward. "Did you say FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS?"

"That's right." Terry replied then asked. "That's not a problem, is it?"

Craig Stewart shook his head fast. "NO! It'll be a PLEASURE to do business with you!"

"I'll be transitioning from male to female. That's not going to pose a problem at this bank, is it?" Terry glared.

"Absolutely not! Mister or Miss, a client is a client and we'll do all we can to make sure you're happy with our service! Anything you need; just let us know. In fact." Craig took his business card and wrote on it then handed it to Terry. "I've included my personal cellphone. You need anything, call me direct."

Terry began filling out the forms then handed over the cash deposit. "I just rented an apartment while I get ready to purchase some property. I'll return home and get everything ready to move. Thursday I'll transfer the funds."

"Certainly. I'll just set everything up and take your deposit." The banker was about to wet himself in excitement.

Quickly he entered all the information for the two accounts then rushed to the tellers with the deposit. Two-thousand dollars each for the accounts. This would be the biggest account in the bank's history. Actually, it would be the biggest account in the city's history. He had been a manager when the amusement park was open, but it had used a bank in another state. He rushed back to his office.

"Here you are Mister Frost. Welcome to Great National Bank, we look forward to your business with us." Craig Stewart smiled and shook hands with Terry.

Terry accepted the handshake. "Ok Mister Stewart. Put a seat belt on your office chair, you're going to need it."

"Feel free to call me Craig." Craig said. "Have a great day."

Terry nodded and left. Outside he pulled the cellphone from the clip at his hip and dialed.

"Hey." A voice on the other end answered. "I'm all set now. What's up with you?"

"I just opened personal accounts at the bank, Trent. I'm leaving now to come back there." Terry answered.

Trent Valens cautioned. "Take your time. No need to hurry."

Terry was easing into his car. "No big deal. I'll be in around midnight or so. I slept in. What's up with you?"

"Just got a letter from the Bar Association. Approved. I'm all set." Trent stated.

"That's good. I found a real estate agent. There's a few condos under the agency. I have an apartment rented for me." Terry replied. "Use Great National Bank."

Trent laughed. "I still have a million dollars, they should be thrilled to see me."

"When I told the Bank president how much I would be transferring in, I thought he was going to faint and after he came around, start humping my leg." Terry remarked starting the car.

Trent was laughing harder. "He's probably in the bathroom right now, stroking himself and screaming his own name!"

"I doubt that. He's either honest and called for his wife or just another ass and dragged his secretary in with him." Terry said with sarcasm.

Trent settled down. "Does it matter?"

Terry sighed. "Just as long as he isn't trying to fuck me, I don't care. What about everything else?"

"All the paperwork is ready. All you have to do is sign and date it, when the time is right." Trent assured.

Terry said. "Good. Later."

"Drive safe." Trent said and disconnected.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Trent Valens put his phone away and finished packing his things. He had been about to, as he put it, stoop to joining an injury attorney's office six months ago when his life changed. Out of the complete blue, his phone rang with a name on the ID that took him several moments to remember. Terry Frost; a name he hadn't heard since his senior year of high school. Twenty minutes later, he met Terry for coffee and the shock of his life. Not only did Terry want to hire him as his personal attorney, he would pay off all of Trent's loans, bills and any other expenses.

An hour later, and a complete summary of what Trent owed, Terry dropped two consecutive bombs on him. First was the plan to transition. The second was the plan to buy an old amusement park. Trent admitted to not being very knowledgeable about business and property law. Terry asked if six months was enough time to become knowledgeable. Trent said yes and the deal was made. A simple agreement on the page of a notepad was signed and a check for one and a half million dollars became Trent's. He still had over a million left, but earning it every day. He already knew that once Terry found out how much Trent's new home would cost, a check or electronic transfer would happen.

"All set. I'll head out in the morning." Trent said closing his briefcase. "Bayleston, I don't think you're ready for what's going to happen. I just hope Tessa Frost is."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Terry was driving back. Back to a place he would be glad to never see again. Only three last pieces of business to finish there. One, make the payment to keep up the graves of his parents for a hundred years, meet the moving truck at his little apartment for the loaders to get all his belongings and finally transfer all his money to the new bank. After that, Terry would say goodbye and leave the place he hated, forever.

No matter how much he had tried, his parents never accepted the fact he was transgender. In fact they reacted with hostility. First were time-outs, then spankings. When neither of those worked, television privileges were taken away, then playing with friends. When none of that worked, came the con-men. Priests, Reverends, Pastors, Evangelists and anybody else that claimed they could pray the problem away. By his thirteenth year; Terry summed it all up by stating all that was left were Buddhist monks, Shinto priests, Haitian voodoo cults and Amazon tribe shamans. Not that any of those would have better luck.

For that remark, his father's fist flew. Everyone had been shocked when the punch connected and the thirteen year old went down. A police officer had been in the prayer vigil, but now had 'a moment of clarity'. He moved, but it was too slow. The kid recovered from surprise and shock under the most effective motivation. Pure rage. The folding chair he had been sitting in, now on the floor, became an instrument of delivery for that rage. Terry had come up with chair arcing behind him to connect solidly at his stunned father's face. Terry tossed the chair aside and grabbed his father's shirt and pulled him up.

"Lay a hand on me again?" Terry hissed. "I'll kill you!"

Twenty minutes later he was being checked over in the Emergency Room. Two hours later, he was in foster care. It took five tries, before they found a place for him. A group home. The only good thing about it, all the kids there went to school with him anyway, so they weren't about to try anything rough. They knew he could and would fight back. That was how things were. At 14 Terry did odd jobs to start making money for himself. At 16 he was able to get a real job, part-time at a grocery store as a stocker-bagger. Two weeks after his 18th birthday, Terry graduated high school and left the home.

A small apartment four blocks from the grocery store became home. A co-worker helped out by letting Terry borrow her car to take the driver's test so he could get a license. For him, the only real friends became a list of names online. Carefully a collection of second-hand clothes and shoes were gathered, then a first nervous journey to the local LGBT bar. Eventually Terry found himself under the wing of an old Drag-Queen. Terry was taught how to walk, apply make-up, style his real hair and even improvised voice lessons.That was how life was until Terry was almost 20.

Only month before his 20th birthday a police officer knocked on the store's doors. The over-night stock crew manager let him in then called Terry to the office.

"Terry, your parents were in an accident. Your real parents. They were hit head-on. Your Dad didn't make it. Your Mom is on her way to the hospital. I can take you there." The officer said.

Terry realized it was the same cop from that night, when he went into foster care.

"Are you here because you remembered me, or I was asked for?" Terry asked.

"I remembered you. I'll be honest, since that night I kept up with you. I quit that church. I don't go to any church anymore." The officer admitted. "What happened to you was wrong."

"So you came on your own, Sergeant Owens. Did you know that they threatened to have me arrested if I ever came around?" Terry asked then took out his wallet and pulled from it an old envelope.

Daniel Owens read the single page letter and wanted to vomit. In only a dozen lines, there was enough hatred to last a lifetime. He was about to pocket it, but Terry stopped him.

"No. It was the last thing they gave me. It's what meant the most to them." Terry said and put then letter back into his wallet.

A moment later a call came over the radio for Owens. He shook his head sadly. "She didn't make it. I'm sorry."

Two days later a lawyer came by the store and informed Terry of the funeral. He didn't plan to attend and said so. The lawyer also informed him that both his parents had disinherited him. He did however ask if there were any personal items that he would like to keep for himself. Terry shook his head. The lawyer informed him that the graves would be kept up for five years and all death expenses had been covered. The sale of the house and so on would cover any remaining debts they had. In short, there was no inheritance, but there was no debt either.

Terry lived day by day. Doing what he could to save money. He had a decent stash now in the bank. Then a bit of good luck hit. A raffle for air-fare and one week hotel stay in Las Vegas was won by Terry. The first vacation he had taken since he was six. He had a good time in Vegas, even able to go out en-femme twice. On the last day, four days after Terry's 21st birthday, he played his last twenty dollars of the thousand he had brought along. Like the song went, sometimes there's a hole in the pocket of miracles. One fell out in the form of that progressive machine. 425 million in miracle to be exact. The next day, Terry managed to add almost 250 more million to it.

After taxes and a few charitable donations, Terry went home in style. A chartered jet. An airline would have asked why he had two million in cash in his suitcase was why. Terry returned to the store and gave his two weeks notice. On the last day, after clocking out, he went around to each employee and gave them an envelope with five thousand dollars cash in it. The next day was a Saturday and he went back to the group home he had stayed at. He took all twelve kids there to the Mall and spent almost a thousand dollars on clothing for each of them, plus each one received an IPad and laptop. He also bought the couple running the home a new van and car, with insurance for five years and a check for a million dollars. On Monday he had all the kids come down to the nearest bank and had trust accounts set up for them with one hundred thousand dollar deposits in each. On Tuesday afternoon he found Trent Valens.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Terry walked into his old apartment just before one in the morning. He didn't bother with anything more than dropping his keys and phone on the rickety coffee table that had come from a curbside pile then dropped himself onto the old couch and fell asleep. In the morning he quickly took a shower, put on clean clothes and had a couple of poptarts with a bottle of juice for breakfast. The main room had boxes stacked neatly against one wall. Just after eleven, the men from the moving company showed up. They had a small truck and took only twenty minutes to load up the boxes. For an extra hundred dollars they took all the furniture out and set it by the curb. Not that there was much. The couch, coffee table, a desk and chair and a dresser.

After going through the apartment with a vacuum, Terry tossed it into the dumpster and went to the manager. He turned in the keys and didn't bother about the deposit. He just went to his car and left. At the funeral home that owned the cemetary where his parents were buried at, he paid in cash for the upkeep of their graves. His last act as next of kin. Many things had been tempting. Petty acts of revenge, such as buying the church that had been his parents final stand to stamp out his issue. He entertained the idea of buying it away then burning it to the ground. That idea was enjoyed for an hour then discarded. Those flames would have only ignited another fire, against him.

Instead Terry hired a private investigator. He dug enough dirt to smear the Pastor into being removed. Some carefully phrased rumors were started and it was soon out that it was revenge from an event eight years prior that brought down the church. Those were investigated and the whole truth came out. The church's pulpit was declared vacant, meaning the church was closed officially. Through Trent Valenz, the property was bought and redeveloped then sold again at a higher profit. A Super-Dollar now stood where a church used to be. That national retail chain had stores everywhere. The only reason Terry didn't like them was the fact that they wouldn't even let him fill out an application when he was looking for a job. He would take their money, but they would never have his.

Terry went to the bank and transferred the balance of his accounts into the new accounts then closed them down and left. He stopped at a laundrymat to wash the clothes in his suitcase. An hour later he was on the road again, heading back to Bayleston. He would stop along the way at a motel and finish the drive the next day.

 

~*~*~*~
 

A week later, Trent met Terry at Terry's apartment. An old duplex on the outskirts of town.

"Tess, you have like upteen-gillion dollars and you rent this place?" Trent remarked looking at it.

Terry smiled at the use of the name for the future. "Hey I didn't build this. I'm just renting it. Besides, the owner is sympathetic to my needs. He's like the old Queen that helped me get my collective shit together."

Trent shook his head. "Well at least you have actual furniture here."

"I bought it from Rent-Central. When I move out, I'll probably donate it. All my kitchen stuff comes with me though." Terry remarked. "I even got one of those things."

Trent looked to the counter and the coffee machine. "Now THAT'S welcome!"

"Shut up and show me how the damn thing works!" Terry growled.

A few minutes later they both sat at the dinette table with cups of coffee as Trent went over documents. Terry signed where needed and dated them. Trent double-checked each page then nodded.

"Ok. Frost Entertainment Properties LLC is ready to become real. I just need to file these and then we can get started. Any Terry business left?" Trent asked.

Terry shook his head. "No. All that's left, is now and future. Here's the land-line here. My cellphone is being shut off tomorrow."

Trent nodded. "Ok. As soon as the company is up, we'll get new phones. I'll call you. Here's the address of my new office and the condo. You didn't have to buy them both."

"You work for me. I don't want you wondering where you do it from or if where you live is going to be there when you go to it." Terry remarked.

Trent frowned. "Hard to let that go, isn't it?"

Terry didn't reply, just sipped the coffee. He didn't want to admit either that it tasted better than pouring hot water through a sieve of grinds with a filter. He still debated if the damn thing was worth the four hundred dollars instead of a twenty dollar drip-maker from Discount City. At least Terry knew how those worked.

 

~*~*~*~
 

The following Monday Terry walked into Trent's new office and looked around. "Definitely a step up from that other place."

"The place you rent now is step up from that. Ok let's get to it." Trent remarked.

They sat down at a table and Trent brought out several files and explained each one. "This one is the business. You keep the originals and I have file copies. FEP is legit now and you are the owner, I'm your legal staff. Here's the Retainer Agreement for my services, you have the original, I have a file copy. Here's the paperwork from the bank for the business accounts, you have to turn them in and distribute the money. Don't forget to read, sign and date. Oh and here's your new cellphone and a handful off my cards."

Terry checked the phone, it was the same as he had so there was no need to ask about its operation. The cards went into a pocket. He read through the bank paperwork then signed and dated them.

"The woman that runs the agency for the park will be here after lunch. I already went over everything. No surprises. She's ready to sign. We file today and and you can get a check cut for her agency tomorrow and we close on the park by lunch tomorrow. Good?" Trent asked.

"Yeah. Works for me. I'll take this to the bank now. If they don't dick around, this will post by Two." Terry said.

At One that afternoon Terry sat across a table from an older African-American woman staring at a file with accompanying map.

"Everything meets with your approval?" Lorrette Johnson asked.

Terry gave a thumbs-up so Trent smiled. "It does Mrs. Johnson. You have a sale. Get the papers in order and tomorrow there will be a check for your agency by lunch."

Lorette smiled. "That's wonderful!"

Terry looked up. "I will ask you to keep details confidential. Only those that need to know, are to know. If you don't mind."

"Certainly. I understand. I don't know your plans, but I am hopeful. I remember going to the park many times before it was destroyed, I know all the kids around here daydream about it coming back." Lorette confided.

"Right this way Mrs. Johnson." Trent offered to walk her out. "We'll see you tomorrow."

The next day at noon, papers were finalized and check for 70 million dollars changed hands. At Five that afternoon Trent watched as Terry took particular pleasure in tearing down the sign for the real estate agency then used a maul to hammer in the uprights for a new sign, Now Owned by Frost Entertainment Properties, LLC.

"Friday I have five contractors coming to see me. I'll give them a week to come up with bids." Trent said as they stood back admiring the new sign.

Terry nodded. "I like it. Let's go."

They got into their cars and drove away. Tomorrow, Terry would come back and cut off the old locks and put on new ones. There had been only one key to give over, to the front gate. He now owned 240 acres of dream. Soon, it would all come true.

 
 
 
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Chapter 2 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

First thing Wednesday morning, Terry found every gate of the park and counted locks. He tried the lock of the front gate and found that it hadn't been opened in so long, the lock was rusted. That only meant that it was just another lock to be cut and replaced. A list was made of items and a trip to the local Pro-Am Mart filled it. Pro-Am Mart was a national chain store for hardware, lumber, garden and appliances. The best place for Professional Contractors and Amateur do-it-yourselfers to get what they need for most projects. A total of twelve matching-key padlocks, reciprocating saw, two spare batteries and a pack steel blades took care of the list. The saw was battery operated, which was good. The batteries needed to be charged, that was the down-side.

After setting the first battery to charge, Terry began looking through the online listings for a counselor. Ten phone calls later, Terry had two options locally. One was a male Psychologist and the other was a female Psychiatrist. Terry had completely disregarded 'life coach' listings. Many of those took a religious route, which was a big no in his book. Those weren't the only calls. He also needed a Doctor, General Practice, a Dentist and an optometrist. None of those would be a serious problem, Terry could pay personally. However he was going to check what insurance those would take and if any were looking for a change of pace.

Something else, along those lines, were Paramedics and EMTs. Four teams of mixed pairs would be a good idea for a bare minimum. The main health problems associated with parks were heat exposure/dehydration, motion sickness and allergic reactions. The most common allergic reaction was food related, peanut products. One of the easiest preventive measures was not using peanut oil in fryers. Terry knew Trent was now meeting contractors privately. That was fine. When they came back with their bids, Terry would be listening in an adjoining room and use the computer to send any questions that popped up. That could all wait until then.

For three hours Thursday Terry went around and cut the old locks off and replaced them with new ones. The third battery was gone just before it was finished, so Terry ended up breaking the shackle with the maul used to set up the new sign. With that task finished, Terry stopped at a local burger place for lunch. Bro's Burgers and Shakes was pretty good. There was indoor, patio and the drive-in stalls. The hops working outdoor wore skates and would perform tricks on their return trips. Lunch done, Terry went to the first appointment.

"Hello, you must be Terry Frost." A woman greeted and offered a handshake. "I'm Adriann Marlo."

Terry nodded. "Doctor Marlo."

Doctor Marlo led him into her office and gestured to a chair. "Please, have a seat and call me Adriann."

"Alright, Adriann. I won't waste time. Put blunt, I'm here to see if you would oversee my transition." Terry stated point-blank.

Adriann nodded. "That is blunt. To be honest, I'll admit I have no idea what a transition entails. Actually I've never met a transgender person, to my knowledge. I wouldn't know where to start."

Terry looked at her intently. "Bottom line. Yes or no?"

Adriann sighed. "I have to say no. I have no knowledge about this. I think Brad Waverly does."

"I'm meeting him in an hour." Terry informed her.

The Psychiatrist looked visibly relieved. "That's good. I don't know Brad well, but I do know that he has experience I don't. He worked in the San Francisco area for ten years and I think he said something about LGBT groups. I hear that he's very good with his patients. He not one of those 'there's a pill for everything' types."

Terry nodded. "That's a plus."

"I'm sorry Terry. I just don't have the knowledge. I see now that I should get it. I don't know how long it'll take me, but check back if you need to." Doctor Marlo said.

Terry stood up. "Well, at least you are honest about it. How much for the consultation?"

"Nothing. I can't charge somebody I can't do anything for. All I ask is that you don't take it personally." Adriann said as she stood up.

"Fair enough. Have a good day." Terry said then left.

At Two that afternoon Terry greeted his second appointment. "Doctor Waverly?"

"Brad." The man with glasses and a goatee greeted. "And you're Terry Frost. Come right in."

Terry was surprised when Brad led him through the office and outside to a patio with two chairs.

"It's too nice of a day to stay indoors, don't you think?" Brad asked sitting down.

Terry quipped. "especially if you use clouds for a Rorschach test."

Brad laughed. "I never thought of that. I like it though!"

Terry made a hash-mark in the air.

"So what brings you to me?" Brad asked.

Terry gave him a flat look. "I'm transgender. I want to transition. Will you oversee it?"

"That's direct." Brad replied.

Terry nodded. Brad began interviewing casually. After thirty minutes Brad leaned forward.

"Terry. I'll admit, I wish you didn't need me. However, you do. I think it would be good if you see me every other week. What day and time would you like?" Brad asked.

"How about Monday, first slot?" Terry suggested.

Brad nodded. "Sounds good. Let's go in and take care of that."

Terry paid the consultation fee and collected the appointment card. Terry also took the list of insurance providers he could accept. From there he went over to the local technical college and asked for the Resources administrator.

"How can I help you?" The woman asked gesturing to the chair opposite.

Terry sat down. "Of your courses, I wanted to know if you have paramedic and EMT training?"

"Oh, of course! Would you like to enroll for those? We can combine the two or you could take EMT first and work as one while you take Paramedic." She offered.

Terry shook his head. "I'm not looking to go into those fields, but sometime in the next year or so, I will be looking for personnel to hire."

That surprised her. "Really? Are you starting up an ambulance service here?"

"No Ma'am. I'm not ready to hire yet. Until I am, I'd rather not say more than I'll be hiring four teams of mixed pairs." Terry stated.

She reached over to hand him her card. "Well, when you are ready to hire, please let me know. We try to get placements for our students when they complete their courses."

Terry pocketed the card. "That's good. I am going to warn you, I'll be an equal opportunity employer. I'll have no discriminatory monkey business. Likewise my employees had better be tolerant. At the very least, professional enough to set any personal b.s. to the side when it's time to work. Also, I'm the boss. I hire, I fire."

"You sound very Hands-On. The kind of person that walks through and not only knows faces and names, but details too." She surmised.

Terry nodded. "As much as I can. I'll be in touch."

"Good day!"Liz Quinlon smiled as he left and ten seconds later, wanted to kick herself. She had forgotten to get his name!

 

~*~*~*~
 

Terry starting going to the park everyday. Now that there were working locking on the gates, it was easy to just drive in and park his car in a spot not visible to any outsiders. It was still spring, but warm enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt. Terry was doing just that, along with sandals. Hair pulled back into a high ponytail as well. Slowly he walked around, notebook in hand, writing down what he found. In all honesty, not much looked salvageable. It really was looking like the park would have to be completely rebuilt from the ground up.

Over the weekend Trent had brought in a professional Drone operator to video the entire park. Five contractors had been brought in and given the video and high resolution pictures. Now they were waiting for the bids. There was catch. The plans the contractors have were the original plans for the park. Terry and Trent had done research and found the original plans and costs for the park. The objective was to see how close the contractor would get to that figure. Whomever did, was the one Terry wanted. It would also control information about what the new park was going to look like some. Details would eventually get out, but Terry wanted to keep it quiet for as long as possible. The bank President was the only one that officially knew the park had been bought.

That was what Terry did for four days. In the evenings, after dinner, Terry worked on the real plans for the park. First would be demolition, the whole park taken to bare earth, then truckloads of dirt brought in to build up to five feet above its current elevation. Terry wanted to take no chances of the park flooding. No one had said anything about it, but Terry had seen the signs of standing water on the structures that still stood.

Weather may not be a factor that can be beaten, but it could be anticipated and its effects lessened. Elevated land with good drainage aided by high volume pumps would keep the park relatively dry. There were various methods to direct excess water away from areas. Terry intended to use all he could find. Bad weather would always be an enemy to fight.

Terry's thoughts were interrupted by the cellphone. Trent was calling.

"Yeah?" Terry answered.

Trent informed him. "One of the contractors had to pull out."

"Oh? They give a reason?" Terry asked.

"Yep." Trent replied. "He had a stroke. Pretty bad one, he is going to be in the hospital for a while and then forced retirement."

Terry sighed. "And then there were four."

Trent agreed. "So it goes. Two of the contractors have said they're ready to turn in their bids now. I gave them time slots tomorrow. I'm just waiting on the other two now."

"Have any of them figured out we're pulling a fast one on them?" Terry asked.

Trent answered. "If they have then they aren't letting on. I found the firm that designed the park. We can wait until the contractor is decided. If that's cool with you?"

"Yeah. I have a session the following Monday first thing. I'm trying to get the first slot as much as I can, so I can get it out of the way." Terry stated.

"Question." Trent said.

Terry resisted the urge to chuckle. "Answer."

"Is Terry going to be here tomorrow or Tessa?" Trent asked.

Terry sighed. "Unfortunately, Terry will be there. Outwardly."

"Oh. I get it." Trent said understanding.

Terry would be wearing feminine clothes, just not obviously so. In short, the usual. Many assumed that Terry bleached his hair. It wasn't true. Terry took pride in being a natural platinum blonde. Even more so at having it long, almost to the middle of his back. Dark, almost cobalt blue eyes and a complexion that was practically tan-resistant made him seem doll-like.

Terry had been walking back to his car. "I'm pretty much done here. The first thing is to take this place all the way down to the dirt. Then it needs to be elevated at least five feet higher. Then we can start."

"You still want to start the housing projects first?" Trent asked.

"Definitely. The staff dorm and my house. That way I can start getting the cast and staff in and ready to go before the park is finished. As soon as we pick the contractor, I want to get the demo permits filed before close of business." Terry stated.

Trent agreed. "Sounds fine by me. See you tomorrow. First slot is at nine-thirty."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Friday was busy. The first contractor came in on time, but very unorganized. After ten minutes of fumbling around to find things, Trent asked an unexpected question.

"Mister Dugan, why are you here and not the man I met before? Mister Jeremy Tilden." Trent asked.

Dugan nervously cleared his throat and answered. "Mister Tilden had another meeting to attend."

Trent felt like he was being gas-lighted. "And what, exactly, do you do?"

"I file the papers. Permits and so on." Dugan replied.

"I see. So who is actually in charge with this company?" Trent asked.

Dugan now understood he was in trouble. "Blaine Woods. He's the contractor."

"Why is Mister Woods NOT here?" Trent asked.

Dugan looked like he wanted to crawl into a hole. "He's on vacation."

Trent wanted to face-palm. "Please be honest, does he even know about this?"

"He, uh, isn't up on the details. Specifically." Dugan side-stepped.

Trent sighed. "Mister Dugan, I don't understand what is going on with this company, but I will say that I don't like this. I believe this meeting is concluded."

Dugan was going to hand him the file, but Trent waved it off. "Never mind Mister Dugan. Good day."

On Trent's computer screen, in messenger, was the single line: they don't actually want the job, send him back.

Dugan left looking like everything that he thought could go wrong, had.

Trent walked into his office from the conference room. "Well that went to shit faster than eating ex-lax at Taco Bell."

"I checked the guy's social media. He has a place down in the Keys, been there for two weeks and isn't due back for another two." Terry remarked.

Their conversation was interrupted by Trent's new secretary calling over the intercom. "Mister Valens? There is a Mister Dave Wells, from Las Vegas, on the line."

"Thank you Lilly." Trent replied and took the call on speaker

"Trent Valens here. I have Terry as well." Trent announced.

"Hello." Dave Wells greeted. He didn't waste time either. "Tessa, is that offer still on the table?"

Terry answered. "It's yours if you want."

"Yes. I want. What do I need to do?" Dave asked.

"Start packing. Plan for a month here then go back and get all your stuff. I'll have a ticket waiting for Monday morning." Terry said.

Dave took a moment then said. "Ok. Text or email me the details."

Trent nodded to Terry and said to Dave. "Done. I'll meet you at the airport."

"Monday then. I look forward to the change in scenery." Dave signed off and disconnected.

Trent disconnected as well then turned to Terry. "He's going to be the head of security, right?"

Terry nodded. "Yeah. I met him Vegas. He's good, but they kept him down because he's gay."

"Well I know I'd feel a bit better if you weren't in that park all alone." Trent remarked.

Terry shook his head. "I'm done for now. None of it is worth saving. We'll be rebuilding it from the ground up. Including the ground."

Lilly interrupted again. "Mister Valens. Mister Smith of SmitCo is here."

"Thank you Lilly. The conference room please." Trent replied then said to Terry. "Let's try this again."

Terry sat down behind the desk. "At least this guy showed up himself."

Trent entered the conference room and found the man standing at the table laying out his things in his preferred order.

'This is a good sign.' Trent thought to himself then greeted him. "Mister Smith. Thank you for coming in."

Jack Smith reached over and shook hands. "Thank you Mister Valens. Couple more seconds and I'm ready."

"By all means." Trent gestured for him to continue then smiled as the contractor unfurled a diagram on the tale and used some logo'ed blocks to hold it flat.

"All set." Jack Smith said.

Trent watched and listened as the contractor began going over what the original task was. He was very take-charge and had apparently done some additional research himself. Trent was impressed when he flatly stated that the whole park needed to be leveled and start all over. All that was good, but then things started going in a different direction. The numbers started climbing, both in dollars and time. He was projecting seven to nine months of demolition. Then Smith said something that alarmed Trent.

"Basically what we need to do is depress the center of the property. That would create a cold-well. The cooler air would naturally fall into the center of the property and make it more comfortable." Smith explained.

Trent didn't even need to look at the computer screen to know this was a problem. Terry had already talked with a Tornado expert. The EF-3 Tornado had practically been funneled straight for the park due to the surrounding topography. This guy was proposing to make it even worse.

Trent let him get to a pause then asked him to wait a moment. Over at the computer he read the messages.
This guy has no idea what he's talking about, demo will take three months at most. He's done.

"Thank you Mister Smith." Trent said as he went back to the table. "I'll get back to you if we opt to pursue your plans."

Jack knew he'd been nailed, but there was nothing he could say about it. What he wanted to know now was, how they knew he was ripping?

Trent watched him gather up his things and leave. Lilly came to the door and waved to him.

"Yes Lilly?" Trent asked then saw a man sitting in a reception chair.

"Mister Roanoke arrived ten minutes ago. He told me that any numbers Mister Smith gave you would be at least three times more than reality." Lilly said quietly.

Trent looked over to the man. He stood up and strolled over.

"Young man. I ought to warn you. SmitCo is good at one thing, milking a project for all its worth. In truth, they only have office staff. He uses temp labor and charges three times what he has pay." Bill Roanoke stated.

Trent showed him into the conference room. "Well, I'm very interested in what you have to say Mister Roanoke."

"I don't go for all that. I'm Bill. Look here." Bill said then unfurled several rolls of diagrams.

Trent looked at them then noticed they were faded, but still good.

"Where did you get these?" Trent asked.

Bill smirked. "My office. I worked on the park when it was being built the first time. Here's how much it cost back then, here's what it'd cost to do the same way today. What's on my mind now, is why you'd want to do it EXACTLY the way it was, when you have a prime chance to do it right this time?"

The office door opened and Terry came in.

Bill gave a knowing smile. "Looks like I just got the boss' attention."

"You did." Terry remarked. "I'm listening."

"There ain't nothing I don't know about this park. Most importantly; I know where they went wrong." Bill said then shifted the diagrams around to a topographic layout. "This whole area here is a funnel. Park smack dab in the middle. That tornado coming through didn't have a choice but waste that park. The highway is up high, see? and then you got all this area over here, strip mall, school house and all that. It's built up too. Now the park sits low, now in the summer that makes a well. All the cooler air rushes in. It also draws a tornado straight to it. Lightning too. That's bad. The old rollercoaster was the biggest lightning rod for a mile."

"Save me some time Bill." Terry said.

Bill chuckled. "No-nonsense. I like that. Ok. First we strip all this down to the under-layer. That's red clay. We bring in more to build it up, with the highest point being the center of the park. I'd go for ten feet of elevation at the center, six foot at the outer edge. Then we start building the park the right way. Lowest point being the area under the roller coaster."

Terry looked at him intently. "What's your priorities?"

"I take my jobs serious. I get paid to do it right, not twice. The safety of my work crew is tops. They don't do nothing I won't. Whoever is paying, is the boss. If I'm taking their money, I do it their way." Bill said firmly.

Terry asked. "What if I was walking around in a dress and high heels?"

"I'd ask you to change. Don't misunderstand me. I mean them high heels to a safety shoe of some kind and hand you a hard hat and glasses. I take safety seriously. That's OSHA regulations and I encourage it. Otherwise, it don't make no nevermind to me. I got no say in how folks live. I only object to safety violation on the job-site. That's part of my job to." Bill said firmly. "If you intend to visit the site that way, I have to ask that you only come to the trailer and no further. I'll come to you there. Fair enough?"

Terry looked at the pages and saw the one he wanted. He picked it up and read then handed it to Trent.

"You're hired Mister Roanoke. I'm Terry Frost now, but I'll be changing that to Tessa Frost. By the time all the dirt work is done, the plans will be ready. Other things get built first. Any questions?" Terry asked.

"You call me Bill. I'll call you whatever you want as long as the check don't bounce. Pay in three installments." Bill said.

Terry smirked. "You'll be getting paid in five installments. To get started, after the dirt work, after the first phase of construction, half the park done and when the park is finished. How's that?"

"That sounds just fine by me." Bill nodded.

Terry unrolled a diagram. "Here's a rough idea of what I want."

Bill looked over the drawing. "A house and some kind dormitory? Let me guess; for you and for the folks working there?"

"That's right. I want to make sure my people don't have to worry about certain things. Housing won't come out of their pay. Things like phones and cable will but they'll have free internet. No rent and meals in the dorm are included. I'll still pay them fair rate, probably better than some other places." Terry said. "I'm going to be hiring a lot of people like me."

Bill sighed. "I hate to tell you this, but if you're wanting to keep it quiet something's going on, there's already talk. Big money coming into town, cars coming and going at the park and somebody saw the real estate sign ain't there. Word is, somebody bought the park and something's going to happen with it."

"I expected it. I'm surprised the talk didn't start the day I bought it." Terry admitted.

Bill shook his head. "Just the past couple of days. You want us quiet about it, it won't cost you extra. In fact, I still keep in touch with the folks that designed the original layout. They thought the owner was an idiot for not building up the ground too."

"Hadley and Associates?" Terry asked.

Bill nodded. "Ron Hadley was the designer. He died three years ago, but his boy is top notch. Name's Dominic. He'd jump at the chance to work on a new park."

Terry looked over to Trent.

"I'll call him." Trent affirmed.

Terry nodded. "I think we found our contractor. We got one left, but I like what you say Bill."

"I'd imagine you're expecting Whooten Brothers." Bill guessed.

Trent chuckled. "We are."

Bill nodded. "They're ok. They built the big mall in town. They've built two of the schoolhouses too."

"Nothing bad to say?" Trent asked.

Bill shook his head. "Nope. I guess if I had to say something, it'd be, they like to hurry."

"Cut corners?" Terry asked.

"I wouldn't say that. Just that they, hurry." Bill said.

Terry now understood. That company didn't like to take on long term or highly involved projects. They'd do the demo and maybe the ground work, but the actual building of the park they wouldn't be suitable.

Terry nodded. "I see. Well, we'll see them and hear what they have to say. I'll call you either way later today."

Bill nodded and picked up all his diagrams and papers. "I'll be waiting."

After he left, Trent looked to Terry. "Is he our guy Tessa?"

"More than likely." A contralto voice answered.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Monday morning Bill Roanoke walked into the Courthouse and went to the clerk of Court.

"Morning Bill. Permits?" The Clerk asked.

Bill nodded and handed over the applications. "Yep."

"Ok." The Clerk began to look them over then his eyes widened. "THE PARK?"

"Settle down now, Harvey." Bill said. "There's the applications, here's the check. Do your thing, quietly, so I can do my thing."

Harvey leaned closer. "I heard a rumor somebody bought up the park. So it is true?"

"Harvey, I got a job to do. I need you to do yours." Bill said.

Harvey began checking over the applications then approving them. Ten minutes later, he handed over the permits.

"Ok Bill. Permits issued." Harvey said.

Bill checked then nodded. "Harvey, its going to be done right this time. Don't say nothing."

Harvey nodded. "Good luck Bill. Go get it."

Hours later, a confident young man strode down a jet-way. He looked over by baggage claim and found who he was looking for.

"Trent." He called out.

Trent walked over and greeted him. "Dave Wells. Nice to finally meet you."

 
 
 
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Chapter 3 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Tuesday morning Bill Roanoke pulled in at a back gate and saw a new Trans Am parked inside the park. He drove in and parked close by.

"Morning Bill." Terry called out.

Bill got out of the truck and walked over. "Morning there."

Terry led him over to his car, took out a portfolio and laid it open on the hood.

"I'd like to be responsible about this Bill. All the metal here, I want taken to the recycling plant nearby. How does that sound to you?" Terry asked.

Bill nodded and handed her a card. "Already talked to them. Expecting a call from you. They'll take any man-made stuff."

Terry liked that the old man was thinking ahead, but decided to throw him a curve. "All the recycling money, give to the crew as an incentive. How does THAT sound?"

"You want to do that?" Bill asked, finally taken by surprise.

Terry gave him a flat look. "Will it motivate? They get paid whatever you usually pay them to work, but they get that recylce money as a bonus, or more like, a bounty. The less going to the dump is more money for their pocket."

"Hell yeah, that'll motivate. My crew'll go bonkers looking for stuff to send!" Bill said.

Terry pulled a page from the pad and handed it to Bill. "These are some items that are here in the park. I want them pulled, pressure and steam cleaned and delivered to these locations. I need it done no later than noon tomorrow."

Bill read the page. "You think this kitchen stuff will still work?"

"Yes. It's all gas so it just needs to be cleaned up. Pressure washers and steam cleaners will do it." Terry answered.

Bill nodded. "Might be right about that. All these are shelters and free kitchens. I see now. You're donating this stuff."

"That's right. Everything going in will be new and under warranty. All this old stuff may be serviceable, but no warranty. If these don't work, then I'll pay to get them working, but I can't get a warranty. I'll try to do some good for people that need it the most." Terry explained.

"Well, you keep thinkin' like that and you're gonna make a name for yourself before you even get the gate open." Bill remarked.

Terry flipped the portfolio closed. "I got lots of ideas."

Bill eyed the young man in front of him intently. "This ain't no overnight thing. You been thinkin' on this a long time, ain't you?"

The feminine voice that answered took Bill by surprise. "Since I was six years old. I wanted to come back and be a princess. I'm older now, I'll build a better park and be its queen."

"I see fire and ice in them eyes of yours. I'm guessing I better get a name or two straight before we get on this." Bill remarked.

"The real me is Tessa. The disguise you and everyone else around here has seen is Terry." Tessa replied.

"Tessa, huh? Queen of the park, too?" Bill adjusted his ball-cap then nodded. "Well, your Ladyship, guess this old man best get started on your kingdom. I got me some mountains to move."

Tessa nodded. "Yes you do. And Atlas is holding up the world, so you and your army will have to do it for me. This is the last week I will be disguised. Get used to seeing the real me around."

Bill tipped his cap. "Your Ladyship."

Tessa saw him wink as well. He was teasing, but in a kind way.

"You'll need this." She tossed a key that he caught. "It goes to every lock here. I'll see you every morning."

Bill pointed to a spot. "My work trailer will be right there."

Tessa nodded then slipped into her car and drove away.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Dave Wells went into Trent's office. "Morning."

"Morning. Hotel ok?" Trent asked.

Dave nodded. "It's fine. What's on the agenda for today?"

"The same realtor I used is coming by in ten minutes, she'll show you four condos they have listed. One of them is furnished, if I remember right." Trent said. "Coffee?"

Dave held up a go-cup. "Sure. This one is pretty much done."

Ten minutes later, he left with the realtor and an hour later chose a condo. It was unfurnished, though.

Dave didn't mind that, he would be staying at the hotel for a while anyway. Trent was going to let him use a spare office, that would be his research room later, until Dave settled in and could work from home while the park was being built. That suited Dave just fine. The Army had taught him to be flexible. Gather everything thrown his way and sort out what was important for himself. That's what he had done in Military Intelligence. The Army hadn't really cared he was gay, since he kept his romantic interests out of the Army.

As an officer, he led by example and that example was professionalism. He did all he could to solve every problem in-house before it went higher. If a problem did have to go higher, he took it there personally and made damn sure it was taken care of. Only once had there been comment about his sexuality shortly after getting married. He shut the snide higher rank down fast.

"I'm an officer and a gentleman. My priorities are beyond clear. My Men. My Mission. My Self. In that order Colonel. Anything else is a disgrace to the uniform and conduct unbecoming!" Captain Dave Wells said with conviction.

Two platoons had been in a loose formation behind him. Immediately they all snapped to attention and yelled out, saluting, "HOO-AHH CAPTAIN WELLS!"

From then on, no one scoffed or sniped at him. Those under his command would follow him anywhere. That was how it had been. Whenever his post changed, his husband joined him within a week. Until the last posting. A local police officer had a serious mean streak. The only people he hated more than soldiers, were gays and lesbians. The problem was, he had connections. Deep connections. Two on the city council, three more were cops and one in the District Attorney's office.

Erick Delone pulled over when the lights were flashed and the siren chirped. He didn't object when the officer demanded to search the vehicle, he had nothing to hide. Unfortunately a picture of himself and Dave was in a clear frame attached to the console. Sneers and slurs later, the bigoted officer punched him then decided to just outright shoot him.

Army CID got involved when the Army MP's hit the Blue Wall. The department desperately tried to sweep it under the rug. From the mayor on down there was effort to bury it. Dave took the advice of one of the Special Agents and went to the press. The spouse of active duty decorated military personnel was big news. The fact the victim was in a same sex marriage practically threw napalm on the fire. When all was said and done, an eighth of the city's administration and legal apparatus was in shambles and the State services had to come in. The dirty cop didn't even make it to prison. It was unclear who was actually responsible, but he had been found dead in his holding cell waiting to be arraigned.

Dave was disgusted about the whole thing and resigned his commission. He found himself in Vegas working casino security. It wasn't bad, but he refused to pursue any personal relationships. The occasional drinks or breakfast after shift, but that was it. Until he met a transgender woman that won big money and requested a security escort. That was when he met Tessa Frost. She had some spirit, there was a will to fight that wouldn't settle for anything less than what she wanted. On the day she left, at the steps of the private jet, she asked for his information and said flatly, be ready in six months. He knew then, she wasn't lying.

Six months later, she kept her promise. She called and outlined what she was going to do and when she'd need him. Now he was there. After setting up housekeeping for himself, she wanted him to start seeking out people they would need. Dave still had pull in government circles, he could find who he needed or check out who Tessa found on her own.

"Yes Tessa?" Dave answered the new cellphone Trent had given him.

Tessa asked. "The condo is paid for. You want a car here or are you going to bring yours from Vegas?"

Dave had to smile, that was so like her to be on the ball. "I'll bring my car. I have enough to keep me busy all week. Sunday I'll fly back to Vegas and get my things shipped here and drive back. I should be back the following weekend."

"Sounds good. Trent told me you have your bank accounts set up already. I've just transferred some money in. Is there anything you need?" Tessa asked.

"Not at the moment. After I get settled in I'll need a day or two to deal with the VA here. I have some news." Dave said

Tessa asked. "What kind?"

Dave smiled to himself. "I may have a line on a computer specialist. She's ex-Navy. I can't tell you much, because I don't know enough yet."

"Where is she?" Tessa asked.

Dave replied. "San Diego. Word I got is, she's freelancing right now."

Tessa paused then said. "Go check her out while you're out that way. If you like her, say so and I'll make arrangements for her. If we can use her, I'll pay her five grand plus expenses just to come meet me."

"Ok. Anything else?" Dave asked.

Tessa answered. "Yes. Meet me at the park at eight tomorrow morning. Back gate two."

Dave affirmed. "Tomorrow at zero-eight."

Tessa disconnected so he went back to his tasks.

 

~*~*~*~
 

The next morning, two workmen were loading coolers of ice water into a side-by-side cart when two cars pulled in and parked at the office trailer. They had to suppress the urge to whistle when a platinum blonde woman got out of the red Trans Am. A formidable looking man in a long sleeve shirt and chinos joined her from the other car and they both went inside.

"Mornin'." Bill greeted them when the two walked in.

Tessa returned it. "Morning Bill. This is Dave Wells, formerly, Captain in the U.S.Army and later one of the better casinos in Las Vegas. He's my Head of Security."

"Captain?" Bill noted then shook hands. "Good to meet you. Bill Roanoke, but just call me Bill, Sir."

Dave shook hands. "I have no problem skipping formality. Dave is fine, Bill."

Bill directed them to a diagram on the wall. "I got my guys swarming section by section. Today they're taking down the old roller coaster. Now I have a handful over in this area here. They're getting this area ready to start building your house."

"I spoke to the people that the appliances were taken to. Some needed work, but I had it taken care of." Tessa informed him.

Bill smirked. "Along with grocery deliveries? Heard 'bout that. That's a good thing you did. Heard the local kids' home got Christmas early too. Sure you aren't Mrs. Claus in disguise, your Ladyship?"

"I thought you had enough going on to be listening to town-talk, Bill. Shall I find you a hobby?" Tessa smirked back.

Bill chuckled. "I think I can find myself something to do. Next week we should be done with the tear down."

Dave looked the diagram over. "If I'm reading this right, and I believe I am. The whole compound is going to be raised, ten feet at the center and a gradual slope to eight feet at the perimeter. Tessa's house and the barracks here don't require the lift. Right?"

"Mostly right. We are going to build up that area, by five feet. There's nothing underground there so the dirt work is about to start." Bill pointed out.

"I'd like to bring in another trailer for an office. For myself and Dave. I think I found one." Tessa stated.

Bill nodded. "Fine by me. You tell me where it is and I'll have my guys bring it over."

Tessa nodded. "That works. I'll give something on the side for that."

"Bill when do you think you will get to the point that the actual layout can go on paper?" Dave asked.

Bill shook his head. "Not for a while. After we break up all the pavement, we have to dig up all the underground service. Then we start bringing in the dirt to raise the whole place. Once we get to that part, then the designer lays out the park. Why do you ask?"

"We want to make this the new standard in security. More camera coverage than a casino gaming floor." Dave explained.

Bill nodded. "That's a good reason."

Dave went on. "I have a line on some people in Vegas that are great monitors. They're top-notch. The problem is; they want to get out of Vegas, but for what they are capable of, the options are limited. This is their ticket out."

"I thought Las Vegas was supposed to a great place?" Bill asked.

Dave shook his head. "That's just the bright lights. Visiting, it's like no other place. Living there is a different story. It's expensive, uncomfortable because of the dryness and the biggest problem, gambling. It's easy to get hooked and over your head. Addiction is heavy over there. Hard to beat too, because pretty much you're surrounded by bad influences. Its like Hotel California, you can check out anytime you like, but you can never leave."

"It's that bad?" Bill asked.

"Worse than you realize. People gamble to get up enough money to escape, but then the fever hits and they lose it all." Dave explained. "It's a never-ending circle. Tessa got me out just in time. I'm going to matter again. I'd go to Hell and drag the Devil out for Tessa Frost. She saved me."

The older man looked at the younger and saw the look in his eyes. He saw truth. The ex-Army Captain wasn't lying.

"Well. I guess I got a real job ahead of me. Making her dream come true." Bill said.

Tessa spoke up. "You'll do it Bill."

Bill chuckled. "I do like your confidence and spunk."

Tessa stepped forward. "No confidence needed. I want you to do it, because you're the right man for the job. You'll make it happen. That's why I chose you, Bill. It's that simple."

The old man now got it. She wasn't hoping, she was determined. She would have what it was she wanted. Period. In her eyes was the look of someone who knew what it was like to lose everything and refused to let it happen again.

"I won't let you down." Bill said.

Tessa nodded then turned to Dave. "Let's go."

At the door Tessa turned back. "I don't do Faith Bill. I do fact. Fact is, you're the only one that can do this. I know it, you know it. All that's left, is to do it. I'll call you later about the trailer."

Bill watched them leave. A minute later one of his crew leaders came in.

"Hey Boss. Who was that?" The worker asked.

Bill looked over. "That was the Boss and her security man, Drew."

Drew let out a low whistle. "Wow. She's a looker."

"You watch that kinda talk. She's the Boss. On top of that, a damn fine person. Respect her, at all times." Bill glared.

Drew held up his hands. "Easy Boss. I'll be good."

"Bring everybody in for a meeting. We need to kick this in high gear." Bill said.

Two hours later he sent two of his men with a truck to bring Tessa and Dave's office trailer.

 

~*~*~*~
 

The next day saw a delivery of office furniture and electronics. The trailer was hooked up to the temporary service and internet service was hooked up by the end of the day. Dave was there almost from sun-up to sun-down. Tessa came and went with no set schedule. The workers were surprised on Friday when they began seeing a drone overhead. One thing for certain, they could tell whoever was operating it knew what they were doing.

Bill already had his men in high gear. They tore down structures enough to move the pieces to his company yard, from there a three man crew broke the pieces down to sizes small enough to be accepted at the recycling center. Four equipment men were now over at the area where Tessa's house would be built and they were moving dirt around as it was brought in. Basically, two acres were set aside for her home. The outer perimeter would be a tree-line for privacy.

The construction crew had quickly grown accustomed to seeing Dave walking around the site in camo pants, ARMY strong t-shirt and combat boots. They were surprised to learn that he had taken the Combat Lifesaver course, which made him the site's First Responder. Wednesday had also seen the delivery off a yellow side-by-side that he applied Emergency Vehicle decals on. It had a modified flat bed that was long enough for a person on a stretcher to lay on. On Sunday Dave turned in his rental car at the airport when he flew back to Las Vegas. The workmen on Monday were surprised to not see him.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Monday, Tessa showed up as herself for the counseling session. That, of course, brought even more questions. Brad took his time though. He didn't want to rush anything. In fact, he was doing his best to ensure that Tessa lost track of time. He found her to be very resolute in her course. There was no doubt or hesitation. As if those things did not exist to her. To Tessa, her body was wrong. That would be corrected as current medical advances would go and she would be right with the world as she saw it. The session ended up being two hours instead of one.

Despite his attempt to persuade her not to pay for the extra time, she insisted anyway and would not accept otherwise. The argument truly ended when Tessa threatened to buy him a timer that came with a klaxon siren. He knew with her wealth, that wouldn't be a problem so he accepted the check. Brad Waverly now understood, Tessa would get her way or Tessa would get her way and it was a good idea to let her in most cases. She made her own way in the world and would refuse to owe or perceive to owe for anything.

Brad held her up for a moment. "I'm going to give you this. I see it would be pointless to delay."

Brad handed her a single page after signing it and made a copy.

"Official statement of Real Life Test." Tessa read. "Terry Frost is under supervised care of Brad Waverly, Psychologist, now undergoing the Real Life Test of transition process. Male to female. Et cetera, et cetera. Individual is to be addressed, referred and regarded as female. Yada-yada, so on and all that. Ok so this makes me 'official', yes?"

"Yes. Keep a copy with you at all times. We'll discuss the impact of me giving you that next time." Brad said.

Tessa folded the page in three, carefully, and slipped it into her purse. "You'll have a working timer next time, too."

Brad laughed. "Or else you'll get me one that goes off with a one hundred decibel AH-OOGA! I won't forget."

Tessa gave him a sly look then left.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Back at the park, Demolition continued. Bill found a use for much of the broken concrete and other rubble. It was used to build a ramp off the road going around the back of the park to the new pathway leading to Tessa's house. It was covered by three feet of packed dirt that was seeded with grass. The rest of the debris would be used in the same way for the entrance road to the dormitory area. Dirt work was now underway over there.

In her office, Tessa was searching for staff and cast members to hire. Her objective was to hire as many as she could find within the LGBT community. Especially transgender. She found some that had trades, mostly apprentices. That was fine by her. They would be able to continue training and learning during the construction phase of the park then take over to be the full time laborers after it was complete. By the end of the week, twenty-four new crew would on their way and arrive over the weekend.

Two prospects came as surprise. They were both Registered Nurses that had been run out of their jobs by higher-ups for being transgender. She had found them in a transgender chat-room. An hour phone call with both and they were on their way.

"Two nurses. That's something I hadn't thought about before. Lucky find for me. I guess they could help out with information or something like that until there's an emergency." Tessa mused to herself.

The trailer door opened and a voice called out. "Hello?"

Tessa went to the main room. "Yes?"

A middle-age man with several rolls of plans smiled. "Dominic Hadley. Are you Tessa?"

"Yes. Come in Mister Hadley. I wasn't expecting you until tomorrow." Tessa greeted him.

Dominic continued to smile. "I finished the plans for your house and a rough of the dormitory, so I rushed right over."

Tessa waved him over to a long table. "Nice. I'd like to see them then."

Dominic unfurled one roll. "Here we go. This is a design with all the features you said were must-haves."

"I see. Good layout. This outside looks strange though." Tessa commented.

Dominic laughed. "The finishing touch is totally up to you. The exterior can be block, faux log OR FAUX STONE! If you choose the block it'll look contemporary. The log, it will look like a cabin and if you go with the stone, it'll look like a miniature castle or chalet! The balconies can even be done to look like crenelated battlements if you want."

Tessa stared at the drawings and slowly began to smile. A moment later she snerked then began to laugh.

"I take it, you like the castle-chalet idea?" Dominic asked.

Tessa nodded, calming down to a giggle. "Yes. Go with that Mister Hadley. I think it's appropriate."

Dominic looked pleased. "Excellent! Please call me Dominic, Miss Frost. Or shall I start calling you Queen Tessa?"

Tessa smiled back. "Just Tessa will do, Dominic. Let's see the dorm."

He rolled up the house plans and unfurled another roll. "Certainly. I took a liberty, since you wanted so many rooms. I've designed it as an angled H. On each side is a pool. I thought that having two smaller pools and spas, instead of the one big pool and spa would work better. Also, having them located like this, would make them more private. One hundred and thirty rooms, each with attached bath, as you wanted. The middle ground floor is the cafeteria and kitchen. A laundry room for each wing on every floor."

Tessa listened carefully and looked to the points he indicated on the diagram. She liked what he had come up with. He even had covered parking for the dorm residents. The parking lot adjacent to the dorm's lot was for the other cast and staff. She liked what he had planned so far and called for Bill. Bill joined them and looked over both sets off plans.

"I like these Bill. I want them." Tessa said.

Bill nodded. "Yes Ma'am. You want 'em, Your Ladyship will get 'em. Good job Dominic."

Dominic was happy with the praise. "Just wish Dad was here. He'd love to be a part of it. Do it right this time."

"No Dominic." Tessa said then corrected. "It's not just going to be done right, it's going to be even greater."

Dominic thought for a moment then smiled. "I think I'll follow Bill's lead; yes, My Lady."

Tessa giggled when he bowed with a flourish. "Go on you two. Let's get to it."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Wednesday Tessa answered her phone, recognizing the ring tone. "Afternoon Dave."

"I'm in San Diego." Dave informed her.

Tessa commented. "That was quick."

"I drove over yesterday. I'll head back to Vegas this afternoon. I'll be heading back to you Friday." Dave told her. "I already met with my security people Monday afternoon. They want to give notice before they go."

"That's fine. Any problems?" Tessa asked.

Dave answered. "One had to sell his car, so he'll catch a ride with one of the others. All of them are renters here so no need to sell any houses or such. About seven rental trucks will be needed."

Tessa thought about it then said. "Would probably be cheaper and better to hire a couple of eighteen-wheelers and just have them consolidate."

"I'm surprised I didn't think of that. It would." Dave chuckled.

"Good. Now, tell me about why you're in San Diego and how it's going." Tessa said.

"Jennifer Colefield, 34, ex-Navy. Systems operations and management. Widow of a Navy SEAL. Being a single parent now, she was encouraged to retire with a promotion to Lieutenant Commander. Apparently she gets better benefits at that rank." Dave called off, as if reading personal notes.

Tessa was letting that register. A question suddenly seemed relevant. "Dave. Did she lose her husband in combat?"

Dave paused before answering. "Death was a training accident."

"I know bullshit when I hear it." Tessa warned him.

"Not now. Not like this." Dave said.

Tessa understood, it was something that shouldn't be talked about over the phone. "Very well. What else?"

"She has an adorable five year old daughter. You'll love her, she's all about princesses and ponies." Dave chuckled. "Jennifer will meet you in two weeks. I'll send you her info after we hang up."

Tessa asked. "Do you have any cash on you right now?"

"How much do I need?" Dave asked.

"Seven grand." Tessa said.

Dave replied. "I can have it in thirty minutes."

"That's fine. Give her seven grand and tell her I'll have flight reservations for herself and her daughter on the following Friday for the weekend here. I can reimburse you through the Vegas account or the local account, you choose." Tessa stated.

"Local. I already have a card for them. I'll transfer from Vegas on my way back." Dave said.

"Done. Be safe. I want you out of Vegas clean and clear." Tessa instructed.

Dave smiled to himself. "Yes Ma'am. See you Monday."

"Monday." Tessa affirmed then disconnected.

A minute later her email pinged with the information Dave sent. Tessa went online and made the reservations then called the local hotel and made reservations as well. She sent the confirmations to Jennifer Colefield's email along with a brief greeting.

On Friday Bill oversaw the marking off for Tessa's house for Monday, when a crew would begin forming up for the slab. He was expecting to pour the slab on Thursday or Friday.

 
 
 
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Chapter 4 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Monday Bill saw the arrival of a large group of people and the return of Dave Wells. He brought them over.

"Mornin' Dave." Bill greeted him.

Dave was in his usual attire of camo pants and combat boots. He wore a different t-shirt though. This one had the Airborn banner on it.

Dave shook hands with Bill. "Morning Bill."

"Those folks here to help you?" Bill nodded to the group of workers.

Dave smiled and handed him a sheet of paper. "No Sir. They're here to help us. We have an assortment of trades here. Apprentice level and up. They get their pay from us, but get their orders from you."

"They're going to be the staff here after the park is finished." Bill guessed.

"Yes Sir." Dave confirmed then addressed the group. "Ladies, gentlemen. This is Bill Roanoke. He's the contractor. He'll give you your assignments. Clock in at zero-seven at the office trailer then report to Bill for your daily assignments. Work safe, look after yourselves and each other. Any problems, see me first. Let's go to work."

Bill began lining them up by trade then called over his crew leaders. Some of the new people were being sent over with the crew for Tessa's house. The rest were given assignments with the park crew. All the underground services were being dug up. Wire and cable was important. It couldn't be re-used, but it could be recycled. Also were the metal and PVC pipe. Those needed to be recycled as well.

Tuesday, the two nurses arrived. Tessa quickly sent them both to Trent to get their paperwork updated, they had to apply for licenses in that state. Until they were accredited, Tessa had them working in the office. Not that there was much to do. When Dave wasn't out looking over the work, he was in the office working.

Dave Wells was efficiency in motion. He was definitely no stranger to office duty. The man was almost a machine. He was organized to the Nth degree. He was practically all over everything. He even found time to become Red Cross certified for First Aid and CPR. Thursday, the slab was poured for Tessa's house. Friday the framing order arrived. The forming crew shifted over to the dorm site and began working on it. Bill had tweaked the work schedule so that there was work going on every day.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Monday a Framing crew went to work building the walls for Tessa's house. Wednesday, in the park, all the underground services had been removed. Trucks of fill dirt were being brought in. A crew was now demolishing the parking lot. It was asphalt, so it was being sent to a place that would reclaim or re-purpose it. Dave had taken the day off to see to personal business. He stopped by at lunch time and of the workers that saw him, they were impressed by his uniform. He wore the current issue Army dress uniform, which is blue instead of green. Several of Bill's crew were veterans, current National Guardsmen or Reservists themselves and saluted out of habit.

Bill noticed and asked. "Captain. I'm a bit confused. The Army wears dress blues now?"

Dave sighed. "Unfortunately. We switched over back in 2010. Almost eight years now and I still hate it. I liked the Dress Greens better. These Blues make me think D.O.D. wants us to imitate the Marines, but a white shirt? The Navy wears whites, but they complain about being dirt magnets and I can understand."

"I see that's a sore spot for you." Bill remarked. "Now that I've seen 'em, personally, I think the greens looked better too."

Dave chuckled as he headed out. He had spent the morning at the VA building, now he would spend the afternoon at the VA medical building.

He passed eighteen-wheeler dump trucks coming and going from the park. These were the dump-trailer trucks bringing in fill dirt to build up the park's elevation. So far, the weather had been good. It wouldn't last forever though. The forecast was predicting rain in the next two days. Rain that would last for at least four to five days. This would slow down the work at the park. That was the down-side. The up-side was that it would settle the dirt and help it compact.

Tessa had been shopping for rides and now had reps from three companies over with the Park designer, Dominic Hadley. One of Tessa's hires was a landscaper and was also consulting. She had also found two industrial mechanics and four electrical engineers right out of the local technical college after the suggestion of the reps. If she sent them to their facilities, they would train them to service the rides. She hired them and sent them out. The training would take almost a year.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Thursday morning it was cloudy. That afternoon it began to drizzle. All crews were called to secure the site and park the equipment over by the office trailers. An hour later it began to rain as the crews waited under pavilion by the trailers where they usually had lunch. It was light, but obvious that the bottom could fall out at anytime. Another hour passed without a let-up so Bill sent all his regular crew home for the day, except for certain crew leaders. He had them work with Tessa's workers on any academics they needed for accreditation. When Tessa asked what was going on, she acted in her usual way. She had the teaching crew's time shifted to her own and informed them that the next morning they would have use of the hotel's conference room to continue the teaching and testing.

Friday the two nurses received their licenses from the state. Tessa surprised them with several polo shirts embroidered with the park logo and their names. Also they were given skirts that coordinated to the shirts. Both were beside themselves with joy. In typical female fashion, both spent the next ten minutes debating the right shoes to wear with the new uniform. Tessa recommended a light sport shoe, then showed them a model on a website. The nurses liked the look and said so. Tessa grinned and told them she had already ordered them two pairs each. They laughed, as they should have known she would do that.

The rain continued through the weekend. Monday morning it finally started to break as Tessa pulled in the old gate. She noticed the nurses standing back from a group of workmen peering and pointing under her office trailer.

Tessa got out and heard the men calling out angrily. Something was under the trailer and they didn't want it there. It took them a moment to realize she was there and suddenly grew quiet as they all turned to look at her.

"Is this a new thing for the crew to start a week?" Tessa asked.

One of the workman slipped off his hardhat and said. "When we pulled in, your ladies there pointed and said somethin' was under your trailer Miss Frost. We was about to go under and drag 'em out. Ma'am."

Tessa remembered this man was called Grady and he ran one of bulldozers. "Exactly what is under my office Mister Grady?"

"Just Grady, Miss Frost. It's, uh, not a what. It's a who. We don't know who though. Me and Fred was about to go up under there Ma'am." Grady replied.

Tessa began approaching the trailer, the steps of her high heels were sharp on the concrete. Quickly the workers moved to give her a path. She didn't bend down when she reached it.

"Whoever you are under there; I'd like you to come out from under my office. The men have better things to do for me than this and my office staff do as well. I'm Tessa Frost and you'll be talking to me." Tessa said clearly.

After a moment of silence, Grady and another workman start to come forward.

Tessa held up her hand to stop them. "That won't be necessary gentlemen. This person will come out on their own. We don't have all day, but I will not have someone be treated like a mongrel. There's work to be done."

A moment later there was a shifting and scuffling sound and a head slowly came out from under the trailer. A man that had quite clearly seen better years slowly looked up.

"I'm waiting." Tessa reminded.

The temperature was cool, but not so much Tessa felt the need personally for a jacket or even long sleeves. She wore a lightweight pale blue dress and white high heels. The rough looking man though was clearly shivering.

"Bring this man some coffee." Tessa said without looking around.

Quickly one of the workmen rushed over to Bill's office and came back with a Styrofoam cup. "Right here Miss Frost."

"Thank you." Tessa took it and offered it to the man. "Here. You look like you need it."

Shaking hands reached out and carefully took the cup, as if it held the elixir of life itself. Slowly he drank. Of those close by, the smell of the man made them edge back unconsciously. Tessa though, remained where she was unfazed.

"Leslie." Tessa spoke to one of the nurses. "Go get something from drive-thru for him."

Leslie nodded. "Yes Ma'am."

Bill's work truck pulled in and he got out. "What's going on?"

Grady went over and spoke quickly and quietly to fill him in.

Bill nodded. "Ok Grady. You all go on and get to working. I'll keep an eye on things here."

Slowly the men went off to their jobs, not wanting to leave Tessa possibly vulnerable. Bill looked to Tessa and nodded to the man then the tables under the pavilion.

"Let's go over to the tables over there." Tessa said then turned and walked over that way.

Hesitantly the man followed, glancing over to Bill nervously. He was still shivering and looked to be completely soaked from the rains and mud-splattered. He sat down where Tessa pointed and hunched over the now empty cup that was still steaming. He looked to have been on the streets for a long time from the state of his hair and the length of beard.

Tessa's eyes never wavered. "As I said before, my name is Tessa Frost. Who are you?"

"Z-Zeke." The man croaked out.

Tessa guessed the man wasn't shivering from the actual temperature, but more likely from illness. Malnourished, lack of sanitation and exposure would weaken a person and make them susceptible to illness.

"Bill. Bring him some more coffee please." Tessa requested.

Bill shook his head. "He can have some more, but I ain't about to leave you alone, Your Ladyship. No Ma'am."

Bill leaned in the door and called for the coffee pot. It was handed to him and he went over and refilled the cup.

"Pshew! Son, you're rank!" Bill declared.

Tessa said flatly. "I think that may the least of the problems here Bill, but thank you for pointing that out."

Leslie pulled back in, followed by Dave Wells. Both came over to the pavilion. Tessa took the food bag and handed it to Zeke.

"Thank you Leslie." Tessa said to her then turned to Zeke. "That food is for you Mister Zeke. I suggest you eat it. When you are done, I'll ask some questions."

Dave spoke up. "Just one thing first Tessa. Full name Zeke."

Zeke waited to take the bag. "Zeke. Malone."

"Zeke Malone. Ok. You eat, I'll be back." Dave said then went to the trailer.

Zeke took the bag and slowly ate. Tessa waited. She could tell by the way he was eating, he had been starving but knew to eat slow or risk not holding it down. She had seen it before, in the group home. A brother and sister had been brought in, it was easy to see they had been living in alleys and other hiding places. Both had eaten so fast, they promptly threw up, then cried and huddled in the corner out of fear. Tessa knew street-wild when she saw it. She also knew what to do about it.

She continued to wait as Zeke took his time to finish the food. Dave came back and handed her a sheet of paper.

"Zeke Malone. Age 31. No home of record. No contact information. Misdemeanors; vagrancy, loitering. No warrants." Dave recited.

Bill looked over. "You sure Dave?"

"Positive." Dave assured.

Tessa looked over to the man. "Is that true Mister Malone?"

Zeke nodded. He still looked nervous.

"Alright then. I'll give you a choice. I can give you two hundred dollars right now and Bill will take you into town to the shelter. Or, I can have Bill take you somewhere to clean up and get you some clean clothes. You give Dave your fingerprints and if you come back clean, I'll hire you to work with my people. You can stay at the hotel and I'll pay you cash for two weeks to get on your feet. After that, you get paid like everybody else." Tessa said.

Zeke nodded. "I'll work. Ma'am."

"Dave." Tessa nodded to Dave and turned to Bill. "Handle it."

Dave reached into the thigh pocket of his pants and pulled out a pad and fingerprint sheet. Zeke gave Dave his hands and let himself be fingerprinted.

Tessa was about to walk away to the office, but turned around and said to him. "I'm giving you a chance Mister Malone. Don't disappoint me."

Bill waved to him. "Come on. You're gonna ride in the back though."

Zeke climbed into the back of Bill's truck and they left. Two hours later they returned and the difference was dramatic. Zeke looked gaunt but clean. He had even shaved off the beard and given himself a ragged haircut. The clothes looked old, but clean. Bill led him into Tessa's trailer.

"Here he is." Bill announced.

Dave nodded rounding his desk. "Thanks Bill. Have a seat Zeke."

Zeke sat down in the chair Dave had pointed at.

Leslie came in with her bag and began to take his vital signs.

"Well. He's running a slight fever and he's nervous." Leslie informed Dave then asked. "Have you any cuts or bitten by anything?"

Zeke shook his head. "No Ma'am. Are you a doctor?"

"I'm a nurse. Mister Wells, I suggest he get checked out, but that's just me." Leslie stated.

Dave noted her suggestion. "Do you need to see a doctor, Zeke? If you do, say so now."

"I'll be ok." Zeke said then asked. "Could I have some water or more coffee?"

"Yes, I have both." Dave said.

Dave gave him a cup of coffee and bottle of water. The coffee went fast and he started on the water.

Dave handed him a clipboard with papers and a pen. "Fill these out Zeke."

Zeke started to write then looked up. "I don't know what day it is."

Dave gave him the date. Zeke filled out as much as he could. He reached into the pants pocket, pulled out an expired driver's license and handed it, along with the clipboard back to Dave. Dave wasn't looking at it though.

"You served in the Marines from 03 to 07, Rifleman. A Corporal in your Platoon, you were on a four-man Fire Team as the Team Leader. You got out on Medical, shoulder was broken in Afghanistan. You can't shoot a rifle. You came here and worked for a while. You worked for a warehouse that was run into the ground. After that, all that was available was grunt work, physical labor and your shoulder couldn't handle it. No work, no unemployment, eventually you went out into the streets. Is that about it?" Dave asked.

Zeke was surprised. How could he know all that?

"Yes Sir." Zeke answered. "You really Army?"

"Captain Dave Wells, I resigned a couple of years ago. Now I work for Tessa Frost." Dave said then pointed to Tessa standing in the doorway.

"Ma'am." Zeke stood up and nodded to her then slowly saluted Dave. "Skipper."

Tessa walked over and looked at Zeke. "They say on TV, the Marines are a few good men. Is that so?"

"Yes Ma'am." Zeke said firmly. The first time his voice showed strength and pride.

Tessa nodded to Dave. "Dave says that you got hurt in the war and have had a hard time since then. If I give you a chance, will you disappoint me?"

"No Ma'am!" Zeke said firmly, standing at attention.

"So if I give you a job to do, you'll do it?" Tessa asked.

Zeke answered fast. "Yes Ma'am!"

Tessa looked over to Dave. "What do you call it, when you get somebody taken care of to do what they need to do?"

"Squared-Away." Dave replied.

"I'm having a building delivered in a couple of hours. It'll be for a guard at night. Get Mister Malone Squared-Away, as you call it." Tessa said then held out an envelope. "This is an advance of pay Mister Malone. Two weeks. Dave will take you to do what needs to be done then the hotel. He'll bring you back at six this evening. This is your chance."

Gently Zeke took the envelope, his eyes glazing with tears threatening to leak. "I won't disappoint you Ma'am. I swear it."

Leslie spoke up. "Miss Frost? I really think he should see a doctor, just to be safe. He is running a fever."

"Make it happen." Tessa said and went back to her office.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Work went on through the week. On Friday, Dave brought in a woman and her daughter.

"Tessa, Jennifer Colefield and her daughter, Bethany." Dave announced.

Tessa stood up and came around her desk. "Welcome Mrs. Colefield. I'm Tessa Frost."

Jennifer shook hands then Tessa bent down to the little girl and smiled. "Hello Bethany."

Bethany smiled shyly. "Hi."

"Please have a seat. Would you like a drink? Would you Bethany?" Tessa asked then sat down in the chair beside her.

Jennifer nodded. "Just a water, we'll share it."

Dave reappeared and handed Jennifer the bottle. "Here you go. Anything else?"

"Thank you. This will do us just fine." Jennifer nodded.

Dave left them to talk.

"Ok Miss Frost. What can I do for you?" Jennifer asked.

Tessa liked she was straight-forward. "I'm looking for a computer specialist. This is going to be an amusement park and many things here will be computerized. Plus there's the website and social media and so on. I'm told I will need someone that can maintain very complicated systems. Does that sound like a challenge you are up for?"

"Who would be my boss?" Jennifer asked.

Tessa pointed to herself. "Me. You would answer to nobody, but me. You would be in total charge of all computer systems for the park. You would run the team of technicians that maintain those systems."

Tessa handed her some papers. Jennifer read them over.

"Ok. That's a serious package." Jennifer remarked.

Tessa asked. "Is that a yes?"

"To be honest, I'd have to be a complete idiot to say no." Jennifer remarked seriously. "Yes. I'll take your offer."

Tessa handed her a pen. Jennifer eased Bethany off her lap and leaned to the desk to sign it then handed it back.

Tessa went out and came back, handing her a copy. "Here is your copy. What do you need?"

"I'll need to get a place here then go back and pack up our apartment. When do you want me here?" Jennifer asked.

Tessa sat back behind her desk. "How about the first of the month?"

There were three weeks left of the current month.

Jennifer nodded. "That works. Do you know somebody I can talk to about a place?"

"I'll have my lawyer Trent get you with the right person for that tomorrow morning." Tessa assured her.

Bethany piped up. "Are you really gonna be a queen?"

Tessa laughed. "That's right. When I was little, I wanted to be a princess. Now that I've grown up, I'll be a queen instead."

"I wanna be a princess!" Bethany said.

Tessa smiled. "Maybe you will be someday."

Jennifer arched an eyebrow at the statement.

"This park will have princesses. Maybe one day she can be one of them." Tessa said.

"Can I Momma? Please?" Bethany plead.

Jennifer patted her back. "We'll see, but you'll have to ask Miss Frost about it though when you get old enough."

"Ut-uh Momma. We can't call her Miss. She's the Queen. We have to call her Queen Tessa!" Bethany corrected her.

Dave chuckled at the doorway. "I think you might be right, pipsqueak."

Bethany giggled then stopped and whispered to her mother.

Jennifer nodded then asked. "Do you have a restroom in here?"

Tessa nodded. "It's back down the hall. On the left."

"I can go." Bethany said then went to find it.

Tessa smiled. "She's adorable."

"A treasure. It's been hard on her though." Jennifer admitted.

"Dave mentioned your husband had died in service. I'm very sorry." Tessa said. "A training accident, was it?"

Jennifer sighed. "That's the official statement."

"I don't follow." Tessa commented.

Jennifer nodded. "You wouldn't. My husband was a SEAL. The only time SEALs are announced as KIA, is when the media knows about it. That's all there is to say about it."

Tessa sighed. "I see. I won't pry. I will say though, if you need help, come to me or if it is with the military, confide with Dave. Also, just call me Tessa."

"Thank you Tessa. I'm already starting to think we're going to like it here." Jennifer confided.

When Bethany came back Jennifer took her hand and they left, waving.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Every morning, Zeke unlocked the gates and nodded to the work crews as they came in. He even went over to open the car doors for the two nurses and especially Tessa before going back to the hotel to sleep for the day. As soon as he came in every evening he went around and checked any gates and locked them. Dave wasn't surprised that for clothing Zeke had simply bought for himself khaki cargo pants, similar to BDUs and black polo shirts and black ball cap. The fever he had, came from exposure to the elements and malnutrition and was gone with two days.

Over the next month Zeke recovered from his time on the streets, put on weight and even exercised as he could to make sure it was healthy weight. Dave got him registered for care at the Veterans' clinic and even re-issued a Marine Class-A uniform. He was even more surprised when Tessa came to him with a box. Inside were polo shirts with the park logo, his name and security under that. A ball cap in the same color was inside that had the logo and security on it. She also told him he would begin the Security Guard training course the following week and she expected him to complete it with the top rank. He did exactly that and showed her the certificate. Tessa personally pinned a badge she had in her desk on his shirt. The next day a side-by-side was delivered that had Security decals applied on it and the flashing yellow light bar.

Bill looked over at Dave Wells as Zeke walked around it in wonder. "Dave, is it my imagination or does he look like he's trying not to cry?"

"Not your imagination." Dave confirmed.

Bill lifted up his hat and scratched his head. "Still don't know why Her Ladyship would take the chance on that guy. She was gonna do it before you even told her he'd been in the service. He didn't look no better than a stray. Why?"

"Because I wasn't much better than a stray, at one time." Tessa said behind them.

Bill looked sheepish. "Sorry. I didn't mean."

Tessa held up her hand to stop him. "It's fine Bill. I had the feeling that all he needed was a chance and he'd make good. After Dave told me he had been in the Marines and why he wasn't anymore, I knew I was right. When he got to the point he was being forced to ask for help, he was too ashamed to. He felt like he didn't matter anymore and just wanted to fade away."

Dave knew now why she had done it. She saw in Zeke, what had been looming for Dave. It was a last chance at salvation. Now Dave saw a look in Zeke's eyes every time he saw Tessa. The man would lay down and die for Tessa, without even needing to be asked. From the second they met, she treated him like a man, not something for contempt. Dave Wells suspected that the man went to sleep and woke up, thanking God for the appearance of Tessa Frost.

To Dave Wells, some things were certain. The sun would rise in the East, the government could not function without red tape and the people Tessa hired personally would do anything she asked without fail. Including himself. He knew that, just as sure as he knew that everyone on the site now called him Captain Dave, except Tessa and Bill.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Work continued to progress. The walls of Tessa's house were up along with the plywood decking of the roof. They were now putting on the faux stone facing and the shingles. Over at the dorm site, the slab had been poured and finished. In the park, the main complex was at its final elevation. The parking lot area was almost to its desired level. Soon they would begin installing the lighting and pouring the concrete for it.

Tessa, Bill and Dave met in Tessa's trailer and watched as Dominic Hadley unrolled a diagram proudly.

"MiLady. Gentlemen." Dominic announced. "I give you, VentureRealm Park!"

Tessa looked over the main drawing. Carefully she examined then nodded. "I like it, Dominic. Well done. Bill, make this happen."

Bill and Dave looked it over. Both of them stared in wonder.

"This is amazing!" Dave remarked.

Bill reached over and patted Dominic on the back. "Dominic, you beat all I ever seen. When her Ladyship said we weren't gonna do this right, we're gonna do it even greater, you took her to heart. Your Daddy'd sure be proud of you, son."

Dominic brought out another, more technical drawing. "Captain Dave, I think you're going to like this. It's the security overview. With those special cameras you want, there will only be two blindspots and you said those would be manned locations."

After those being pointed out, Dave nodded. "Outstanding! You are definitely high-speed, low-drag, Dominic. You have my approval, too."

"I'm glad to serve." Dominic bowed to Tessa. "Queen Tessa."

They all laughed. Tessa walked over and kissed his cheek. Bill took the technical drawings over to his trailer. At the end of the day, all the crews came in and were directed over to stand in front of Tessa's trailer.

Tessa waited as they all quieted down then smiled. "Everyone, the news is fantastic. Mister Hadley has finished the layout. Presenting VentureRealm park!"

A large drawing in color was unrolled. It was big enough many could see easily. After a couple of minutes, applause began then cheers followed.

 
 
 
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Chapter 5 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Now that the crews had seen the drawing of the park, they worked at a furious pace. Except for the workers Tessa had brought in, they were all familiar with the old park. The new park was definitely different and would be spectacular. Everyone was eager to see it finished. Two more trailers were brought and signs were placed on them, one for Security and one for Technical Systems.

Tessa had hired two people from the local technical college to work Accounting after Dave moved his office over to the Security Trailer. Jennifer Colefield completed her move and began setting up her office in the Tech.Systems trailer. Tessa encouraged Jennifer to bring Bethany to work with her as school was out, instead of a daycare center. Jennifer appreciated that and Bethany was thrilled, as once or twice during the day, Dave or one of the nurses would take her for a ride around the park in the Medic Cart.

A welcome addition came when Tessa had a play area set up behind the trailers and invited the workers who had children Bethany's age to spend their week days there. The two nurses, Leslie and Tracey, alternated days watching over the kids. Tessa informed Jennifer that she would organize a daycare for park employees that had children below school age and for those too young to look after themselves after school.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Tessa rode with Dave over to her house site on a Friday in his Security cart. The crew there needed her to decide where various things should placed. Electrical outlets, cable, switches and so on. The crew leader told her that the dry-wall would be going up the following week. A plumber and an electrician would be installing the emergency generator that ran off natural gas would be installed then as well. Already they had an excavator digging for the swimming pool and spa.

"You're doing a fantastic job over here Lance." Tessa commended the crew leader.

Lance pointed to the crew. "The credit goes to the folks Miss Frost. You hired 'em and they're doing a first-rate job Ma'am."

Tessa nodded. "I believe I hire the right people, Lance."

The crew leader couldn't argue, as he was included, so he chuckled. "This is where I'm supposed to say Yes Ma'am, so I will. Yes Ma'am."

"Very good Lance." Tessa gave a sly smile as she climbed into the cart with Dave.

Lance waved as they drove away and said to himself. "You're somethin' else Queen Tessa. You're gonna be a legend for a long time."

Dave drove them over to the dorm site. The crew there were working on the exterior walls now. The building looked like an inverted pentagon. Two V's pointing at each other connected with a central hall. The dorm would house 130 cast and staff members. The ground floor of the central hall would have a security office, two common rooms, a mail room and the cafeteria. Each floor and wing would have a laundry room. Dorm residents would also have the benefit of covered parking in their lot with area at the two far ends for car maintenance stations. They would be able to clean the inside, wash their cars and even do minor service such as oil changes there.

Tessa didn't stop to talk to the crew leader there as he was on top of things.

"All go, no quit." Dave remarked.

Tessa nodded. "They're doing it right and I like what I see."

The crew leader looked down and saw them so he called over the radio. "Need somethin' Cap'n Dave?"

"We're good, Jerry. Tessa and I were riding around and passed by to see how it's going here." Dave answered.

Jerry called. "Hey there Queen Tessa. We're all over it here. Looking good. Want I should come down and show you?"

Tessa took the radio. "No need Jerry. I can see what I need to and I like it. Stay on it Jerry."

"Whatever you say Queen Tessa." Jerry replied then off-radio yelled out. "QUEEN TESSA SAYS WE'RE GOOD, SO LET'S STAY ON IT!"

"YEAH!" A chorus of workers called out.

Tessa held onto the side of the cart as she stood up and waved. All within sight waved back and went on with the work. Tessa smiled and sat back in the cart.

"Onward, Captain Dave." Tessa chuckled.

Dave didn't miss a beat. "As you wish My Queen. Hi-ho Can-Am, AWAY!"

Tessa laughed as he drove off. She liked that his demeanor had been changing. In Vegas he had been very uptight, as of late he seemed to be more easy-going. He had went down to the VA after Tessa hired Zeke for nights and found another veteran that was having a difficult time adjusting and finding work. Dave hired him after talking with him to work the guard shack during the day. He had been a SARC, Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsman and saw his fair share of action in Iraq. He worked the shack during the day, took the night course for Security Guard. After he completed the course, and Tessa pinned on his badge, Dave informed him his next task was to apply for a Paramedic License with ACLS certification.

That proved to be fairly straight forward and Mark Crandal became the park's primary First Responder. After that, Mark was given new red polo shirts that had First Responder on the back and a matching ball cap. Mark felt pride well up as he took the box of spare shirts from Tessa along with a word of congratulations. Dave gave him a badge-holder that clipped to his belt for his Security Guard badge.

Mark stood proudly and saluted. "Thank you Skipper. Ma'am. I'm grateful!"

"One of these days, I'm going to finally stop looking for a boat when you and Zeke call me Skipper." Dave joked.

"Sorry." Mark chuckled then turned serious. "It's just that you remind me alot of my team leader. He looked after us. Best man I ever served under. You're just like him. I don't know what was going to happen to me if you and Queen Tessa hadn't showed up. I can't say thanks enough."

Tessa nodded. "I believe I understand Mark. We have a lot of people here working, after that, there will be people here to enjoy the park. I hope it won't be needed, but they may need your help. Do all you can for them and us."

"Aye aye Ma'am." Mark said proudly then saluted Dave.

It was the end of the day, so Mark went to clock out, passing Zeke who was clocking in.

"Lookin' sharp there Sailor." Zeke nodded.

Mark nodded back. "Thanks Marine. See you in the mornin'."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Monday found Tessa starting her day in session with her psychologist.

"So Mark is now in a position of prestige?" Brad confirmed.

Tessa nodded. "Yes. As I understand it, he looked after the physical well-being of the team he was on. From the way Dave explained it, the team was family to men like that. They lived or died because of each other. For Mark, his position made him feel responsible for them. That he was as important to them, as they were to him. I'd like to try giving that back to him. That feeling of being part and not just needed, but wanted as well. I want Zeke to feel the way. That he matters."

Brad went on that. "What about you? Do you feel that you matter?"

"Yes. It's my dream that they are all working to make come true. That's why we are all there." Tessa replied.

"And you personally? They see you as the woman, Tessa, not just the person paying them?" Brad asked.

Tessa shrugged. "I have no idea. You really expect them to speak against the person paying them?"

Brad regarded her intently. "Money doesn't change everybody."

"True. There does come a point though, where money will talk and bullshit will walk. When somebody has to pay bills, hatred and stupidity are not accepted forms of currency." Tessa pointed out.

Brad decided to shift things slightly. "What about when hormones have their effects and on your body?"

Tessa laughed. "You really think they'll notice when my lips, hips and tits become real instead of silicone and padding?"

Brad had to contain his laughter at her bluntness. "Well, I believe your apparel may become more daring when they are."

"You might be right about that." Tessa laughed.

"Since we are on the subject of hormones, would this be a good stage to begin them?" Brad asked.

Tessa nodded. "Actually, yes. The people immediately around me would understand the emotional effects."

Brad looked surprised. "They all know?"

"Everyone I hire personally is aware. I'm not hiding. If they can't accept me, then they won't accept others and I can't have that." Tessa said flatly.

"So I could give you the letter of recommendation today?" Brad asked.

Tessa nodded. "Sure. It would probably be better to do it now, as opposed to later. It would be hard to explain to vendors and so on that, 'no I'm not upset at your product or price, it's just that I thought the logo for it was so cute I went to pieces because I'm on hormones right now'."

Brad chuckled. "Yes, I see your point. That could be a delicate situation."

Brad opened a portfolio and held out a page. Tessa took it and read.

"The letter." Tessa stated. "Thank you."

"No whoops? No emphatic 'YES'?" Brad asked.

Tessa looked at him confused. "I'm taking a step forward Brad, not clearing the Grand Canyon from a standing jump."

"Interesting." Brad commented.

Tessa sighed. "One step at the time Brad. There's a lot of steps to cover a mile. After that, you don't stop. Even after my final surgery, I'm not done. I'll just be on the right road, going to the same place everybody goes."

Brad regarded her closely. "Where is that?"

"I don't know." Tessa replied.

"You don't?" Brad asked.

Tessa shook her head then asked. "Do you?"

"The rest of your life." Brad replied.

Tessa shook her head. "After that. Where does everybody go?"

Brad now understood. "I guess, death."

"Is that where everybody stops? It seems that way. Though, many argue that there's more. I don't know, so I have to say so. I don't know." Tessa explained. "The only thing I do know for sure is; we all die sometime. How and when varies, but everybody does die."

"I see your point. Do you think there is a 'more'?" Brad asked.

Tessa shrugged. "I have no proof. Usually when somebody says they've been there, they get blown off. The same could be said for me, is there actual proof I am correct, that I should be a woman? If there was, I wouldn't need you. Even with your letters and all that, there are people that refuse to accept. They argue that it's all a hoax. That I'm confused. Some want to throw in the God aspect. That God made me a certain way and going against that way is sinful, wrong and damnable. They can't actually prove that, but they'll keep throwing it out there."

Brad was surprised. She presented the opposing point of view and showed it for just that; a point of view. She also put him on the spot as well. Nice trick, accept that one didn't really know what happens after death or reveal an unsubstantiated belief.

"Very clever Tessa. You have me at a fork with no way back." Brad admitted then laughed. "I feel like I dug a hole for you to fall in and you challenged me to see if it was deep enough, so I jumped in!"

Tessa began to laugh. "Wasn't planned, but I like it!"

The timer gave a soft beep.

"I think that's a good place to leave off for now. Very good Tessa, you actually got me." Brad shook his head.

Tessa chuckled as she wrote out a personal check and laid it on the coffee table. Brad handed her a pre-written receipt. As Tessa got into her car, she called a local endocrinologist. She had an appointment in thirty minutes. An hour and half later, Tessa had a prescription for testosterone blocking pills and small bandage on her right buttock from the injection. Using her better judgement, she went to her apartment for the rest of the day and worked mostly by phone and computer.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Three weeks later Tessa walked into the house and began looking around. The tips of her heels clicked on the tile floor. The tiles were ceramic, but looked marble. The wall were a soft white, carpets were light grey and cabinets were a lighter white. She walked from room to room smiling. On the balcony for her bedroom, she looked down to see the spa already filled and water now filling the swimming pool.

Tessa went back downstairs and out the front door. Everyone that had worked on the house stood waiting on the grass.

"It's beautiful. I love it!" Tessa told them and smiled. "Thank you so much!"

Lance, ever the prankster, called out. "HAIL, QUEEN TESSA!"

The crew echoed. "QUEEN TESSA!"

They all went down on one knee.

Tessa laughed. "Oh get up, all of you. You did a fantastic job. I'm showing my appreciation with a bonus and say thank you again. It's Friday. Take the rest of the day off and enjoy your weekend!"

The crew cheered and made their way to the trailer, pulled by a tractor, to bring them back to the office trailers. Lance held out a set of keys to Tessa.

"All yours now." Lance said.

Tessa smiled and took them. "Thank you Lance. Enjoy your weekend."

Bill chuckled. "What about you? Are you going to enjoy your weekend?"

"Of course. I'm going to spend the rest of the day shopping for my new home." Tessa laughed.

The next day saw the arrival of delivery trucks for appliances, furniture and electronics. Monday, work resumed for everyone, though Tessa was back over at her house for the phone company and satellite TV technicians. Just after lunch, the house was ready to move into. It took to late morning to get all her things packed at the apartment Tuesday and Bill came over in his own truck to haul the boxes. On Wednesday the local charity came by to pick up the furniture she bought from the rental store. Tessa even paid for a maid service to clean and had a carpet service steam clean all the carpet. The owner, who lived next door, tried to give Tessa her deposit back. Tessa waved it off and hugged him.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Lance and his crew had joined Jerry's crew at the dorm on Monday. Fresh from the weekend and motivated by the bonus and Tessa's praise, they dove into the work. This fired up the rest of the workers.

At Lunch Jerry, with Lance standing by, announced. "You all heard Queen Tessa gave the house crew a bonus. Well, she did. They did the job right and nobody got hurt other than an ouchie. Now I wanted to save it for a surprise, but she said the dorm crew will get a bonus. That bonus comes with conditions. We gotta do it up right. Nobody can get hurt. Those're the two big things for her. Safe and right!"

"We can do that. Me and my crew are jumping in with you. Together, we can get it done! Don't you all want her to smile and be proud of you? Made me and my bunch feel great! More than just building a house, felt like we built a real castle!" Lance called out.

Jerry nodded. "The house was for Queen Tessa, but the dorm is for the park people. She wants them to come in here and have no problem calling it home. A community. Maybe even family to each other. Here's our chance to do that. The old park didn't have anything like that. Those folks didn't thnk like that. Queen Tessa does. She thinks about the people. She even thinks about us. We can't let her down. We gotta step up, for her and the folks she's gonna have here!"

"Yeah! So let's make sure that their home is the best!" Lance said.

With that, lunch was over and the crew went back to work. None had seen Dave standing outside by an open window listening. Quietly, he slipped out. If Tessa knew how those workers felt, she'd more than likely cry. As of late, she had finally gotten her emotions back under control. However, she was more expressive with them now. The former Intelligence Captain understood after having it explained by the two nurses, as they had already completed their transitional processes. Every other Friday evening, one of them administered Tessa's injection.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Over the weekend, relaxing in her new house, Tessa searched the internet. She was searching for cast and crew members. It was a balancing act; finding people that fit the park's needs that were at high risk where they were. It wasn't easy and she was chatting with them to screen them without letting on as to why. Late Saturday night she suspected she had hit pay dirt. A video posted from a patron in a club in New Orleans featured an alleged transgender performer that actually sang instead of lip-synced while she danced. The girl looked young. Late teens to early twenties. The video quality wasn't that great as it had been shot with a phone.

Quickly Tessa tried to send a message.
I'm very curious about the performer. Is there a way I could contact her personally? I'd like to see more of her performances if possible.

A few moments later she received a message with a name and an email address. She copied it and sent off an email.

Ms. Nicole,
Hello. My name is Tessa Frost and I saw the video of your performance. I would like to know if you have other performances on video that I could see, preferably of better quality than a phone video?
Tessa Frost.

She was very surprised when an email came back ten minutes later.

Tessa Frost,
I'm sorry I don't have any personally, actually I didn't know person make video until they tell you message about. I'll try borrow video camera and do something for you. I assume you have club and want book me. I tell you now, I don't lip-sync. The voice you hear is real me. For that reason I charge more than many performers. I am financing my transition. Another thing, travel distance. The further I have to go, the more I charge. I think once you see a better video of me, you'll see quality is worth it. I send it this email.
Nicole Benoit

Tessa went to enjoy a bubblebath in her large garden-style tub. After that, she went to bed. It was late Sunday afternoon when she checked her email and found a new message from Nicole. Tessa read it, general information with an estimated price. Tessa giggled that she had added a note that it was just a preliminary price and final quote would be when Tessa told her of the location. There was also a video attachment. Tessa played it and was soon smiling. Nicole left no doubt, singing acapella. She sang two songs, one a pop tune and the other seemed to be in French so Tessa assumed it was a local song. Afterward Nicole told two jokes then addressed her on camera.

"I hope that clear things up Tessa." Nicole said then finished in a heavy accent. "I be waitin' hear back from you, Yeah?"

Tessa laughed to herself. "Oh she's a real character!"

In the information was a phone number so Tessa called it.

"Yeah?" An accented feminine voice answered.

Tessa smiled and said. "Tessa Frost here, hello Nicole."

"Ah bonjour Mam'selle Tessa. How ya'll?" Nicole asked.

Tessa chuckled. "I'm well. I just got through watching the video you sent. I am impressed! I'd like to video chat. Can you do that?"

"M'yeah Cha." Nicole replied.

A minute later the two were looking at each other.

"Cha, look at you!" Nicole exclaimed. "So pretty! What you need me for?"

Tessa smiled. "Why thank you! Well I won't lie to you. I'm not wanting you to come for a night. I'm looking to hire full time. How would you feel about that? Steady pay, housing, benefits. Would you be interested in that?"

Nicole looked at her warily. "What I do?"

"Exactly what I saw you do. Sing, dance, maybe tell some jokes. Do it with that cajun theme. Can you do that? You'd be the lead in the show. Two shows a day and the rest of the time you'd kind of wander around and pose for pictures and give directions." Tessa said.

Nicole looked puzzled and asked. "Directions? How big is this club?"

Tessa laughed. "It's not a club, it's an amusement park!"

"Only park I know havin' a cajun theme is under six foot of bayou, Cha. Six Flags Nawlin's been swamped since Katrina and ain't gonna clean up no time soon." Nicole said flatly in her accent.

Tessa shook her head. "My park isn't there. Pretty far off. Well I told you about the job. Here's what you get; prime pay, a great room in the on-site dormitory, full medical and dental insurance that covers transition. No rent and all meals in the dorm are free. Basic cable and internet are free too. How much did you make for your show last night?"

"I get fifty dollar bookin' and a little over hundred in tip." Nicole said. "There was six others there so I only do two set."

Tessa looked at her intently. "A thousand dollars plus round trip plane tickets and I'll even pay for a hotel room, just to come see me in person."

Nicole didn't let up though. "I ain't gotta do nothin' shady?"

Tessa shook her head. "Strictly on the up 'n up. Real deal job."

Nicole sat for a long couple of minutes then asked. "For true? No lie? A real job?"

"A real job. How would you like to be Princess Nicole?" Tessa asked.

Nicole looked hopeful for a moment then devastated. "I got problem. Knew this too good be true."

"What do you mean?" Tessa asked.

Nicole sighed. "You seem nice 'nough. I no lie. I got juvie record. I run'way after I get rape at foster home. I live on streets since 16. I never get busted but cops know I turn some trick to stay free. I 18 now, prove it too. I legal and don't turn trick no more, but some know I did. Understand you don't want now."

"What will I find if I run your prints? Be honest." Tessa said.

Nicole shook her head. "Just I run'way, that it. Nobody look for me. Swear it."

Tessa nodded. "Ok. I'll believe you for now. Offer stands, a thousand plus expenses to come see for yourself. I'm going to run your prints. You come back clean, you get the offer. Fair enough?"

"Yeah. Fair 'nough. I come see you." Nicole agreed.

"I need your real name." Tessa said.

"Nicole is real name now. Nicole Benoit. I change it six month ago. I got ID card. No license, can't drive. Never learn how." Nicole said.

Tessa nodded. "That's fine. I'll pick you up myself at the airport. How do I send you money?"

"I got paypal. You can send that way, yeah?" Nicole asked.

"Sure I can send it that way. Give me the account." Tessa told her.

Three minutes later Tessa pulled the video window back up. "Sent."

Nicole looked and came back. "I got. You say you get plane tickets, too?"

Tessa nodded. "I'm booking your flight now. You'll get a confirmation in your email shortly. All you have to do is show up at the counter and tell them your name and destination. Just bring clothes and make-up. They don't like big bottles of anything in your luggage. No nail polish remover so do your nails before coming."

"Ok. I gotta go now. This my friend computer, she let me borrow while out. I see later, yeah." Nicole said then closed out.

Tessa closed out her side and sat back. "Princess number one. Maybe."

For the rest of the afternoon Tessa continued her search.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Monday morning Trent called Tessa to inform her that they had to go back to her home town, for a court appearance the next day. He drove them himself and they stayed at a hotel close in the downtown area. Despite the late arrival and early departure, both were sharp and ready when they appeared at court the next morning. The judge though seemed to be rather harried and barely gave Tessa a second look, pronouncing her name and status change with a simple 'So Ordered' and called for the next case.

"That was anti-climactic." Tessa remarked as they walked out.

A group of people arguing almost ran them both down as Trent tried to pull Tessa out of the way.

Trent sighed after they passed. "Now I see why he wanted us done and out."

"Was that?" Tessa asked pointing to the now closed doors.

Trent nodded. "Yep. Councilman Thompson and his soon-to-be ex-wife. Looks like they're at it again."

"They've remarried and divorced each other seven times now. Right?" Tessa asked.

Trent shook his head. "No. Eleven. They just can't stay away from, or live with, each other. The question is, which one are they doing today? Let's go before it really gets ugly."

Trent drove them straight back and the next day Tessa spend all day going around changing over all her holdings and so on.

 
 
 
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Chapter 6 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Friday afternoon, Tessa stood outside baggage claim waiting. Soon people began to fill the area as luggage began to appear on the carousel. The person she was waiting for took her small bag and approached.

"Hello Nicole." Tessa greeted. "I'm Tessa."

Nicole smiled. "Comment ca va?"

Tessa didn't speak French but figured she was asking how she, or things, were. "Fine, I think. How was your flight?"

"No bad. Guy next to me smell cheap cigar and stale beer. Could been worse." Nicole remarked. "Could been interest in me for that mile-high club thing I hear about."

Tessa laughed. "Does sound like that would be worse."

Nicole nodded. "Regardez."

Tessa looked to where she was indicating and saw a very disheveled man yanking his suitcase from the carousel. "That's him?"

"Uh-huh. Prize winner, yeah?" Nicole commented.

Tessa shook her head, trying not to laugh. "No way in hell. Let's go before he notices us."

"I with you Joli Tessa." Nicole said and followed her out.

Tessa led her out to the parking lot and pointed to her car. "This is me."

"NICE!" Nicole said and set her bag in the backseat and sat in the passenger seat. "Maybe one day, I learn drive one these."

"Maybe. Maybe something better." Tessa replied then pulled away.

Tessa drove to the hotel and had Nicole checked in. "You want to relax or go see what I'm working on?"

Nicole eyed her. "You say you want check me out. We go do that first. Get out way, yeah?"

"That's the right answer. Run your bag up to the room and do what you need. I'll wait." Tessa said.

A few minutes later Nicole was back and they drove over to the park. Tessa led them to the trailer marked Security and went in.

Dave sat at his desk reading something on his computer.

"Nicole, this is Dave Wells. My Head of Security." Tessa introduced. "Dave, this is Nicole. The girl from New Orleans I told you about."

"Hello Nicole. I won't waste time. I need some information and your fingerprints." Dave said.

Nicole nodded. "Yeah. Tessa tell me you do that. Only thing on me is run'way. I don't get no big trouble."

Dave handed her a form to fill out. "That's good. Tessa told me everything you told her. I understand doing what you can to survive. That'll have to change if you work here. Oui?"

"Oui. I don't get no trouble here." Nicole nodded, understanding and added. "I not from New Orleans. I just live there. I from Crown Point. Down road a piece from New Orleans. Just so you know."

Dave chuckled. "Well that explains why your accent is so strong."

Nicole glared. "What you mean 'accent', Yankee-boy? You th' one talk funny."

Dave and Tessa laughed, as Nicole smiled.

Nicole filled out the form then stood to let Dave take her fingerprints. Afterward she used a wipe to clean the ink off her fingers.

"About an hour." Dave said to Tessa and scanned the card in.

"Were you cop?" Nicole asked.

Dave smiled as he sat back in his chair. "Nope. I was in the Army then I worked Casino Security in Vegas. Now I work for Tessa."

"How about I show you around and we come back?" Tessa suggested.

Nicole nodded. "Ok."

Tessa led her over to her own office and showed her the big drawing of the park.

"This is the area where you'll be working. Storm Bayou. Between shows, you wander around the area. Be seen, take pictures with the guests, visit with them, give directions, point out things there for them to check out. Do you cook cajun food?" Tessa asked.

"I cook, yeah." Nicole replied. "I gonna do that too?"

"We'll have cooks there but if they have real cajun recipes, it'll help alot. Food you find in New Orleans." Tessa stated.

Nicole nodded. "I got a notebook full stuff. You want New Orleans flavor you have to order the coffee. Community is big there. They ship here. Community coffee and beignets is official New Orleans. After that; po'boys, ettoufee and creole, jambalaya and gumbo. Everybody have Red Beans and rice too. Not gonna be easy get much crawfish up here, but shrimp used just as much for things."

Tessa thought then asked. "Is there a place that handles all that? I can order all the seafood from that place and have it trucked here?"

"Yeah. I think they put other stuff too. Boudin and sausage." Nicole said then froze and blurted out. "I KNOW SOMEBODY HELP!"

"Somebody can help?" Tessa asked.

Nicole nodded. "Andre Babineaux. He work a bunch kitchens, cook everything and know how you get stuff."

Tessa figured there had to be a catch. "What's his deal?"

"Oh. He's, uh, gay." Nicole said.

Tessa tilted her head. "So?"

"He, uh, get in fight with chef one time. Chef run mouth about Andre being gay. Andre hit him, plenty hard, yeah. Then Andre kiss him and say he look for a new friend. Coulda end there, but Andre go a little too far." Nicole told her.

Tessa was curious now. "Oh? Just how far did he go?"

"Andre, kinda give once over." Nicole blushed. "He 'check' what Chef got. None gentle, no."

Tessa got it now and giggled. "He made his eyes cross?"

"Maybe. Chef talk funny rest of night and don't walk good either." Nicole added.

Tessa laughed. "Ok. But other than that, what's he like?"

Nicole waved her off. "Oh, Him a hoot and half. Make everybody laugh. Andre really nice and fun. Cook anything cajun or creole. Just don't like anybody mess with being gay. He about this tall, bout this big. Keep hair short, always wear LSU cap unless wear chef hat. Oh, he half-black. Daddy was white and Momma black, so he kinda light. They both die in Katrina. That matter?"

"Nope. I don't discriminate." Tessa replied. "Has he ever been arrested?"

Nicole shook her head. "No. Except that one time, Andre don't get no trouble. Actually, Andre scared drugs and stuff. He find uncle die from it when little. He drink a little but don't get stupid."

"Ok." Tessa remarked.

Nicole leaned in and said softly. "Andre have hard time grow up. He do all he can; not be call drunk, drug-up nigger. He really nice Tessa. You like him. Andre find me on street, help me straighten up. Now he have hard time, maybe you help him too?"

"Maybe I can Nicole. Let's go show you around." Tessa said then led the way out.

Tessa drove one of the security carts and showed Nicole around the park. Underground services were being put in, the placement of the rides and so on were marked off with stakes and strings. Tessa drove slow so they could see the signs in front of each space. Workers would call out and wave as they passed. Half an hour later Tessa drove over to the dorm. The exterior block walls were up and they could hear the noise inside of the work going on.

"HEY QUEEN TESSA!" Lance called out from a second floor window.

Tessa called back. "HEY LANCE! HOW'S IT GOING?"

"JUST A SEC!" Lance yelled and disappeared.

A couple of minutes later he climbed out a ground floor window and walked over. "How you doing today Queen Tessa? Want to come in and look? who's your friend?"

"Lance, this is Princess Nicole. She'll be the Bayou Princess. We came over here so she could see where she'll be living." Tessa explained.

Nicole nodded. "Bonjour Lance."

"Wow! Cool. Well, we haven't gotten to the rooms part yet." Lance said.

Tessa drove the cart close to the doorway but not too close. She and Nicole got out and followed Lance inside.

"Hey Jerry! We got a royal visit!" Lance called out.

The crew leader looked up then came over. "Hey Queen Tessa. Whoa, who's your friend here?"

"Jerry, meet Princess Nicole of our Storm Bayou." Tessa said then turned to Nicole. "Nicole, this is Jerry. He's in charge of building the dorm here."

"Comment ca va Jerry?" Nicole asked.

Jerry adjusted his hard hat, thinking, then replied. "Good? I think."

"You good Jerry?" Nicole asked.

Jerry nodded. "Yeah. I'm good. Nice to meet you."

Tessa smiled. "Nicole is the first princess I found. All of the princesses will be here in the dorm. I wanted her to see what's being built."

"Ok. Follow me then, Ladies." Jerry said then led them both through the whole building.

When they returned to the doorway they had entered, Nicole was all smiles. "I can't wait move in!"

Jerry said. "Well Princess, it's gonna be a while. Tell you what though; when we start doing the room interiors, your room gets priority and we'll do the other two princess' rooms after. Sound good?"

Nicole turned to Tessa. "How long?"

"I'll have a temporary place for you Monday so you can send all your things and fly back." Tessa informed her.

Nicole nodded. "That work, yeah. I got question. What everybody follow 'round for?"

One of the workmen chuckled. "Queen Tessa found a princess. We wanted to find out more."

"Oh. I get. Well come see, I tell story." Nicole said to the group.

Tessa stood out of the way, knowing this should be a good laugh.

Nicole looked around then began. "I'm from South Louisiana, yeah. Down there we got all kind famous. One be Margrite Thibodeaux. Margrite like to fish. She so good, a magazine come talk. They sit her porch and talk. Magazine man say 'Margrite, you win all kind fish rodeo. What you secret?' Margrite look 'round real careful and say 'Etienne. Him my secret. Every mornin', 'fore I get out bed, I hold up sheet and look Etienne. Him thing layin' left, I fish off the left side the boat. Him thing layin' right, I fish right side the boat'."

Everyone was snickering at the cajun girl's story.

"Magazine Man say 'But Margrite, that all good, but what he ain't lay left or right?' Margrite just sit back an' say 'Cha, them days I DON'T fish'!" Nicole hit the punchline with a broad smile.

Everyone erupted with laughter. Nicole told them two more jokes then waved them down.

"This all fun, yeah, but I get the eye now. Time go back work. I get out way. Don't worry, none. I be back, yeah." Nicole curtsied then blew a kiss.

"Merci Princess Nicole. You made our day better." Jerry said. "Let's get back at it everybody. We got a Princess waiting on her place now."

The group broke and went back to work, with more enthusiasm. Tessa and Nicole drove the cart back to Dave's trailer and went inside. He waved them in.

"Ok Nicole. Officially, you're clean. Unofficially, you are believed to have been a prostitute, but no investigation and nobody is keeping tabs otherwise. New Orleans Vice knows you perform in shows now and have gone off their radar. If Tessa still wants to hire you, ok, but you will have no reason to return to 'ways of survival'. Clear?" Dave asked.

"I don't make trouble, no. Merci, Dave." Nicole said.

Dave looked to Tessa. "Up to you."

Tessa nodded. "Come to my office Nicole. Let's see if I can convince you to relocate here."

Ten minutes later Nicole's paperwork was finished and it was official. She was the Bayou Princess of the park. She would be able to continue staying at the hotel, but her personal belongings could be stored in a shed at the dorm site until ready for her to move in. When she returned from New Orleans, she would be bringing her friend Andre with her to meet Tessa and Dave.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Monday afternoon Tessa went to the bank to electronically transfer another set of payments for the rides to the manufacturers after seeing Nicole off at the airport. Tessa went into a diner across the street and took the last table. As it was lunch time, the place was almost standing-room-only. A waitress came over.

"Diet soda, please." Tessa said to her.

Kammi blinked then grabbed her order pad and wrote it down. "Oh. Yes Ma'am."

Tessa looked at her curiously. "You weren't here for my order?"

Kammi blushed. "Actually I came over to ask if you wouldn't mind sharing your table with her."

Tessa looked and saw the other woman smiling politely. "If you don't jump on the table and yodel, I guess it would be alright."

"Oh I specifically requested the non-yodeling section." The woman smiled, took the seat opposite and offered a handshake. "Elaine Oberlin, Mayor of Bayleston."

Tessa nodded. "Nice to meet you. Tessa Frost."

Elaine's mouth dropped open then she quickly recovered. "Are you really?"

Tessa nodded.

"Wow. This is chance! I've been wondering if I would ever meet you." Elaine smiled happily.

Tessa took the menu from the waitress. "Oh?"

Elaine placed her order then Tessa did as well.

Elaine picked up the conversation. "It's my understanding that you bought the old park and having it rebuilt."

"That's right." Tessa confirmed. "Things are progressing nicely."

Elaine smiled. "I won't beat around the bush Miss Frost. Re-opening the park is a big thing for Bayleston. It means tourism and that means revenue. Lodging, restaurants and rentals. I won't lie; yes, I'm very interested in the money the park would bring here. I put high stress on education reforms and health services. I'm tough on crime as well. I invite you to check my record."

"Well, I can't say you aren't direct. So be it. I'll check you out. If I like what I find, we'll have a meeting." Tessa said then gave her a hard look. "If I don't, you won't hear from me personally."

As the waitress set down their orders, Elaine nodded. "Sounds fair to me."

Conversation was light as they both ate. Tessa called for both checks.

"I could take of the checks, or at least my own." Elaine Oberlin said.

Tessa paid in cash and told the waitress to keep the change then turned to Elaine. "You may get the chance another time. We'll see. Good day Mayor."

"Good day, Miss Frost." Elaine said as they parted ways, then to herself. "You're a tough cookie Tessa Frost, but I think we can get along."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Wednesday, Tessa watched as several trucks entered through the open gate. The loads were covered with tarps to protect and conceal. The first set of rides for the park had arrived. Her crew of technicians were still at the manufacturers learning and building more rides, but they were going to be returning soon. Right now it was the simple, kiddie rides that were coming in.

A rep from the company had rode in with the lead truck.

"Hello." Tessa greeted him.

The man wearing a hardhat that looked like a cowboy hat nodded. "Ma'am. You must be Miss Frost."

"That's me." Tessa confirmed.

He nodded back. "Harlan West. Your gate guard directed us here. This the unloading area?"

"Yes. Unload here and when the ride location is ready, we'll set them up." Tessa told him.

Harlan nodded as a crane moved over to the first truck and handed her a copy of the list. "You're the boss, Ma'am."

One by one, the trucks were unloaded as he checked off the pieces against his list as did Tessa. Several of the construction crew came over and began covering the equipment with thick black plastic and marked them with signs.

After the last truck was unloaded and rolling out Harlan made notes then handed Tessa his clipboard. "Ok Miss Frost, that's everything for this shipment. It's all here. Just need you sign off."

Tessa signed the invoice and accepted her copies. "Thank you. Have a safe ride."

Harlan tipped the hardhat. "Yes Ma'am. Ya'll have a great day."

Bill had been watching the activity. "I don't think we have a higher gear, your Ladyship."

"It's fine Bill. We're on schedule. There's going to be some more come in but its all kiddie and family type rides and they can wait. My technicians aren't done training yet. We can't start putting any rides up until they come back. You're still putting in the underground, so we're not ready anywhere." Tessa reminded.

Bill's radio crackled. "Bill have you seen Tessa?"

"Right next to her Captain Dave." Bill answered.

Dave called back. "Leslie says she has a call."

"Ok." Tessa said to Bill and went back to the cart she had rode over in.

Bill spoke over the radio. "Her Ladyship is on 'er way."

Tessa drove back to her office and went inside.

"Ah. She's here now." Leslie said over the phone then told Tessa. "A Mister Andre on the line Ma'am."

Tessa nodded, continuing to her office. "I'll take it in my office."

A moment later Tessa sat down and picked up the line. "Tessa Frost."

"You're a hard lady to get a hold of." A pleasant voice answered. "Nicole said I should talk to you. Andre Babineaux here."

Tessa replied. "Mister Babineaux, you come highly recommended by Nicole. According to her, you are quite the culinary specialist."

"I can throw some stuff together." Andre chuckled.

Tessa knew he had to be vastly understating his abilities. "I'd like you to come for a visit this weekend, when Nicole comes back. Perhaps give a sampling of some of your specialties?"

Andre was nobody's fool for sure. "I might could do that. I'll have to overnight some things there though."

"This isn't a freebie Mister Babineaux and I'm not going to play around. I'll send you five hundred dollars to procure and ship ingredients and a thousand dollars for a weekend of your time. Travel and lodging will be paid. Does that get your attention?" Tessa asked.

Andre quickly replied. "I'll wear a crawfish costume and tap dance if you want!"

"Do you have an account I can send to or do I need to wire it?" Tessa asked.

"I have a PayPal." Andre answered and gave her the account information.

Tessa made the transfer then pulled up the airline site and began making his reservation. "Alright. Money sent and I have your flight confirmed with Nicole's."

Andre said firmly. "You want New Orleans' cooking, that's what you're gonna get."

"Breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some snacks or treats, too. Quintessential New Orleans Mister Babineaux." Tessa reminded.

"Miss Frost, when I get done, you'll swear you spent the weekend in the French Quarter." Andre insisted.

Tessa didn't miss a beat. "That's exactly what I'm expecting Mister Babineaux and I'm told you can. See you Friday."

Tessa then gave him the address to ship to then his flight information.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Friday several boxes containing Styrofoam with frozen gel or dry ice packs to preserve the contents in them arrived by 10 that morning. Dave arrived with Nicole and Andre at the hotel just after noon.

Tessa stood in the lobby and handed them a pair of room keys. "Welcome back Nicole. Welcome Mister Babineaux. The hotel has graciously indulged me a favor, to borrow their kitchen for you this afternoon. Everything you sent is there already and waiting for you."

Andre laughed. "Don't waste no time. You was right Nicole. Ok Mam'selle Frost. I'll be there in just a minute."

Five minutes later the kitchen staff were surprised to see a tall man in chef's uniform and LSU Tigers ball cap come into the kitchen. He went straight to work, taking all the burners on one of the stoves. It didn't take long for the kitchen staff to begin reacting to the smells. They had all been watching, some even taking notes of, the obviously skilled stranger in their kitchen.

Finally Andre brought over a plate and two small bowls to set in front of Tessa and Dave. "Here's my opening. The bowl on your right is Crawfish Etouffe. The bowl on the left is Shrimp Creole. On the plate is Sausage Jambalya."

Andre went back and dished up for the staff to sample as well. The hotel's manager had joined them out of curiosity. The clinking of cutlery was punctuated with murmurs of appreciation.

Tessa used a napkin then addressed Andre. "Mister Babineaux, if this is only the opening; I'd say you are quickly proving to be as advertised."

"This is fantastic! A classmate at cooking school made dishes like this. I never had the courage to try imitating." The head chef said.

Andre laughed. "If you want to cook cajun and creole, you gotta be bold!"

Andre began telling cooking stories while cleaning up. He soon had the staff howling with laughter. Dave, Tessa and Nicole were laughing as well. Andre truly was a character. He continued to treat them with some of the desserts found at the better restaurants in New Orleans as he told stories of cooks, in and out of kitchens, and some of the colorful patrons famous locally and otherwise.

Dave returned to his office and collected the results of the check of Andre's background. Only minor traffic violations were there, but had been resolved. Saturday Andre made more dishes and did prep work for the most time consuming dishes that would be served on Sunday. Monday when he went back to the airport, he was only going back to New Orleans to get his things together and set up supply delivery.

 
 
 
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Chapter 7 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Tessa gave a task to Nicole, find more cast members. For Andre, he went back down to New Orleans. He would be taking two weeks to pack up and set up the food delivery. Instead of flying back, he would drive. Tessa thought he sounded a little off about that. Nicole hesitantly informed her that Andre's car had seen better days and was probably worried that it wouldn't make the trip. She also told her that Andre was very proud and would be very reluctant to ask for help. Tessa understood that

"Andre help me back then. Now I pay back, get him with you." Nicole said proudly.

Tessa couldn't help smiling as she went out to look around. The young cajun was doing all she could to earn her way. Nicole was finding a lot of transgender performers, the problem was that they all lip-synced. Tessa had to put that from her mind for now. She was needed at the dorm and rode a security cart over.

Jerry met her at the doors. "Hey Queen Tessa. Come in and look around."

Tessa followed him inside. Her heels clicked on the tiled floor as she followed him.

"This looks good Jerry." Tessa commented then turned a corner into the cafeteria. "Oh wow!"

Jerry waved to the room. "This part is the dining hall. The tables will be here tomorrow and we'll set them up."

After following him past a sheet of hanging plastic he flipped on the light switches. "Here you go!"

A full commercial kitchen gleamed in the lights. Tessa looked around and nodded.

"Outstanding! I know the cook staff will be happy with this." Tessa said in satisfaction.

Jerry nodded. "Yes Ma'am. And this place will be easy for them to keep clean too. All gas appliances mean they can practically hose them down whenever. Just like you wanted."

"That's excellent Jerry. This is just how I wanted it. Thank you. I know Andre will be thrilled." Tessa smiled.

Jerry led the way upstairs to the third floor and down to one end. Some interior walls were up and she could see a door set.

Tessa took note of exactly where they were. "This is the room for Nicole."

"Yes Ma'am." Jerry nodded then opened the door. "Here you go."

Tessa walked inside. The tile had been laid and the walls painted. As it sat the corner of the wing, there were two sets of windows. The en-suite bathroom was a tub-shower combo and there was a full vanity for the sink.

"Now this, is very nice Jerry. She'll like this." Tessa remarked.

Jerry looked it over. "The crew all think, that even though it's a dorm room, it shouldn't look exactly like one for the Princesses. If Princess Nicole likes it, we'll do the other two just like it."

Tessa nodded. "That's going to be great. Is this ready for her to see?"

Jerry shook his head. "Day after tomorrow, please. There's some little things and a good cleaning to do."

"Give me a bottom line Jerry. When will the dorm be finished?" Tessa asked.

"Ahead of schedule. Schedule says two more months. I think we can get it done two weeks early or better. Five to six weeks unless we get a serious toad-floater." Jerry answered.

Tessa nodded as they turned to go back. "Ok. That being the case. Have a couple of the people go around an hour before shut down everyday and start to clean up the outside."

The project lead nodded back. "That'll start today."

"You and your crew are doing a great job. I'm very glad to hear that none of the crew have been hurt. Keep it that way Jerry." Tessa said.

Jerry nodded. "Yes Ma'am. I stay on them about that. We're all glad that it's your number one thing."

Tessa asked. "Other jobs haven't been like that?"

"I think it'd be better if I didn't answer that Queen Tessa." Jerry said. "Bill's a great boss, but sometimes he has to go with what the people that pay say. You're different. It's the people that are important to you. You been proving that every day. You take care of us. That's why we call you Queen Tessa."

Tessa laughed as they reached the door. "And here I thought it was because someone overheard a certain little girl. Or maybe Bill's habit of addressing me as 'Your Ladyship'?"

It was Jerry's turn to laugh. "How about I plead the Fifth?"

Tessa climbed into the cart. "Just this once."

Jerry laughed as Tessa rode away. As hard as the job was, he was loving working it.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Andre arrived three days later than he was expected. The reason was fairly obvious when his car stalled at the edge of town and had to be towed in. Whether it was good fortune or not, Dave Wells happened to be passing by the hotel and noticed the wrecker dropping the car at the back of the lot. Seeing Andre beside it, made him pull in.

"Hello Andre." Dave said through the open window. "How bad is it?"

The News Orleans chef shook his head. "Any other critter, I'd say 'get the rice, she done'."

Dave parked and got out. "That bad."

Dave went over to the wrecker driver and talked, then pulled his wallet, handed over some money and took the ticket. He then waved Andre over.

"Hop in. We can get you settled later." Dave said.

Andre got in and rode with Dave. They went to Tessa's office. Within minutes and two calls, Tessa had Andre checked into the hotel for the night and a rental car would be delivered. After that, Dave took Andre over to the dorm and showed him the finished cafeteria and dining hall.

Andre whistled and looked to Dave. "MAN! Ain't this something! WOOOO-WEEE! Now THIS is a kitchen!"

"You'll only be in it part-time Mister Babineaux." Tessa said from the doorway.

"Part-time?" Andre asked, confused.

Tessa nodded. "You'll be in charge of food service for Storm Bayou. That's where you'll be working. Once or twice a week you'll lead a meal here. That may fall on an off-day Mister Babineaux."

Andre nodded. "But I'll be livin' here, won't I?"

"That's right." Tessa confirmed. "Unless you take issue with it."

"Only if somebody takes issue with me. That gonna happen?" Andre asked.

Tessa stood casually. "It better not, I'll have their ass if it does."

Andre looked over to Dave. "Oh, I like that!"

"She means it too." Dave said.

Tessa leaned against a work counter. "It'll be a while longer before the dorm is finished."

"So I stay at the hotel for now?" Andre asked.

Tessa nodded. "For now. Nicole's room is finished. She hasn't seen it yet. I'm saving it for a surprise. As the first Princess I found, I'd like her to open the dorm. I believe that would be something very special for her. Would you agree?"

"Yeah. I would. We alone in here?" Andre lost all humor then continued at Dave's nod. "I'll be honest. Nicole had things rough. Her momma, died. She got bit by a water moccasin in the yard hangin' clothes up to dry. Nicole was ten. You know anything about them snakes?"

"No." Tessa admitted.

Andre sighed. "Meanest things. They don't just bite once. They stay on, til they get stuck or killed. Nicole's momma didn't even make it to the back porch. After that, her Daddy got worse. He already drank. After she died, he didn't have a reason not to anymore. He stayed drunk for two more years. One night he went out for beer, Sheriff came to tell Nicole he wasn't comin' home again."

"Did he go alone?" Dave asked.

Andre nodded. "Lucky, yeah. He was on his way back, drinkin', plowed right into a tree. Nicole go into foster care. It was fine at first. She stay with a family until fifteen. Then they have to move, job for the Daddy up north. Nicole gets put in another place. She was sneaky for a while. Just after she turn sixteen, somethin' went wrong. The man find out about Nicole. She went out to meet some friends on a Saturday. That evenin' she come back and he found the clothes and a couple of pictures. He beat her then he raped. Nicole manage to get away after he was done. Grabbed what she could and ran."

"She gave the abridged version." Tessa said. "I already have her seeing a therapist here. Her records were transferred. She's on track."

Andre chuckled. "Now I see why they all call you Queen Tessa. You're all over everything."

"Nicole says she owes you. She's thinking that If I bring you on, that'll square things." Tessa remarked.

Andre looked sad. "That girl. She tries so hard. She don't owe me. If that's why you going to all the trouble, forget it."

Tessa shook her head. "Nicole got you the invite. You earned your stay on your own. Fair to you?"

"More than fair. I'll talk to Nicole later." Andre replied then added. "First thing in the morning I need time with you."

Tessa frowned. "Monday. I have an appointment. I'll be in my office at ten-thirty. Good?"

Andre nodded. "That works."

 

~*~*~*~
 

The week was busy for Tessa. First was Tessa's appointment with Brad Waverly. Then the meeting with Andre. He had everything ready. All that was needed was a phone call from Andre and the first truckload of supplies would be on a truck. Then came other things. Tessa found a mascot suit maker and contacted him. There was good news and bad news. The bad news was, his health wasn't so good so he was retiring. The good news was, his niece was capable and willing to relocate.

Tessa found some time over the next couple of days to visit the local High Schools. In particular, the Home Economics classes. She was looking for the possible costume-makers for the cast. A donation to two schools for incentive provided motivation. Over the next three days, several resumes, with pictures of projects were dropped off at Tessa's office. Tessa pulled twenty of the best for interviews. Those led to another twenty referrals that were called in. A total of thirty-five were marked for hire.

A week later Nicole came rushing in.

"I find 'em!" Nicole gushed.

Tessa waved her down. "Slow down Nicole. Who did you find?"

Nicole came around and took over Tessa's computer. "I find two girls! They perfect! Just who you want!"

"Ok Nicole. Show me." Tessa said.

Nicole pulled up one video then another. After they were finished Tessa nodded.

"They looked good. Have you contacted them?" Tessa asked.

Nicole shook her head. "I get contact only. You don't tell me more than find."

Tessa nodded. "Thank you, Nicole. I'll take care of the rest."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Michelle Hamilton read the email one more time.
Ms. Hamilton,
Hello. My name is Tessa Frost. I've seen a video of your performance. You're quite the performer. It was unclear as to whether you actually sang or lip-synced. I'd like to discuss that with you.
Tessa Frost

A time and number was included so Michelle called.

"VentureRealm, how may I help you?" a voice greeted her.

"Hello. My name is Michelle Hamilton. Tessa Frost is expecting my call." Michelle stated.

The woman replied. "Just a moment, please."

The call went on hold then was answered. "Tessa Frost."

"Michelle Hamilton here. You wanted to talk with me?" Michelle asked.

Tessa confirmed. "Yes. As I said in the email, it wasn't clear as to whether you actually sang or lip-synced. I'd like to know if you can sing in feminine voice."

"Actually Miss Frost, I can. There's not a lot of call for that though." Michelle explained.

Tessa asked. "Do you specialize in a genre or does that not really matter?"

"I can handle some of the pop songs and some country, just as long as those aren't depressing. I took jazz and tap when I was younger, so I actually do choreography. Right now I waitress Wednesday through Friday and perform Saturday nights. Every now and then I bar-tend." Michelle explained.

That had Tessa's attention. "Choreography? That sounds good. I have an idea. Make a video. Perform two songs with a dance routine. Go with a saloon girl theme. Throw in a couple of jokes or stories if you have any."

"Ok. I think I can do that." Michelle said, thinking.

Tessa threw in. "Oh, and it has to be All-Ages appropriate. Email that to me when you have it."

Michelle was puzzled. "Ok. I'll have something in a few days."

"I look forward to it." Tessa said and took down Michelle's information.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Tessa's phone buzzed. "Miss Frost. There's a Danica Mullen on line three for you."

"Thank you." Tessa answered then picked up the line. "Miss Mullen, Tessa Frost here."

Danica greeted her. "Hello. I got your message, obviously. What's on your mind?"

"I'm looking for performers. I understand, according to your blog, that you are transitioning. You may have skills I'm interested in." Tessa said.

Danica wasn't sure. "I've done the occasional drag show for extra money. Mainly I give swimming lessons and so on, I help with the Red Cross to train Life Guards for pools."

"I read that. I also read that in middle school and high school, you swam competitively. Have you ever done any artistic swimming?" Tessa asked.

Danica was quick. "You mean water ballet?"

"I include that. There's other things that could apply. So have you?" Tessa asked.

Danica paused then answered. "Not really. I think I could though, but I'd really need to know what you have in mind."

"Some time ago, I saw a show on TV. In Florida they have a mermaid show. The costumes look like costumes of course. The show was decent. I think there could be better. Perhaps it could be you to do it?" Tessa proposed. "Maybe even more?"

"More?" Danica asked.

Tessa knew she had her. "Improvise a tail for swimming. Doesn't have to be perfect, just to help you move like a mermaid. Come up with a routine that goes for five minutes. You don't have to hold your breath that whole time, that would be ridiculous. Have your surfacing as part of it. Also, have a song. You sing it and play the song during the routine. Also I'd like you to perform a song out of water. So, two musical routines."

Danica asked. "You want me to do stuff from The Little Mermaid?"

"Whatever you like. Just be All-Ages appropriate." Tessa answered.

Danica agreed. "Ok. I can do that. You do want me to video that and send it to you, right?"

"That's right. Send it to the email I contacted you through. Let me have all your contact information now though." Tessa said.

"Ok. Might be a week or so. You're not in a big hurry are you?" Danica asked.

Tessa chuckled. "No. Just do the best you can. I look forward to seeing what you can do."

They both signed off. Tessa smiled to herself and went back to work.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Almost four weeks later, Tessa stood in front of the dorm. A ribbon stretched across the doorway.

"Ladies and gentlemen. It's with great pleasure that I say that the dorm is now complete and ready for you to occupy. As the first resident to be found, I ask you to officially open the dorm." Tessa said then handed a pair of scissors to Nicole.

The young cajun blushed and took the scissors then stood looking over her shoulder. "Appelez-nous des amis. Appelez nous la famille. Je dis juste, bienvenue à la maison à tous! WELCOME HOME!"

She cut the ribbon and waved them in. "Allons! C'mon!"

A cheer went out and fifty people followed her inside. Some had driven, others came by plane or bus. All were excited. They had their luggage and map. Quickly they went to find their rooms and explore. Those that were able to see into the three Princesses' rooms voiced their envy. Eventually they made their way back down and gathered in the dining hall. Not all the tables were full. Tessa and Dave stood at the front.

Dave addressed the group. "By now all of you know me. Just in case it slipped, I'm Dave Wells. Head of Security. Over there in the Black shirt, That's Zeke. He's head of the Security night shift. Beside him, in the red shirt, is Mark. He's the primary First Responder and day security."

Both turned around and waved to the group then sat back down. A group of men and women, totaling sixteen, stood up when Dave pointed to them.

"This group is Over-Watch. The eyes in the sky. They are the BEST. Two each, working two hour shifts, twenty-four hours per day. They can also operate drones. They work an Over-Watch shift then go to other duties until shift ends. Tessa." Dave said.

Tessa pointed to the two nurses. "These ladies are Registered Nurses. Both will be here in the dorm as well. Mrs. Davis, if you would."

A older woman stood up and smiled to everyone. "My name is Brenda Davis. Miss Frost hired me to look after you all. You could say, I'm a combination of a manager and a house-mother. I'm also a sort of receptionist. My office and room are right inside the front entry. Let me know when you go out and come back, I will take messages for you or connect the call to your room phone. I also handle the mail and deliveries."

Tessa called their attention. "Mrs. Davis may have years of experience dealing with certain levels of immaturity, but please remember, this is her idea of retirement from teaching kindergarten. Keep that in mind. Also, There will be a couple of people working in here to keep things neat. They will not be maids. You maintain your own rooms and laundry. There is an orientation packet in your rooms, I suggest you read them. There are four cooking crews. Three for the park and one for here. Until the park opens, the three cooking crews will alternate days here. Chef Andre leads off tonight. Any questions? I'm fairly certain any you have are answered in the packet."

Bill addressed the group. "I'm Bill, the contractor. We finish up the underground this week. Next week the rides already here will start going into place. Other rides are still on the way and will start assembly when they arrive. After that, the attractions and so on will start being built. I understand that's where most of you all come in. Her Ladyship wants those that work attractions to help the crew building them."

"Princesses. Up front." Tessa called out.

Nicole and two other young women came up and stood beside her.

"Princess Nicole of Storm Bayou. Princess Danica of SeaSide. Princess Michelle of Wild Forest. They will be working with the costumers and the feature cast for the shows. You won't see them running around the park much until we get closer to opening. It's going to be a long five months getting ready." Tessa informed them.

Each Princess smiled and curtsied as she was named.

Tessa continued to address the group. "Some of you may already have figured it out, others haven't. I'll go ahead and say this, many of you are LGBT. Some are looking at this as a rescue from whatever difficulties they were in. I'll say this, I'm the boss here. I won't put up with anybody being hassled for being quote-unquote different. Drama is going to come, that's a fact. Please don't actively create any. Be yourselves, by all means, but use discretion. For trips into town for shopping and so-on, get with Mrs. Davis and there will be a shuttle plan. That's all for now. See you after breakfast tomorrow morning, here."

Andre called for any cooks to join him in the kitchen for a meeting. Security members joined Dave Wells outside. The remaining began to get acquainted. After a few minutes Brenda and the two nurses began to get their attention. Brenda went into a quick rundown of what should be done when coming and going then told them a more thorough talk the next day but did ask that noise levels come down by ten at night. Many went up to their rooms and retrieved the packet mentioned. Dinner was served and after clean-up, the residents began filtering up to their rooms.

 

~*~*~*~
 

All three princesses were in Tessa's office first thing in the morning.

"How was your first night?" Tessa asked.

Nicole smiled. "Best I ever had!"

"It was definitely different. The rooms for us are quite nice." Danica said.

Michelle sighed. "I still can't believe how relaxed I was, being in a new place and surrounded by strangers."

Tessa nodded. "Good. I have good news and bad news. The good news is you have a rehearsal space to work in. The bad news is, a pool is not available for Danica yet. On Monday you each meet with the costumers. Danica, I've contacted the local high schools and the Red Cross. They are willing to meet with you and help you find some good swimmers for your show. Nicole, I hate to say it, but your show will be the hardest to cast. We may have to import some musicians and so on for it. Michelle, I have a meeting set up for you with the local theater group and high school drama clubs. You should be able to recruit through them. Get people who have graduated or will be graduating this school year."

"Yes Ma'am." The answered, almost in unison.

"There will be three shows for your area that last forty-five minutes. Musical numbers, comedy, skits. The biggest problems are coming up with them and casting. You need at least two months of rehearsals. We'll have ten months of operation, I suggest that you have one show you do for five months then change to another show. That will keep both the cast and the guests entertained." Tessa explained.

Michelle asked excitedly. "You mean real shows? Not drag-night revues? Shows like in Vegas and Branson?"

"Shows like you'd see in the big amusement and theme parks. That's what this is so that's what you do. Between shows, you wander your area and meet the guests." Tessa answered.

Nicole was smiling. "This gonna be big fun, yeah?"

Danica looked like she was about to cry. "I get to be a mermaid princess? Really? Do my own thing and not some rip-off?"

"Cha? Ca va? You ok?" Nicole patted her back.

"I wanted to do something like this for so long! When I was on the swim team, I heard girls talk about playing mermaid. I was so jealous. Now I can get to do it." Danica sniffed. "Thank you Tessa!"

Nicole shook her head. "No, not just Tessa. Queen Tessa! She look after us, yeah? Make us Princess in her kingdom! Dream come true for us! We happy everyday from now on, yeah? No more crying joli Danica. We sisters now, yeah?"

Michelle nodded then hugged the other two. "Yeah! Sisters, under Queen Tessa!"

Tessa walked around her desk and hugged each one. "Very good. Go see Leslie out there, you need to order some things to rehearse in."

All three curtsied and went out with smiles.

 
 
 
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Chapter 8 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Everyday, work progressed on the park. With Tessa's house and the dorm finished, the construction crews descended on the park itself. The first thing they jumped on, were the service facilities. The buildings for making things. First was the Costume Shop. Second was the Craft Shop. The concrete and plumbing crews were busy building the lagoon for the mermaid show in SeaSide then the waterway in Storm Bayou.

When the ride technicians returned from their training at the manufacturers, the big thrill rides had been built and would be shipped to the park for assembly. The first order of business, was the set up of the rides for smaller children. Kiddie Rides had already been delivered and sat in the staging area wrapped in thick plastic. That was how they started. The rides for the northern section of the park were taken in first and set up. The problem, there always seemed to be at least one, was the weather.

Winter was settling in, which meant rain and later on it would be snow and ice. Those were problems not even Tessa could force a solution for. One thing she could do, was keep her on-site people from being idle. On rain-out days, they were shuttled to the warehouse being rented for the costume makers to work in. Thanks to that, all of the mascot suits were made in time for the transfer over to the park's Costume Shop.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Another building had been built mainly to park vehicles in. However, it was now being used for cast rehearsal space. There was even a five feet deep above ground pool kit assembled and filled for mermaid training. An optional heater had been bought to keep the temperature of the water comfortable. At one end was the saloon show and at the other was the Cajun show, with the mermaid show in the middle. None were using anything louder than a portable radio, so they weren't competing to hear themselves over the others. The mermaids had an advantage of only hearing their music underwater and not the others.

For Nicole's Cajun show, Tessa did have to import some musicians. Those came from referrals, courtesy of Andre. Michelle was actually more than she advertised. She was very proficient with dance. With some tips and points from her, Nicole's Cajun dances had even more flair but still easy to watch. The dancers were one thing, the two clowns for the show were another. They were doing their very best to imitate Nicole's accent. Sometimes to her amusement, other times to her exasperation.

Michelle's Saloon Show had about the same amount of time devoted to songs and comedy that Nicole's did, but there was more emphasis on dancing. She combined tap and clogging with western dance elements for a grand duo dance for two young men in her cast. Four former cheerleaders, from different high schools, made up a kick-line. A member of one high school's rodeo club had been learning lariat tricks on his own and when the try-outs came, he was snapped up quickly. A three piece band was formed from a standing bass player, a guitarist and a violinist. They adapted to the cowboy songs well enough, but enjoyed the western parody songs more.

Danica's Mermaid show ended up including three Mermen as well. They had started out using a public pool wearing swim fins and simple straps to keep their legs together. Now they were in a shallow pool using practice tails. The plain white silicone tails weren't much to look at, but they did work. The oblong pool allowed them to build up speed for breaching, surfacing out of the water. For practice they even began hurdling in the water. They weren't able to go high, but they could go far. They were even able to rise almost waist high using the force of their tails to push up out of the water.

Danica and her team also had to work on songs as well. That had presented a problem when casting the Mermen. Many that tried out weren't singers, not that many had tried out, only eleven. The mermaids had been easier. Many were able to sing or swim, but only six of the forty that tried out were both strong swimmers and singers. In the water; they were all fantastic. Out of the water; Danica's group needed Michelle's help, alot. More than Michelle could provide so a ballet instructor was brought in at her suggestion to help choreograph their song and dance routine out of the water. She ended up giving some help for the water show as well.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Work went on to enclose the show venues. After the roofs were built to cover them, the valves were opened to start filling the lagoon and bayou. Chemicals were added to the water for clarity and eventually when the level was high enough, the pumps were turned on. For the lagoon, the walls were painted light blue and the bottom was a scheme of off-whites to simulate the ocean-bleached sand floor. Sculpted and tinted concrete simulated coral. Over at Storm Bayou, the bottom and walls were painted very dark colors to simulate the natural dark colored waters. Tinted and textured concrete were poured to look like log pilings for a dock. Those were the outer edge and would be visible. Support pedestals that would be hidden by boards were concrete as well but with their outer faces painted the same dark colors as the bottom of the bayou.

Two-by-twelve boards were laid over the support beams then covered with one inch plywood for Storm Bayou's dock. Certain sections of the dock had spacing between two-by-six boards instead to allow the plywood to resound louder from the impact of dancing shoes. For the Saloon Show, certain sections of the floor were made to amplify, like resonance boxes. The bar had the same construction. The boots of the cowboys and the wood heels of the Saloon girls' shoes would sound louder without sounding artificial, like with tap plates. The amplifiers would only be needed for the instruments and vocals.

Before walls could be built for the Bayou show venue, the artificial Cypress trees were put in. Sculpted polystyrene coated with thin concrete that had been tinted to mimic the bark. PVC pipe was used to make branches and covered with expanding foam then painted to match. These were draped with grey plastic faux-Spanish moss. At a later time there would be some animatronic animals. An alligator, an owl and a pelican that would talk. The recorded voices for the animals would be supplied by three members of Andre's kitchen crew that had also been imported from New Orleans. Gator would introduce the show and specific aspects. Owl and Pelican would trade one-liners and heckle the clowns.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Contrary to everyone's perception, Tessa wasn't just spending money left and right. She also had investments. She checked those everyday and adjusted them accordingly. One of the managers at the grocery store she had worked at was a self-taught investor. Over time and many mistakes he had learned just about all there was not to do. Years later, those results actually turned around into knowledge of how to invest wisely. Knowledge he shared with anyone who asked. During breaks and lunch, if he was in the room, Tessa had asked questions. All that was now put to use.

Tessa had told no one, but she had invested ten million dollars. Nine million were stable, slow stocks. One million was used aggressively. Some of those aggressive moves didn't get the results she wanted, the rest did. Steadily, the money increased. Twenty percent of the dividends went into her bank accounts, forty percent went back into play and the remaining forty percent went into the stable investments.

The local bank wanted to cater to Tessa and gave special rates to all of the park employees. Tessa was going to encourage them anyway, but the bank President himself and two assistants volunteered to come out to the dorm to set up the residents' accounts. They even offered bank cards with the park's logo. Though the local Office of Motor Vehicles couldn't do the same, the insurance company Tessa used did. They also came out and helped set up accounts for the residents that had their own cars already and even offered a special rate. The same company also had been selected for health insurance as well.

Discounts were given due to the residents since the meals there were cafeteria-style, but deemed healthy. An on-site gym also made them eligible for more discounts. That and the dorm had no smoking signs inside it. The three smoking areas outside the back and side doors went unnoticed as they were carefully concealed. Other things contributed to a good health insurance package. Wellness Evaluation Clinics every six months with Birth-Month Physicals. The fact that two Registered Nurses lived on-site brought in more discounts. Of course there were the other benefits such as retirement plans and so-on.

One thing no one would ever be able to claim was, that Tessa never thought about her people. If a person's field of work required some kind of license, they achieved it. Plumbers, electricians, mechanics and especially any medical personnel. Security as well. Whatever they needed; license, certification or registry. Tessa saw to it they had them whether it was state or national. She was even able to get one person in to take the health services course and test, to ensure that at all times the park would be able to meet any health requirements with exemplary scores. For certain, everyone knew that Tessa Frost wasn't playing around. She was making it clear that she was there to stay and there was no argument that VentureRealm was her park.

Around town, Tessa's machinations were also evident during the winter. Those who couldn't or refused to go into the shelters were helped with her secret projects, Street Table, two simple hot meals a day. The park chefs and their teams worked in the background while volunteers found with help from local Veterans' groups were manning the serving line. Idle Hands was the other secret project, clothing and other vital supplies needed by those staying outside the shelters were provided with the trading of time, shoveling snow and salting iced over public walkways. Also the cleaning of alleyways, especially those occupied by the street people.

Christmas morning many woke up to find a plain envelope hidden in their meager belongings that held some cash, a gift card and phone card. Some had stirred during the night and spoke the next morning of seeing a figure quietly passing through. An old slightly intoxicated man said he saw a angel made of snow, wearing all white with tinsel hair and blue eyes, smile at him as she passed by. He swore the angel gave them all the presents and even told him 'Merry Christmas'.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Zeke Malone had been surprised when the phone in his dorm room rang at eleven-thirty Christmas Eve. Even more so when Tessa asked him to come immediately to her house. All staff had been given the night off, along with the following day. Regardless he grabbed his jacket, hat and gloves then practically ran as fast as he could to her house.

"Good evening Mister Malone." Tessa said, standing beside a new red pick-up that had four-wheel drive. "Sorry to call you out so late."

Zeke shook his head finally catching his breath. "No problem Ma'am. What can I do?"

Tessa wore all white; jeans, down filled jacket, knee-high flat boots with faux-fur along the tops and gloves. "I'm going somewhere. I want you to accompany me. Will you?"

"Ma'am, I'll go anywhere you want. Say the word." Zeke said firmly then caught a set of keys.

Tessa had tossed him the truck's keys. "Take me to town. I want to go to the alley where the outcasts are. You drive."

"Aye Ma'am." Zeke replied then walked around to get the door for her.

Carefully Zeke drove the sturdy truck down the quiet streets. It was now late enough that even the most ardent carol-singers had finally gone home. The only ones on the streets were the police and those with nowhere else to go. It wasn't a problem for him to get to where she wanted to go. He had been there many times over the years.

"Don't park in view." Tessa said as he slowed down then parked as she wanted.

Zeke got out, but not fast enough to let her out. Tessa had got out on her own with a clutch of envelopes in her hand.

Tessa waved him back when he made to follow her. "I go alone, Mister Malone."

Zeke shook his head. "I can't let you out of sight, Ma'am."

"Then wait for me there, but don't follow." Tessa said then turned into the alley.

The former Marine watched with his heart twisting inside as she moved from person to person, almost as silent as a cat. He could see that she was giving out the envelopes. Her gentle voice telling Old Mac 'Merry Christmas' all but yanked the guts from him. Soon she returned.

"That's it Mister Malone. We should go now." Tessa said.

Zeke settled her back into the truck then went around to climb behind the wheel. The drive back was silent.

Back in Tessa's driveway she remarked. "I'd like help with one more task, please."

Zeke followed her inside then saw the stacks of wrapped gifts. "Those Ma'am?"

"Yes. These go under the tree at the dorm." Tessa answered.

Quickly he loaded them with her and they drove over to the dorm and parked at the main door. Inside it was quiet, with everyone up in their rooms. In no time at all the presents were under the tree in the cafeteria. He then drove her back and began to hand her the keys.

"You should hang onto those." Tessa said getting out.

Zeke looked at her confused." Why Ma'am?"

"Since you own the truck, it would be sensible if you did." Tessa said.

Zeke's jaw dropped, but he had to know. "The alley, was that because of me?"

"No Mister Malone. It was because any one of them, could have been me. Merry Christmas, Mister Malone. Good night." Tessa said then closed the door and went inside her house.

Somehow he made it back over to the dorm parking lot and saw an empty parking space with his name on it. After parking, he finally broke down. For a long time Zeke Malone wept without shame. He had no idea where Tessa Frost had come from or even why. None of that mattered to him, she was there and had saved him. She took him from being out on the streets, cleaned him up, gave him a job and a purpose. His loyalty went two ways, The Corps and Tessa Frost. After an hour of purging his out-of-control emotions, he made his way inside and collapsed on his bed, exhausted.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Christmas morning the residents of the dorm came down, kitchen crew first, and were surprised to see the pile of gifts under the Christmas tree. After breakfast, they quickly distributed and opened them. Each had something personal for them as well as the gift and phone cards. The kitchen crew though had to hurry and delivered the food and coffee to the Veterans' group for Street Table. Several of the residents were visiting local nursing homes and the Veterans' Home. Others were going to shelters. The Princesses would visit the hospital and Tessa herself went to the orphanage. She had already sent gifts to the group home she had lived in. All in all, Tessa Frost spent close to fifty-thousand dollars on Christmas, for those who would have gone without had she not.

New Year's Eve came with many of the dorm residents visiting the only LGBT nightclub in town. A good time was had by almost all. A few over-enjoyed the evening and paid the obvious price the next day. Everyone had been safe though, not driving themselves. Zeke Malone had volunteered to drive the shuttle-bus to bring the party-goers to and from the bar. He, himself, had made an early resolution of not drinking aside from three days. The anniversary of the park opening, the Marine Corps' birthday and Tessa Frost's birthday. He vowed that only on those days he would take up a single drink in salute.

Two days after New Year's everyone returned to work on the park. The major rides began to arrive and the assembly crews went right to work on them. Finally, in February, the only ride that remained to be assembled was the roller coaster. All eighteen million dollars of it. When it was finished and test run, everyone gathered to go for the inaugural first ride. The day ended up being an impromptu fun day, with everyone going on each ride in the park.

March started with the landscapers going full speed. First to be planted were all the new trees. Then came the hedges, azalea and rose bushes. Grass was being grown directly from seed, instead of sod. Tessa had chosen a hybrid grass called Improved Bermuda. Finally the flowers were planted. The final touches to be added were the ground lighting and all-weather speakers. After all that had been done, the workers came back with an army of mixer trucks to pour the pathways. They had no time to waste, as the dry weather would only last for two weeks.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Elaine Oberline sat in her office listening to her assistant.

"You're sure about that, Chet?" Elaine asked.

Chet nodded. "Checked it out myself. Street Table is being supported by the new amusement park people secretly. The Veterans' group is only donating their time. All the food is being provided and cooked by people working for Tessa Frost."

"That would be good P.R. why secretly though?" Elaine asked.

Chet shrugged. "I have no idea Mayor, but I do know there's more."

"More?" Elaine sat up. "What more?"

"Idle Hands is secretly her doing as well. The visits by her and her people Christmas Day was no secret, though they didn't make any noise about it. The two projects that have pretty much cleaned up the streets of Bayleston were both secretly Tessa Frost's." Chet informed her.

"So she is visibly giving to the needy and cleaning up the streets behind the scenes." The Mayor summarized. "Do you think she might be planning to run for an office?"

Chet shook his head. "That's the thing. She's not actually going out and interacting with the general public. Almost all her direct interactions are business. She's quick too. If a meeting of any kind runs over ten minutes, she becomes more blunt. The filters get turned off. Except for her own people, you take longer than ten minutes and she gets irritated with you."

"I heard that she is hiring people straight out of schools. Is that true?" Elaine asked.

Chet nodded. "That's very true. She's been hiring people right after they complete courses at the technical college and some have just graduated high school. There have been a bunch that came from out of town. At least sixty or so. I've heard that more have come. It's not so easy to tell now that they aren't at the hotel anymore. There is a dorm for alot of her staff and it's pretty big."

"How big?" Elaine was really curious now.

Chet shrugged. "I heard over a hundred rooms. Details are pretty sketchy. The construction crew is really tight-lipped."

Elaine could tell there was something else. "What are you holding back?"

"I keep hearing something strange. For some reason they all refer to Tessa Frost as 'Queen Tessa'. Not in sarcasm. It seems to be in respect. As for why; again, I have no idea and nobody is wanting to say." Chet said. "I do know for certain that Tessa Frost is big LGBT supporter and says so. In fact, she has made it clear that she refuses to hire anybody that isn't supportive. It was implied that she gives LGBT and Veterans priority hiring status."

"She seemed nice, but the no-nonsense type when I met her." Elaine remarked.

Chet shrugged. "Seems that way. I also heard that for those she wants to hire right out of high school, she has her eyes on more of the academic type than the popular and sporting types. Computer classes, Home Economics and drama clubs. But she has hired some recent graduates that were on swim teams for some reason. There is a rumor that she is also going to bring in 4-H club members, but that's not confirmed nor the reason why."

"It's strange they are so tight lipped about everything. I haven't driven by there in some time." Elaine admitted.

Chet smiled. "I've seen some of the rides working. I know for sure the roller coaster is. It looks fantastic! I can't wait to ride it."

"I'm really curious about the foods." Elaine stated.

"I know there is a Cajun chef. The hotel manager let him use the kitchen there for a weekend. One of the cooks said the food was wonderful and authentic. The chef comes from New Orleans. Some young girl that will be working in the park also comes from there he said and her accent is really heavy." Chet chuckled.

Elaine nodded. "That sounds interesting. Anything else?"

Chet shrugged. "Just her head of security. They call him Captain Dave. He was in the Army for sure and there's talk that he worked in Las Vegas."

"Was he?" Elaine asked.

Chet blinked. "Was he what?"

Elaine rolled her eyes. "Was he a Captain or is that just a nickname?"

"Oh! Yeah, he was a Captain. What he did, nobody is saying though." Chet answered.

"Well, as curious as I am, I think I should wait a little longer before requesting a meeting with Tessa Frost." Elaine remarked.

Chet nodded. "Might be a good idea. Maybe when she announces a firm opening date you could get in to talk with her."

"Sounds good. Well it's five o'clock and its quiet enough. Let's call it a day." Elaine suggested.

Chet grabbed his briefcase. "It's a day. See you Monday, Madam Mayor."

Five minutes later Elaine Oberlin was driving out of the parking lot and decided to take a very scenic route home, passing by the park.

 
 
 
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Chapter 9 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Since the opening of the dorm, all the staff had been eating their meals there. Even Tessa and the office staff took lunch and sometimes even dinner at the dorm. At Tessa's insistence, Bill's construction crew were invited to lunch there as well. It took him, and them, a few days to figure out why. With four chefs there now, food items were being perfected before making final approval for the park menu. Everyone loved the snacks, treats and desserts.

The chef for Wild Forest was Hank Thompson. Originally from El Paso, he had wandered around the Western states for several years before Tessa found him in Denver. He had been considering opening his own place, but lacked the funds. Tessa's patented 'only the stupid would refuse' offer had him throwing everything he owned into a rented truck and almost breaking every speed limit to get to Bayleston.

Hank knew Southwestern cuisine. From the finest Steakhouse in Ft.Worth to enchilada trucks around San Diego, Chili con Carne from El Paso to Barbecued Buffalo from Cheyenne. He spoke with a Texas drawl but was so fluent in Spanish, one would think he was raised in barrios. With his cooking knowledge also came a personal list of suppliers that ranged from Galveston, Texas all the way up into Philipsburg, Montana. All of which could and did ship within twenty-four hours.

For SeaSide was a woman named Joann Caulder. Her experience started as a teenager working summers at Coney Island until she turned eighteen. From then on she wintered in Florida and summered in Vermont and Maine making stops along the way. Clam chowder from Boston, cheesesteaks from Philidelphia, comfort foods from Georgia and the Carolinas, Italian classics from New York City. She had even learned a family's secret art to making Polish sausage as well as many Cuban sandwich favorites.

SnowyHill's chef hailed from Squaw Valley, but had also spent time in Lake Placid, New York. Aspirations of becoming a champion skier were shattered, along with his right leg in an accident at seventeen years old. The lure of the events stayed though and he traveled back and forth between the two major locations, eventually learning cooking to support his trips. Casey Malorian learned from several international chefs along with locals making favorites and took those lessons with him everywhere he went. He had even spent time in Aspen and Park City. On a whim even went up to Alaska. What he found funny, was the fact that he had previously had to learn ice cream making. For some bizarre reason, people ate just as much ice cream in winter as they did in summer, sometimes even more so.

That particular day, Hank was running the kitchen and for lunch was barbecue. He had a couple of the welders build a smoker and a pair of brick-layers built a barbecue pit. Burgers, baby-back ribs, beef long ribs, brisket, chicken quarters and pulled pork sandwiches were the options. For sides he had three types of coleslaw, two types of beans, green and potato salads. Of course there were fries as well. For dessert were pies and cobblers. The staff were vocal in their appreciation, but the construction crew became a bit rowdy.

Bill went over to one table shaking his head. "I know the eatin' is damn good, but you all are sounding like a bunch of gorillas raiding a banana truck."

"Sorry Bill, but this here's the best damned barbecue I ever had!" Grady replied.

The rest of the table nodded and simply grunted in support.

Hank wandered over and tilted back his Ft. Worth Stockyards ballcap and chuckled. "I appreciate that. It sure is fun cooking like this, I can't wait til the park opens. I'm glad I answered that call."

"Queen Tessa sure finds some great folk to work here." Rob the crane operator said then held up his glass of iced tea. "QUEEN TESSA!"

The whole cafeteria echoed. "QUEEN TESSA!"

From the doorway a voice called back. "Are you all trying to make me blush?"

Rob looked sheepish as he stood up. "Sorry Ma'am. Didn't see you'd come in. It is true though, you found great people for the park. I know you didn't have to let us eat here, but thank you Ma'am. It's great every day, I know I ain't the only one looking forward to the next day."

Tessa stood middle of the room now. "Well, tomorrow, you ladies and gentlemen get your chance to show that appreciation to our chefs. The plans for the concessions are in Bill's office and building starts tomorrow I've been told."

"That's right, Your Ladyship. We start on those first thing in the morning. We're going to have at least two weeks of good weather. The crews finished the slabs yesterday so tomorrow we start on the buildings themselves." Bill confirmed.

Tessa nodded back. "Good. Our target date for the grand opening is June first. Right now, it looks like we'll make it. The soft opening will be May twentieth. That's a Saturday. Princesses, will you be ready?"

All three stood up. "Yes, Queen Tessa."

"We're excited to start rehearsing in the lagoon." Danica said. "Our dry show is ready though. All our music is done and the recordings for the wet show are done. Our show-tails are almost ready."

Michelle nodded. "The Saloon show is ready. The costumes are finished."

"We good on th' Bayou, yeah." Nicole smiled then laughed. "First Fais do-do nobody drunk."

Several laughed with her, including Tessa.

Tessa nodded. "Well that just means that all the applause and laughs are real. I think that'll mean more to you and your cast."

"Oui, Reine Tessa." Nicole said and gave a curtsy.

"Then all we have left, is to finish it. I have the right people, make it happen." Tessa said.

Noisily everyone collected up their trays and turned them in then went back to work.

 

~*~*~*~
 

The weather held for eighteen days. Almost all the concession buildings stood ready with only minor exterior work remaining. Four days of on and off rain slowed the work down, but when it cleared the crews came back with a vengeance. The interior work was able to continue despite the rain. Ten days later, the equipping of the concessions began and the services came online.

For lunch, the work crews began visit a different area of the park every day according to a posted notice to direct them to the correct area. With the exception of the chef and two dedicated members per kitchen, the rest of the kitchen staff rotated areas daily. It had been agreed that more culinary personnel would be hired closer to opening. The cafeteria crew would be hired then as well. Each of the four chefs' assistants would take turns running the dorm kitchen crew. This would prepare the assistant chefs to cover for the chefs in event of illness or other reasons. It gave them opportunities to experiment as well.

All the sound systems were being checked then used. Rock and country blared at the various work areas depending on the crews. Drones could be seen zipping around individually and in formations. There were two types. One was brightly colored and very attention grabbing that moved very slow. Nine looked plain and could move very fast. The crew could see that whoever was operating the fast drones were clearly very skilled. Drones would race in at full speed then abruptly go into a hover at a safe distance and orbit, keeping its front focused on whatever the operator was interested in.

Fencing went up around areas to keep people out of restricted zones. Fence that couldn't be climbed or slipped through by even the smallest child. Cameras were being installed by Dave and his crew at the same time. Some were static and others could sweep. All had high resolution capabilities that surpassed any being installed on casino floors in Las Vegas. The cameras could zoom in to read the time on a ladies' evening watch at three hundred feet, even in the dark. Someone had come up with the very clever idea of CO2 emitters at certain points to lure away any mosquitoes from the congested areas of the park. This was also became prime locations for purple martins, dragonflies and various other natural pest control.

The landscaping crew nodded to that as well and introduced concealed plants that were actually predatory to insects. Flowering plants were set back from walkways as they attracted bees as well as hummingbirds and butterflies. With them out of reach, it decreased the chances of stings. Wasp traps would be placed as well, but concealed or camouflaged to not attract people's attention. Fountains and other water features would have chemicals added to the water that killed insect larvae.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Jimmy Sloan adjusted the ballcap on his head as he looked at the group of black shirt and ballcap wearing people.

"Jimmy was previously with the local Sheriff's office." Dave Wells announced. "He pulled a Lieutenant Dan on Tessa."

The other members of Security chuckled at the Forrest Gump reference.

Jimmy chuckled. "Yeah. I did. That's ok. I think I may have made a good career choice. Just so you all know, I also took the Security guard course while I was at the Academy. I'm also Red Cross certified for First Aid and CPR."

"Jimmy will be working with Main-Force security." Dave informed them. "We have more people coming in later on for that. Jimmy you work under Tom. Tom is from Vegas and was an MP at Nellis."

Tom stood up and waved him over. Jimmy noted one man wore a red shirt and hat, but also had a badge.

Dave pointed to Mark, who stood up. "Mark is the Primary First Responder. He'll be in charge of the Park Medics, but he also is Security. Liz, would you stand up?"

A young woman stood up. Unlike those with black shirts, she wore a dark purple shirt with a shepherd's crook above the park logo.

"Liz will be leading a team of ladies in Security with a very specific job. They will be the working the Wanderer-system. This is an updated system that uses tracking bracelets for children under the age of twelve. Its very similar to systems used by indoor playlands and that Invisible Fence thing. At the gates, a child under the age of twelve is issued a bracelet. The child and accompanying parents are photographed and linked to the bracelet's chip. If the bracelet crosses an invisible cable, alarms go off and park goes into lock-down. That's basic and other systems use the same method. Our system goes further. The location is GPS tagged and it registers on the monitors for Over-Watch." Dave explained.

A hand was raised and at Dave's nod, the man stood up. "Sir; That's all good, but if a predator takes the child, won't they have planned for that and try to cut the bracelet off?"

Dave smiled. "They can try. The band of the bracelet is a high-strength alloy coated with a safe med-grade silicone sheath. Once it's on, only Liz or her team can get them off. Each size comes with its own special key. The sizes are color-coded. The sensor and transmitter assembly are contained in a module of the same alloy and coated with the same silicone sheath. The fit will be comfortable but not slack. It takes five minutes with an industrial cutter to get through the band. The connection is underneath the module, so it can't be forced and the locks and key are unique to the product. A person can't get a replacement. If we lose a key, then a new batch is ordered and the old is sent back to be re-keyed."

"Damn that's smart!" Another of the group commented.

"Oh it gets better. All doors into restricted areas are chipped. All cast and staff wear a bracelet of their own with the RFID chip in them and there is a camera that snaps their picture at the same time. So even if an intruder gains access, we can identify them. There are only two ways in and out of the park. The front gate and the back. The back gate is manned so there's no sneaking in or out. Now just in case you haven't noticed, all Security personnel are former LEO or Prior Service. This is intentional. Only people that can be trusted can know our strengths and weaknesses. Every person that comes here is OUR responsibility. Something happens to them, it's on US. Inside the gate, they belong to us and we will care for them jealously. Watch over them. Guide them. Care for them. Do NOT however interfere with their fun unless a safety concern arises. Hoo-ahh?" Dave asked.

Several ex-army members yelled back. "HOO-AHH Captain!"

Those who were former Marines weren't to be out-done and yelled even louder. "HOO-RAH Skipper!"

Zeke knew the meeting was closing and called out. "ATTENTION ON DECK!"

Almost as one everyone bolted to their feet and saluted.

Dave stood attention himself and returned the salute. "Outstanding. That is all. Fall Out!"

Everyone made their way out and into their specific groups. Dave looked on in approval. Slowly but surely, they were reminding him what it was like to be a leader of troops with a purpose. They understood him, he understood them. Nothing else in the world felt like it and he wouldn't trade for anything.

 

~*~*~*~
 

"Ma'am? Mayor Oberlin is here." Leslie informed Tessa over the intercom.

Tessa replied. "Send her in Leslie."

The office door opened and Mayor Elaine Oberlin entered with a smile.

"Thank you for seeing me Miss Frost." Elaine said, shaking hands.

Tessa nodded and gestured to the chair opposite. "Welcome. Have a seat, please."

Elaine sat down. "I won't beat around the bush Miss Frost. Rumors are running wild about town now about the park. Could I get some information?"

"I guess the important things first. Soft opening will be May Twentieth and the official Grand Opening on June First. Yourself, the Governor and certain other local dignitaries will be invited for that. Media coverage will be local television, radio and newspapers. Also national travel personalities will be invited, lots of camera coverage." Tessa said then smiled. "You'll definitely want to look your best, Mayor."

Elaine laughed. "Any suggestions, I'd hate to clash."

"Well, you'd want to project a charming image. Perhaps a tea-dress. As for me, I'll be in a full gown as will my princesses." Tessa replied.

Elaine smiled. "Full regalia for the Queen and her court?"

Tessa nodded. "Pretty much. I'll be in white, Princess Nicole in purple, Princess Danica in blue and Princess Michelle in green."

"That sounds lovely! I'm very interested." Elaine sat waiting eagerly.

Tessa sat back in her chair. "I see. You want the FULL low-down."

"May I? Please?" Elaine tried patented sad-eye look number 4.

Tessa laughed. "Alright. But only the highlights!"

Tessa stood up and led her over to the drawing on the wall. "VentureRealm Amusement Park. It's sectioned off into four areas."

"I'd love to take a picture, but I'm afraid you would give me a stern talking to!" Elaine gushed.

Tessa nodded. "That's right. Here on the south end is Storm Bayou where Princess Nicole reigns. It's Cajun themed and there's lots of authentic food. Several games and souvenir shops. Children's and thrills rides. The main feature is Princess Nicole's Fais Do-do. Its a Cajun show; songs, dances and comedy."

"Oh WOW! That's something to look forward to!" Elaine smiled.

Tessa pointed to the drawing again. "Moving on, you go into SeaSide. Princess Danica reigns over the Mer-people there." Tessa pointed on the drawing. "The cuisine ranges up and down the Eastern seaboard as do the attractions' theme. The rides also. The main feature, of course, is Princess Danica's Merpeople show in the lagoon. There is also a 'dry-show' as well, between the lagoon showtimes."

"Really? So they will perform out of the water as well?" Elaine asked.

"Songs and dances." Tessa nodded.

Elaine looked impressed. "I'd say all that alone makes the trip, but I am under the impression there is lots more."

"From SeaSide you go into SnowyHill, my official domain. Winter themed wonderland. There is a show, but I'm not in it. It's presided over by Old Man Winter. The rides and games there have the same theme and the food ranges across the North. I wander around periodically during the open hours." Tessa explained.

Elaine nodded. "Well I can see how you would be too busy running the park to be a full-time performer."

Tessa laughed. "Not hardly! I couldn't carry a tune if it came in a basket! I have been taking some dancing lessons, but it's not my strong suit."

Elaine blushed. "I guess I put my foot in my mouth on that one!"

"Moving into the last area, Wild Forest. Princess Michelle is over that. It's more of a Western theme for the food, rides and games. Michelle has a Saloon show. Songs, dances and comedy. There are other features there, but I'd like to tell you about some crafts there. We'll have some craft-workers from Western Native tribes with shops there. Navajo rug makers and Pueblo turquoise jewelry, just to name a couple that have accepted my invitation." Tessa said proudly.

The Mayor was impressed. "Fantastic! The people get to watch the items being made?"

"Of course. That's what really draws people in. They get to see it come to shape right in front of them. For those shops, the bulk of the revenue goes to the tribes they represent, I get a small percentage that is more like shop rental." Tessa informed her.

"All that sounds incredible. I'd like to ask about safety." Elaine said.

Tessa nodded. "Four teams of responders. A paramedic and EMT per team. One team works an area of the park. Two full time Registered Nurses at the aid station. One Paramedic as group leader and First Responder."

Elaine looked surprised. "Wow. That's very reassuring."

"Every member of the Security Force is either prior military or law enforcement. Many served in combat and therefore take their duties seriously. There's more, but I'd rather not go into detail. I will say that the safety and security of our guests is paramount." Tessa said firmly.

"With measures like that, I'd say so! Miss Frost, I am in awe! I am concerned about the job force though. It sounds like many are coming from outside the area." Elaine pointed out.

Tessa admitted. "Many are from out of the area, but a higher percentage are local. However, due to demand, not all of the staff can be found locally that meet requirements."

"I've heard that you prioritize LGBT hiring." Elaine remarked.

Tessa nodded. "I do. Is that a problem?"

Elaine shook her head. "Not at all. I'm impressed that you're so bold. I've always supported LGBT rights here in Bayleston, but there's only so much that I can do. I'm thinking that you may do more than I ever will."

"Considering that it affects me personally, to not give LGBT high priority would make me hypocritical." Tessa remarked.

Elaine looked puzzled. "It would? Are you saying that you are lesbian?"

Tessa began laughing and shook her head. "No. I'm transgender. I'm transitioning."

Elaine's jaw dropped. "Really? I couldn't tell, honestly. Wow! I must say, you are quite pretty. I actually had no idea."

A knock at the door interrupted the conversation.

Leslie leaned in. "Ma'am? It's my turn to go to lunch now. SeaSide is serving today."

"Ok Leslie." Tessa nodded then turned back to Elaine. "Care to lunch with me, Mayor?"

Elaine agreed eagerly. "Oh, I'd love to!"

The Mayor spend over half an hour eating, due to conversation and another hour meeting and talking with various cast members. When she finally drove away, she was all smiles.

 

~*~*~*~
 

In April, the crews went to work on the games and attractions. Thanks to the installation of a heating system, the cast of the Mer-people show were now able to begin rehearsing in the lagoon. Cast members for all the shows now began full dress rehearsals in front of cameras and then reviewed the recordings. Of course, being that they were now going at rehearsing the full shows, many errors were found and needed to be fixed.

The first of the Native American crafts-people arrived. The Pueblo jewelers. The shop looked like many buildings found in the Southwest and they liked it. A few days later she received a call. A tribe of the Nakota nation were asking if she would like some performers of tribal dances, drummers and a story teller. Tessa didn't even hesitate and said yes, with the requirement that they have the full costuming. Twenty minutes later, travel arrangements were confirmed. Days later, the Cherokee leather-goods makers were on their way as well.

As games and attractions were completed, the new Human Resources department hired the staff via recommendations from the high school guidance counselors. Each one signed on immediately, but understood that they had the stipulation of graduating. As the final stage of an attraction was coming, the staff for it was brought in and trained. They were taught how the games worked and even helped final work to bring it into service. the same applied to the concessions. As the staff was hired, they were measured for uniforms.

The Costume department did more than just make the mascot suits. They made or ordered all the costumes and uniforms for everyone working at the park. For some things, such as shirts, the process was simple. Plain shirts were ordered and the Costume staff did the silk screening and embroidery themselves. Some items were able to be purchased in bulk, such as polo shirts for the Security, Medical and Hospitality staff. For culinary works, Kitchen Whites could also be ordered in bulk. Areas of the park had a color code. Wild Forest was a green shirt and khaki shorts, skirt or pants to resemble wearing buckskin. Storm Bayou wore gold shirts and green shorts, skirts or pants. Seaside wore pale blue shirts with blue shorts, skirts or pants. SnowyHill wore white shirts with grey shorts, skirts or pants.

Security wore black polo shirts embroidered with a badge above the park logo and name, khaki BDU pants and tactical boots, except for Over-Watch. Over-Watch wore black on black and would not be seen by the guests. Their shirts had a pair of eyes embroidered over the park logo and no names. Medics wore red polo shirts embroidered with the medical insignia over the park logo and name, black BDU pants and tactical boots. Culinary staff wore Kitchen Whites and slip-resistant shoes. Slip-resistant shoes were also required for Concession staff. Hospitality staff wore purple polo shirts with white shorts, skirts or pants.

Hospitality Staff were the people that worked the gate, information desks and other entry services. They wore light purple shirts simply featuring the park logo and their name. They wore white skirts, shorts or pants. Hospitality Staff had a secret as well. Twenty members were actually Security. They were in charge of the Wanderer System for children and called Shepherds. They wore almost the same colors as Hospitality, but had shepherd's crooks embroidered on their dark purple shirts above the park logo and their name. Instead of white; their skirts, shorts and pants were black. They were affectionately referred to as the Bo Peep Platoon by the other members of Security. Another aspect was that all of the Shepherds were either former military or Law Enforcement and mostly parents. Each one had been handpicked by Dave Wells.

The entire park was now almost completely staffed and working on the final stages to finish.

 
 
 
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Chapter 10 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Princess Michelle was now in full costume and heading toward the Saloon when something new caught her eye. A fenced in area was being built. She wandered over and spotted the crew leader, Tommy, looking at a diagram on the hood of a truck.

"Hey Tommy." Michelle greeted. "What's this?"

Tommy looked over and smiled. "Mornin' Princess Michelle. This is your animal interaction area."

Michelle blinked. "My what?"

"Petting zoo." Tommy chuckled.

This was news to her. "I get a zoo?"

"Sure do. Some calves, foals, goats, lambs, piglets, ducks, chicks, rabbits, peacocks. I even heard there's going to be one of them z-donks. Cross of a zebra and a donkey. Queen Tessa hired some 4-H kids coming out of high school to work this. Pretty cool, huh?" Tommy asked.

Michelle nodded. "Sounds it. I had no idea this was going to be here."

"Queen Tessa said that she had talks with several farmers and ranchers, along with the animal shelter people to get this together. Full-time vet and the 4-H kids will work the people and animals. Some of those kids want to become vets and see this as a way to work up for college money. Over there is a blacksmith. Some boys that took metal-shop in high school will be working that. They'll be making real stuff for sale, including horse shoes for the shelter horses all over the state." Tommy informed her.

Michelle looked surprised. "Shelter horses?"

Tommy nodded. "Yeah. Rescued horses, you know? Sometimes the shelter gets calls about livestock and they have to take them. Those animals are in a bad way. Queen Tessa worked out a deal. If they buy the horseshoes from here, she's going to only charge for the material to make them. Farriers and veterinarians can buy them too, but they pay full price. She worked out a deal for the baby animals to be here too. The babies are here for six months and then they go back to the farmer or rancher they came from for new babies. The park feeds and takes care of them while their here and pays the upkeep. Kind of like a lease deal. I think. That's how it sounded to me. The park is leasing the babies til they get a certain size then trades them back for youngers."

"So, we won't have animals too big for the kids to play with?" Michelle asked.

Tommy shook his head. "That's how I heard it. You might get some ponies for a ride thing, but I don't know. I did hear that Captain Dave just hired some more people for Security and they're dog-handlers."

Mark was walking by and called out. "Tommy, your crew got plenty of water?"

"We're good Mark, filled the cooler myself this morning." Tommy called back to the First Responder.

Mark gave him a thumb's up then looked over to Michelle. "Morning Princess. Make sure you all get in good stretching before starting your rehearsal and have water nearby."

Michelle smiled. "Thank you Mark, we will. Don't forget to look after yourself as well."

"Aye aye Princess, I always do." Mark said and continued on happily.

Tommy smiled. "There goes a happy guy. He ain't content unless he's fussed over folks."

"He means well." Michelle chuckled.

"No Ma'am. Inside the fence, we belong to him and if anything happens to us, he takes it seriously. He'll never forgive himself if he can't take care of us. He took care of SEALs and Marines during the war." Tommy explained.

Michelle hadn't heard the full story and was impressed. "Wow. I should start thanking him better from now on. I didn't know."

Tommy nodded. "Just like that fella, Zeke, Queen Tessa hired. He was in the war too and had it plenty rough after coming home. I still feel bad about how we all acted when we found him that day."

Tommy relayed the events of the day Zeke was found under the trailer and how Tessa handled it.

"Tommy! You're about to make me cry! I thought I had hit the lottery when she called me. Now I wonder if I was worth it, after hearing about that." Michelle said sadly.

Tommy gave her a serious look. "No joke. Zeke would crawl across burning, busted glass without a stitch of clothes on, with Queen Tessa standing on his back if she wanted to go somewhere. He'd only stop to salute Captain Dave along the way. The Security here would follow Captain Dave through Hell itself, but Zeke would carry Queen Tessa personally. Well, have a good rehearsal. I gotta stay on this, so we do it right."

Michelle nodded. "It'll be great Tommy."

Michelle turned and headed toward the Saloon. It appeared there were some stories she hadn't heard before floating around. Feeling thrilled to work at the park, she now wondered if she were truly worthy of it, especially her position.

"NO." Michelle shook her head and said firmly. "Tessa picked me, personally. I'll prove I'm worthy of her trust."

In the Saloon, when the other show cast arrived, she led them through warm-ups and even spent a few extra minutes doing so. She even made sure each one had a bottle of water nearby. She also resolved to know everyone in WildForest and what they did. During breaks, that's what she did. Michelle didn't go alone either, she had her whole cast follow and learn as well.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Danica had checked the chemicals of the lagoon water first thing that morning, along with the temperature then inspected the practice tails. When Mark came by on his morning rounds, she proudly showed him the full water cooler, juice boxes, thermal bottles of warm green tea and snacks. He nodded to her knowledge, as a competitive swimmer. She knew the toll such strenuous efforts in the water would take and was prepared for it.

When her cast arrived for rehearsal, they all stretched well and exercised. They even swam around a bit to ensure they were relaxed and warmed-up before putting on the silicone practice tails. Since there were more mermaids than mermen, one girl served as a helper. The helper rotated each day so that everyone got a dry-day. The helper also worked the cameras to record the performances for review.

The young man running the sound for the show had been in one of the high school drama clubs and graduated the year before. Danica picked him personally after meeting the shy boy. He was small and skinny, admitting that he had worn glasses until only recently. She suspected he had most likely been bullied. She was very quick to inform him that his skills backstage were what made him very sought after. In fact, she and Michelle had a small contest over him, to which Danica had won. Ethan's jaw dropped when she confided to him of that.

Ethan was even more shocked when Danica informed him that he was required to be able to swim as well, for safety reasons. In case a cast member was distressed, he might be the only one able to dive in to rescue them. He soon found himself practicing at least once per day swimming in the lagoon bringing a cast-member to the backstage area, simulating being injured or unconscious. Including Danica herself. In those drills, he also test called for Medical responders. Mark was glad to participate in those drills and did so.

Before Ethan understood what was going on, he was a Red Cross certified Lifeguard. He found it hard to not focus on the pretty red-head. The fact that she was transgender had no bearing. Actually, very few could tell and wouldn't have really guessed if she hadn't said so. Thankfully, none had issue. Especially after what she told them they were being hired for. For the girls, it was their greatest dream come true. Not only did they get to play mermaid everyday, they were being paid to do it.

After two wet rehearsals they were holding themselves up in the water with their tails.

"Looking great! Let's go get in a dry rehearsal now then take a break." Danica said.

Quickly they all dove then raced for the dressing room. In truth, they swam underwater for speed rather than to stay in character. Without the tails, it was faster to swim on the surface. With the tails on, they truly were faster underwater than on the surface. Backstage they would breach high and pull themselves onto a rubber mat. Ethan and the day's helper would go around and unzip the silicone tail down its spine and drape a towel over the cast-member. It only took one day for them all to realize it was better to be naked inside the tail. A swimsuit bottom, even thong style, would rub blisters. In twenty minutes they were dry, styled, made-up and dressed. They trooped outside and began rehearsing the dry show.

"OH WOW." Danica giggled and pointed. "Chompy is dress rehearsing today too!"

A guy in a shark mascot suit waddled over. "That's right Princess Danica! I can finally start wearing it now!"

One of the mermen looked it over. "Man. You're going to have take lots of breaks during the summer wearing that."

Chompy shook his head. "It won't be that bad. This has a fan in the top of the head to blow outside air down on me in here. I have to take breaks, but it won't be as bad. There's lots of shade that I can stand in too. Mister Mark showed me certain places that I can go to for a cool-down. They're all over the park for mascots."

"At least it's an easy job." Mermaid Lori said.

"There's a lot of rules for the mascots." Chompy replied. "We have safety briefings every morning. We have to drink a certain amount of water and go to the bathroom regularly so we don't dehydrate and fall out. They gave us watches with timers on them and we can only work so long and take a break for so long. We also have to wear a panic button. If we have a problem, we push the button and help comes."

Bryan, a merman, was shocked at all that. "Seriously? I thought mascots just put on the suit, wandered around and acted silly."

"No way dude. Mascots are a tough job. That's why there are at least three for every character. None of us work the same shift two days in a row. An evening shift, then a day shift then off a whole day. No double-shifts. We're only allowed to work six hours a day." Chompy said.

"That's really strict." Merman Justin remarked.

Chompy nodded, as best he could. "There's more. Each zone of the park has an empty mascot suit with sensors in it to monitor temperature. If it gets too hot inside it, an alarm goes off and we're told to go to the cool down rooms until they tell us we can go back out. I think they bring the dummy inside a cool down room and when it cools down enough they take it back outside until the alarm goes off again and we start all over."

Mermaid Renee was stunned. "That's wild!"

"Yep. Security will come get a mascot and escort them to a cool down room if we don't go immediately. We get in trouble if we ignore the warnings. One time, you get a butt-chewing by the mascot supervisor. Second time, you get wrote up and have to see Queen Tessa. Third time, she walks you to the gate, to leave." Chompy informed them. "Oh yeah. Something else. If you mess up the inside of a suit, you have to pay for the cleaning or replacement. If it's because you did something nasty, that you ain't supposed to be doing at all, you're gone."

"I heard some of the Disney mascots masturbate in costume." Merman Nick remarked, getting chuckles.

Chompy nodded to him. "That's what I'm talking about. Do it one time, you get fired. By Queen Tessa! No joke dude, she said so herself."

"That's pretty bad alright. Get caught messing up like that in Storm Bayou and Princess Nicole will feed you to a real alligator." Danica giggled.

Chompy slouched. "I heard about that. Man, that's one girl you don't want to cross. And you know when you're wrong around her. She goes off on you, in French. She doesn't play around."

Danica understood the Cajun's dedication. The first full day they were all together, Nicole confided her life story to the other two. Both Michelle and Danica understood, VentureRealm was truly the first safe place Nicole had come to since the death of her mother. A place she wouldn't give up without a real knock-down, drag-out, tooth and nail fight. Danica and Michelle shared their own stories as well. All three cried together and swore to be the best princesses to ever walk the grounds of a park.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Over in Storm Bayou Nicole clapped.

"BIEN! BIEN!" Nicole praised. "We good now! Queen Tessa be proud us, yeah!"

"Not yet." Beau called out. "Take us home, Princess."

Nicole smiled as he hit a note on his accordion to give the key and the harmonica player began, as did the guitar and fiddle.

She sashayed to front, center stage and sang. "Thirty mile out, th' gulfstream. Hear that South wind moan. Bridges be lookin' lower. Shrimp boats, hurryin' home. Old man down th' Quarter, slowly turn t' th' sea. Take 'nother sip o' whiskey, he look at me an' say."

All the players had come up on their instruments and those as backing vocals joined on the chorus. "Well, I was born in the rain, by th' Pontchartrain. Un'erneath th' Louisiana moon. Don't mind strain of a hurricane. Come 'round, every June. Th' high black water, she th' devil's daughter! She hard, she cold, she mean. But nobody taught 'er; it take alotta water, t' wash away New Orleans!"

The music had come up and now settled down as Nicole strolled back and forth. "Man come down, Chicago. He gonna set them levee right. Say it got t' be three feet higher. Or won't make, through th' night. Old man down th' Quarter. He say, don't listen that boy. Water, she be down th' mornin'. He be on 'is way, back to Illinois."

Everything went full volume now as they hit the chorus. "Well, I was born in the rain, by th' Pontchartrain. Un'erneath th' Louisiana moon. Don't mind strain of a hurricane. She come 'round, every June. Th' high black water, she th' devil's daughter! She hard, she cold, she mean. But we finally taught 'er. Gonna take alotta water, wash away New Orleans! Well, I was born in the rain, by th' Pontchartrain. Un'erneath th' Louisiana moon. Don't mind strain of a hurricane. She come 'round, every June. Th' high black water, she th' devil's daughter! She hard, she cold, she mean. But we finally taught 'er! Gonna take ALOTTA WATER, wash away New Orleans!"

Nicole and those that could were now dancing as the rest played. She called out. " AY-EEEEEEEEEEE!

When the song ended, the sound of clapping rang out from the back. With the lights on, they couldn't see the audience.

Nicole tried to shade her eyes. "Who dat?"

Tessa finally stepped close enough to be in light as well. "Me, of course."

"Riene Tessa!" Nicole gawked then blushed. "How long, you back there?"

Tessa smiled. "Long enough to be proud, of my princess and her Fais do-do."

"Merci Reine Tessa!" Nicole gushed. "We try hard!"

"I watched the whole show. It's wonderful. I love it! I know the guests will too." Tessa said. "Thank you for all your hard work. It's about lunch time. Nicole, take them to break and go eat."

Nicole nodded. "Oui! Allons! Let's go see Andre. He cook for us today!"

The cast put everything away and followed Nicole off-stage. They met up with Tessa out front and together, went to lunch.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Slowly, but surely. The attractions were being completed. Each had one a worker already. More were coming after graduating on May 15th. That would give them five days to train and receive uniforms. When an attraction was complete, as there were so few left to finish, the crews began to fall back to completing the main buildings; Administration offices and Medical. The Security, Technical offices and Mechanical shop had been completed not long after the rides began being assembled.

Tessa was walking around and looked up when a cartoon-ish voice overhead spoke out. "Grand Prize! Grand Prize!"

"My lucky day then!" Tessa smiled up at the brightly colored drone overhead.

It hovered lower and dropped a metallic-gold looking ball, about the size of a ping pong ball.

Tessa laughed. "Yay me!"

"Grand Prize! Grand Prize!" The drone announced. "Claim your prize at SeaSide's Main Shoppe!"

The drone slowly moved on. Tessa smiled and went over to the shoppe as she had been instructed and entered.

"Hi Queen Tessa." One of the clerks called out.

Tessa smiled and held up the gold ball. "Grand Prize."

The clerks inside all laughed and clapped.

Monique, the Shoppe manager, nodded. "Looks like that drone is doing it's thing. We were told about that."

"Good. I guess I'm the official guinea pig." Tessa laughed.

Periodically, the single brightly colored drone would hover over a child and get their attention then drop the ball to them. The child could then take the ball to the main shoppe for that area of the park and claim a prize. The prize came from an assortment of souvenir items ten dollars or less. The drone was flown by one of the Over-Watch group, as were the other drones.

Within minutes, nine members of Over-Watch could report to Drone Control and take to the air. They were all proficient and could fly the nine security drones in close formation. The prize drone only flew during daylight hours. The security drones could fly at all hours as they had standard and nightvision cameras.

Tessa turned in the prize ball. The shoppes would turn in all prize balls to Security after closing.

"Looks like you're about done in here." Tessa commented.

Monique nodded back. "Just about. Then this bunch moves on to the next shoppe."

"Well you're all doing a great job. I won't keep you." Tessa said and went out.

SnowyHill was next and she looked in on the main shoppe. They too were almost finished setting up. Finally Tessa visited WildForest. The Shoppes were looking good.

"Tessa. Hello." A Native American woman greeted her.

Tessa smiled and walked over to the Cherokee leather shoppe. "Hello to you Maggie."

Maggie RedBlanket invited her in. "Come in and look."

Tessa stepped inside and slowly looked around. There were boots, moccasins, belts, bags, bracelets, vests, jackets, pants, chaps and even skirts in various types of leather. Some were cowhide, pig and even deer hide. Some were plain and others were adorned with either beading or metal work.

"I'm glad my invitation was accepted Maggie. Everything looks fantastic!" Tessa announced.

Maggie smiled. "We were impressed with how you asked and even more so with the shoppe you built."

"What's that phrase? My walk will be my talk?" Tessa asked.

"That's pretty much it. We are believing you Tessa. You have not disappointed us and we are starting to believe you won't." Maggie said.

Tessa nodded firmly. "I made a deal, it will be kept. I refuse to go back on my word Maggie. I'll make good, you won't be disappointed. Ever."

Maggie nodded back. "I am seeing this. I'm glad we accepted your invitation."

Tessa's eyes caught and she went over to a pair of women's boots that actually had high spiked heels. The shaft of the boot looked to be knee high with beaded fringe.

"These are pretty." Tessa commented.

Maggie smiled. "Elk hide."

"If they came in white, I'd buy them today." Tessa remarked.

Maggie picked up a notepad. "They would have to be deer hide. What size and how high of a heel?"

"I wear a size nine. Can you do a four inch heel?" Tessa asked.

Maggie nodded. "Not a problem. We'll use blue and silver beads on the fringe. I need to get some measurements though."

"Ok." Tessa replied.

Maggie measured several places along her lower leg and from instep to knee. Then she measured Tessa's waist then hips followed by from waist to knee. Tessa was rather curious and more so when Maggie measured from waist to neck, shoulders, bust and arms.

"I don't think boots go all the way up to my neck Maggie." Tessa said.

Maggie shrugged as she finished her notes. "You'd be surprised."

Tessa laughed as did Maggie. They both turned when a set of drums began and walked to the door to look out. A group of men sat on a set of logs in a semi-circle playing the drums as others began to dance. They weren't in traditional clothing. They wore jeans, boots and either t-shirts or long sleeve shirts with the sleeves rolled back.

Tessa and Maggie went over to watch them perform. An older man sat on a log close to the concrete path and a young woman was behind him. He began talking in his native language and the young woman translated. They told what the dance was and its purpose.

When the dance stopped, Tessa clapped. "That was amazing! The story of your dance's origin was also impressive. I can't wait til we open, so I can see the performance in your full dress!"

"Thank you for inviting us." The old story-teller said.

Tessa smiled. "I thank you for accepting and sharing your fascinating arts of music, dance and stories Mister StormDawn. Miss JumpingDoe, thank you for translating the stories. You may not think it's all that important, but hearing the original story and the translation makes it better. More dignified, in my opinion. That not only the story is being preserved, but also the way of it too."

Linda JumpingDoe smiled. "That's nice of you Miss Frost. Thank you for being respectful."

"I'm glad you think so." Tessa said with a smile. "It's how I meant it. It won't be much longer, we'll be opening."

Tessa turned and headed off to see the rest of the area.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Joe Nably picked up the stack of property listings and began looking through them. There weren't as many now. When he finished leafing through them he felt like he had missed something important. Another look through didn't help so he called his secretary.

"Yes?" she asked.

"Bring me all the big listings for the past ten months." Joe instructed.

When she brought a stack in he had her wait while he went through them. They were organized by the month. Finally he held one up.

"Susan, why hasn't this one shown up for the past ten months?" Joe asked.

Susan looked at it. "I don't know. I'll find out."

Several minutes later she came back and handed him a single page. "That property is no longer listed. It is now owned by a company called Frost Entertainment Properties."

Joe took the page and read it then looked up. "It was on the market for over ten years and suddenly it gets snatched up?"

Susan shrugged, knowing nothing more.

Joe Nably pulled a portfolio and flipped through it then grabbed his phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?"

"It's Joe Nably. Why wasn't I informed about that park property being sold?" Joe asked angrily.

The voice on the other end replied. "Everybody knows it sold."

Joe swore. "That Property was only supposed to be sold to me!"

"That property has been up for sale for the better part of fifteen years. Look, I'm not the realtor. I kept all serious buyers away, but I didn't even know it had been bought until a month later." The voice replied. "All I know is, a woman named Tessa Frost bought it."

"What bank is holding the loans?" Nably demanded.

The voice answered. "No idea."

Nably growled. "FIND OUT!"

The phone dinged as Joe Nably slammed it down. He picked up the single page again and read. The last listing for the old park was seventy million dollars. He had been waiting for it to drop to below twenty million to buy. He needed answers; who was Tessa Frost and where did she get the money?

 
 
 
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Chapter 11 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Tessa smiled. The baby animals in the petting zoo were cute. The foals and colts were checking out Michelle and she was laughing while petting them. The newly graduated kids that had been in their schools' 4-H clubs were excited as well. They all loved animals and to work like this, was just what they wanted. It gave them work experience to put on paper and opportunity to make some college money for those that wanted to be veterinarians or biologists.

There were foals and colts, calves, ducks, ducklings, chicks, lambs, kids(as in baby goats), piglets, rabbits, puppies and kittens. The puppies and kittens were all from the local animal shelter and could be adopted at anytime by local guests. The rabbits were also from the shelter, but would be staying at the park. The other livestock would be kept depending on their growth and returned to the farm they came from in trade for a new young animal.

After signing off the last invoice for the animals Tessa and Michelle turned them over to the new staff. Many still needed to be bottle fed, which added to the attraction as guests could help. Together, the two walked over to the sounds of metal being worked. In the Blacksmith Shoppe, three boys were smiling as they worked. Two had taken Metalshop and one had been in the 4-H club. They were working on various things, including horseshoes. They wore rough looking study pants with knee-length leather chaps and aprons over their cotton shirts. The Cherokee Leather shop had been happy to make those items for the Blacksmiths and even asked for some decorative pieces to be made for displaying more of their own works.

"You young men look enthusiastic." Tessa commented over the din.

The one making a horseshoe saluted with his hammer. "Howdy! We're in full swing Queen Tessa. Hey Princess Michelle!"

Michelle gave them a dazzling smile. "Gentlemen, you're doing excellent work! I'm glad you're having fun too. That's what makes it great."

"Thanks Princess!" All three said with smiles.

Tessa smiled. "I'm glad you're enjoying your craft. Just make sure that you look after yourselves. You gentlemen have more heat on you, working in here, so take care. Make the most of time away from the fire and be sure to stay hydrated."

The one standing by the forge nodded. "Yes Ma'am. Mister Mark already came by and gave us a safety talk. Those fans set up to blow across the anvil stands will help us alot and we have a water cooler just for us. We're going to be careful Queen Tessa."

Tessa smiled then looked to Michelle. "Michelle, I give you WildForest. Rule it well, Princess."

"I will, My Queen." Michelle said then curtsied.

Tessa nodded to the Blacksmiths. "Gentlemen."

All three gave her a quick bow in return then watched the ladies leave.

"Dude, I think we're working in the coolest place ever." Ben, the boy at the forge commented.

Reggie, at the anvil remarked. "When I told my folks about it, they about hit the ceiling. None of us ever really thought me being in the 4-H club would actually get me a serious job. Said they were glad I got the job."

Loy, the lariat trick artist stopped by. "Hey guys."

"Hey Loy." Ben said. "How's the Saloon show?"

Loy nudged his hat back and smiled. "Man, it's SO cool! Mister Don said I was wasting my time, playing around with rope tricks. When I told him I got hired here just because I had learned them, I thought he was gonna drop!"

Mike asked. "Have you noticed that none of the so-called mega-cool kids got jobs here?"

"Skills got hired first." Loy remarked.

Reggie looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"Skills. People that can do real stuff, not just look fancy. Drama club, Home Ec., those kind of people. The only jocks that got hired, were on swim teams. Looking cool and being connected, don't get you hired here. You have to actually be able to do stuff." Loy explained.

Ben mulled that over. "I see your point."

Loy leaned in and waved them closer then said. "After skills, come grades. Honor and Banner roll, but the biggest thing is the LGBT kids. They get priority. I don't know how they're found, but they are and they make the top of the list."

"That's strange." Reggie commented.

Loy gave him a confused look. "Why? Queen Tessa is LGBT. Don't you remember, during your interview, you got asked if you had a problem working with or for LGBT people?"

"I remember. It's not a big deal to me so I said I didn't have a problem with anybody." Mike said.

Loy nodded. "That's good, because Queen Tessa and ALL three princesses are transgender. I was open-minded before, but after working with Princess Michelle and seeing stuff Queen Tessa does, I think people are seriously messed up to bad-mouth transgender people. Just wait and watch. You'll see, the people working here are really something. The people behind the scenes are awesome. I had no idea, but I learned. You will too."

"Hey I know her." Ben pointed at the group of Saloon girls walking by. "Her too. They were cheerleaders at my school."

Loy nodded. "Yeah, but they were also in the Drama club and took alot of dance classes. Like I said, dude, skills."

The line of girls looked over and waved, smiling, to the boys. Loy tipped his hat in return as the three Blacksmiths waved back.

Reggie shrugged. "I guess we'll see a bunch of familiar faces around."

Loy laughed. "That's a gimme. Not just working here, but guests too. You're going to see people you know alot. Just remember, you're working here so be cool. Even if that person wasn't cool in school, you gotta be. If somebody starts problems, the Security people will handle it. The guys in black shirts, they ain't no joke man. All of them were either in the military or cops or both!"

Ben pointed as one of the Saloon girls came back, escorted by Dave Wells. "Hey what's going on?"

Loy looked over. "Dunno."

 

~*~*~*~
 

"Thanks for volunteering Candice." Dave said to the girl.

Candice smiled. "No problem Captain Dave. What do I need to do?"

Dave chuckled. "Just lie down right here."

Candice giggled. "Ok."

She carefully laid down. "Ok now what?"

Dave took several steps back then raised his arm over his head and waited.

A moment later the radio on his belt crackled. "Emergency! Emergency! Code 10, WildForest, in front of the Shooting Gallery!"

Within moments, people in black shirts could be seen, running towards the location. Quickly they formed a loose perimeter around Candice.

"Miss? Are you alright? Can you hear me?" One of the Security asked.

Dave walked over. "She can hear you, but she appears to be slightly groggy. Her hair looks damp, but her face appears to be dry."

The Security member pulled his radio. "Code 10 WildForest, we need medical on-site."

"Copy WildForest. Medical en route. Evac stand-by." A different voice called back.

Mark's voice came over the radio. "Evac standing-by WildForest."

Moment's later a man and woman wearing red shirts that had First Responder on the backs ran up and took off backpacks. Quickly they assessed, given answers by Dave, as Candice made the appropriate noise or movements. Her condition was deemed serious enough for evacuation and Mark was called for. Minutes later a siren was heard, not as loud as regular emergency vehicles, but enough to get attention. Mark turned off the siren, parked the cart and unloaded a stretcher. A quick discussion then Candice was carefully moved on it and loaded into the back of the cart. A sheet of paper was given to Mark then he drove away slowly with lights flashing and the siren on again. Minutes later he returned with her sitting in the passenger seat smiling and dropped her off.

"Thank you for your help Candice." Dave said.

Candice smiled. "Glad to help Captain Dave! All done with me?"

Dave nodded. "Yes, thank you."

"Later." Candice said to the group and rushed back to the Saloon.

Dave looked around. "Response time was good people. Keep in mind though, we're empty. Crowded streets are going to be a problem. That went by the numbers and you were all clockwork. One thing though. Anybody notice it?"

"All responders are male. Until Medical showed up, no females. That could present a problem if the guest or cast is female." One of the Security remarked.

"Correct." Dave said. "That means I need to move some people around, areas and schedules. That'll be next week. No matter what though, from now on, everyday is the real deal. Carry on."

"Yes Sir!" The group shouted and dispersed.

Dave switched his radio channel. "Ok Over-Watch. WildForest checks out. Moving to SnowyHill for next EDRE."

"Copy that Captain. Over-Watch, standing-by." The voice on the radio replied.

The same exercise was conducted in SnowyHill and Storm Bayou.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Over in SeaSide things went different. When the Security team arrived at Dave's location he was standing there holding a dummy.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is Bob." Dave announced. "Meet Bob."

After a moment of confused silence they carefully said. "Hello Bob."

"That could have been better. BOB, is in distress." Dave said then let go of the dummy, which fell to the pavement. "SAVE Bob."

They had no time to laugh at Dave's humor. Quickly, they began working. Bob was determined to be in cardiac arrest and the medical team performed CPR. When Mark arrived, they merely paused long enough to load Bob up and continued the CPR until they reached the Main Medical Station and the simulated arrival of the ambulance service. All the service teams had been conducting drills called EDRE.

Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise, EDRE, was routine for combat troops of the military. Dave Wells saw that the same could be applied here in the park for Security and Medical response. For the prior service personnel, they picked up the old way as if they had never left service. For the others, they adapted quickly and learned to appreciate that military bearing. They would continue to drill and improve, until the park opened, speculating they would become the best response force in the world for entertainment venues.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Day by day, the new cast members were trained for their duties. Various exercises were conducted to prepare for emergency situations. Food services were checked then inspected by someone from Health Services and given the highest rating. Even the Medical stations were checked and given high ratings. Each section of the park was given time off to visit the other sections. On May 18th, there was a big meeting that evening.

Tessa stood at the front of the assembled workers and smiled. "Ladies and gentlemen, the park is now finished. Bill, I want to thank you. You and your crews did a fabulous job. I believed you were the right man for this job and I chose you to do it. You and your people did NOT fail! Last year, I bought 240 acres of dreams. You have made those real. It's now up to us to bring them to life. Thank you Bill. Thank you ladies and gentlemen."

With that Tessa handed him an envelope then curtsied to him.

Bill took his cap off. "Your Ladyship, you really know how to make an old man feel good. When I met you, I knew you was a person that I should get to know. I wasn't wrong. I was glad to work on the old park. I did my best back then. I'm a better man and worker now. On this park, I did even better. As glad as I was, now I can finally say; I am proud! Thank you for that, Your Ladyship."

"QUEEN TESSA!" One of the construction workers called out.

The cheer was echoed by everyone assembled. "QUEEN TESSA!"

Tessa smiled then held up a bundle of envelopes and began to read the names off each one personally. After they had all been handed out she addressed them again. "With my gratitude I have given each of you a gift. Please enjoy. Thank you once again, for a job excellently done. See you soon!"

The construction crew opened their envelopes and found their bonus checks, as promised, along with park gift cards and two sets of special passes for their families. Bill opened his own and found the same, along with the final payment for his company.

"Your Ladyship." Bill looked up from the check. "This can't be right."

Tessa was looking over the group of people with a faint smile. "I'm not in the habit of making intentional mistakes Bill. I know for a fact, I haven't made one now."

"This check is for more that it's supposed to be. I would understand, if I didn't know you just gave everybody a bonus personally. You did and I know it. Why this though?"

Tessa looked at him. "Was this park built right? Or was it built greater than that?"

"Greater than that." Bill sighed, knowing that any argument he was about to come with was about to be shut down effectively.

Tessa's expression hardened. "What I originally wanted has been done, even better than what I'd planned. It is because of you and your people. Anybody else wouldn't have done this. You did better than I wanted. You were the right man for the job, so I chose you. I chose right. Do not turn away, that which you earned fairly."

Bill held up his hand. "I surrender already, Your Ladyship. I know better than to go against you after you made up your mind. I'll go with a bit of valor and just say, thank you. It's been a pleasure working for you, Queen Tessa."

Finally Tessa smiled. "Thank you, Bill. Enjoy yourself and I look forward to seeing your family visiting the park."

Bill shook his head as she moved off to mingle. "And that's why we call you Queen Tessa."

As Tessa moved through the people; women and girls would curtsey, men and boys bowed. She greeted each one by name with a smile. All the cast and staff would be off the next day. To relax before the Soft Opening. Saturday, the gates would open. June First was the official Grand Opening. The Hotel in town was already filling up with visitors from out of town to come to the park.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Saturday morning lines were forming at the gates, waiting for them to open. Television, radio, newspaper and online advertisements had been going for two weeks. The campaign was obviously working. The gates sat between two towers topped with battlements. Soon people began to look up and point at the woman coming out onto the battlement for one of the towers. Her gown was white and the tiara sitting lightly on her head looked to be made of crystal, or ice, as was the scepter in her hand.

"Good morning. I am Tessa Frost. Queen, of VentureRealm park. I bid you welcome, please enjoy your visit!" Tessa announced. "Open the gates!"

Fireworks erupted as green lights lit over each gate. The Hospitality workers waved their lines forward. The crowd surged and soon the sounds of stiles being passed through could be heard. Several workers had been out working the lines, steering guests with the younger children to the correct lines. Tessa went back inside and disappeared.

People streamed through at a respective pace and after glancing at the large map or consulting the ones in hand, began wandering off to see the sights. It wasn't long and people began rushing from one thing to the next. Many were making note of the showtimes. As those showtimes approached, lines began to form then file inside. After the performance, those coming out spoke excitedly about seeing the other shows and moving off to pre-position themselves for advantage.

Soon after the first Mermaid show, Danica and her cast went outside.

Danica sneaked out leading them and exclaimed. "Land! WE'RE ON LAND!"

People milling about stopped and looked.

"Away the water rinsed. On land I look for a Prince! To show me sights beyond the Sea!" Danica sang and wandered around.

The cast sang together. "She will find the very best. Danica, our Princess! From beneath the blue, blue Sea!"

"A smile from a heart so true? Eyes of sapphire blue? With hair dark or fair? Where will I find, the Prince for me?" Danica smiled as she sang.

The cast sang back. "Can she find a prince to join us, under the Sea?"

Danica ended the song as she posed. "Perhaps one day, my Prince will come to find me!"

The crowd clapped, especially all the young girls. Music began to play from hidden speakers, so Danica and her cast danced. After the song ended they began interacting with the crowd that remained. They posed for pictures, informed of the attractions, concessions and rides.

Danica had done some research online and found out some of the pitfalls suffered by cast of other parks and tried to apply some techniques. When boys older than 12 or men wanted to pose for a picture with her, she slipped her hand to the crook of their closer arm.

"Stand tall and smile!" Danica said cheerfully, smiling.

The trick worked, any would-be gropers were outsmarted by her cleverness. The other mermaids followed suit, as did the mermen, not knowing exactly why. For the smaller children, they would crouch down to their level for the picture.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Elaine Oberline wandered around with her husband and children. Naturally each had their own interest. For her husband, Jerrod, it was the games. Her son, Rick, was excited about the rides. Debbie, her daughter, was loving the shows and shops. For Elaine herself, she wanted to check out the foods. A quick compromise was reached. Elaine and Debbie would check out the shops, concessions and secure places in the lines to see the shows while Jerrod and Rick played the games and rode rides.

By the end of the day, each had their favorite section of the park. Debbie loved SeaSide, but Rick wanted to stay in WildForest. Jerrod liked SnowyHill and Elaine loved Storm Bayou.

"No way! Princess Danica and her Merpeople show is the best!" Debbie protested.

Rick shook his head. "It's the rides over in WildForest."

Jerrod chuckled. "SnowyHill has the best games."

"Storm Bayou. The food is excellent. I even got to meet Chef Andre." Elaine said.

They had all went back to SnowyHill for ice cream. It was all made in-house. A custom combination could be made by mixing different ice creams on a slab of marble that was kept cold from refrigerant lines underneath it. They also offered all the toppings, cones and so on.

Elaine had practically been waving all day, as expected of a Mayor. To see the Governor, Senators and Congress members of the state in the park shouldn't have been a surprise. A face or two from the travel network were a surprise. An even bigger surprise was that they weren't filming. Elaine found out that they would be doing that the next day. Today they were scouting, determining the best things to highlight. Opening day crowd was good, but the second day would be even better. People that visited on First day would spread the word; calls, emails, social media and good old fashioned face to face conversations.

The only media cameras seen in the park that day, had belonged to the local news networks. They did segments in each area of the park, highlighting the shows, rides and concessions. During the evening broadcasts, the anchors did look a bit envious of the field reporters and promised to visit the park themselves, at first opportunity.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Joe Nably wandered around the park. The more he saw, the more he felt angry. First the property had sold without his knowledge and now it was in use as a park again. His big plans were effectively shot. The amount of people running around began to make him rethink though. He didn't know anything about Amusement Park operations and revenue. That would be something he would research back at his office. If first impressions were true, such places were practically goldmines.

One thing went without doubt, Joe Nably loved money more than anything else. Everything else paled, when put against money. He had much research to do back at his office. There was still the question of where Tessa Frost had come from? More importantly, where had her financing had come from? Most importantly; how could he take it all for himself? Why wasn't Councilman Ralph Conway coming up with answers?

 
 
 
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Chapter 12 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Soft opening was going well. For three days after the first one, camera crews for various media had been seen all around the park. Guests as well as cast were interviewed, especially the princesses. Tessa was indulging in a bit of mischief, frequently in view, but out of reach for the media. She had already given an off-camera interview to them and thought it better that the cast be given a chance at the spotlight. The fact that the media was now being kept at a distance seemingly by chance was a little amusing for her.

Tessa was sitting on a bench hidden in a shady patio, drinking a cold bottle of water when she felt as if someone were watching and slightly turned. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a small head trying to peer around the shrubs.

"Well, who might you be, sneaking around?" Tessa turned to smile.

A little girl, looking no more than seven edged around looking nervous. "I'm sorry."

Tessa beckoned her over. "Let me see you, little one. It's alright."

Once she was facing her Tessa reached out and stroked her hair. "I'm Queen Tessa. Who might you be?"

"Taylor, Ma'am." Taylor said timidly.

Tessa frowned. "I'm sorry young lady. That won't do. The proper way to greet a Queen, is to curtsey and say your name very clear. Let's try that again. I am Queen Tessa. Who might you be?"

Taylor quickly did her best to curtsey. "I'm Taylor, Queen Tessa."

"MUCH better." Tessa smiled and moved her hand. "I'm fairly certain that you are a tad small to be running about all by yourself. Aren't you?"

Taylor looked caught and nodded. "Momma was talking on her phone."

"Queen Tessa?" A Security member stepped around the corner and asked.

Tessa looked over. "Max. Send for my Captain of the royal guard and a Shepherd."

Max was quick on the take and stood at Attention. "AT ONCE, My Queen!"

Tessa nodded and he bowed then left. The position of her hand had been a secret signal to Over-Watch, who then dispatched the closest member of Security to her. Max quietly radioed in for Dave and one of the Shepherds to join her. It took only a few minutes for them to arrive.

Dave bowed and Liz curtsied as they said in unison. "Queen Tessa."

"Ah! There you are. Miss Taylor here, seems to have misplaced her mother. I would like that taken care of by the time Miss Taylor finishes the ice cream we are going to get for her. Captain, escort us please?" Tessa asked.

Dave smirked, she was playing it up for all she was worth for the little girl. He wasn't about to let it go to waste. "Of course My Lady."

As he turned to go out of the patio, he quietly radioed in. Liz came over and held out her scanner.

"Just a wave of my wand and I'll know what I need, Miss Taylor." Lizz said then waited for the information to come up. "Lost sheep, lost sheep. Let me find you, like little Bo Peep."

The data came up on the screen and she nodded to Tessa.

"Come along Taylor." Tessa stood up and held out her hand. "My royal guard will find her while we find ice cream."

Taylor smiled. "Ok Queen Tessa!"

By the time they came out of the patio, Dave and six members of Security were waiting and formed up for an escort detail. Together they all moved out and went to the ice cream shoppe. Tessa took Taylor through the line herself and they sat at a table outside that had been made available by Dave and his impromptu detail.

"YUMMY!" Taylor exclaimed after a lick of the Bubble Gum and Cotton Candy Mixed scoop cone with sprinkles.

Tessa gave her a serious look. "I searched all winter long; every icy glacier and snow covered mountain, to find the best ice cream maker. I finally found him though and brought him back to VentureRealm."

Taylor looked impressed. "WOW! Where did you find him?"

Tessa leaned forward. "I found Casey in a big frozen meadow, trying to teach a mob of snowmen to yodel. Luckily, I was able to get him back to a place that had hot chocolate. When his brain thawed out, he was very confused. I told him what happened and he asked me to save him. So, I brought him back with me, to cook here in SnowyHill and make the ice cream."

"OOH, he got lucky!" Taylor said.

Tessa nodded. "Indeed."

Dave and his contingent were fighting very hard not to laugh. He had never heard Tessa concoct such a wild story to explain something before and he was enjoying every second of it.

"TAYLOR!" A woman shouted as she rushed up.

Taylor looked and smiled. "Hi Momma."

The woman was about to speak, but was cut off, by Tessa. "Just as I said Taylor. My guards can find anyone in my realm, no matter how lost they get."

"Indeed My Queen." Liz remarked then curtsied.

Tessa stood up and held herself regally. "And there you are. Taylor was quite worried; when YOU wandered off. There are laws in the realm. This is a place of fun after all. How can a young lady have fun, when the person she is with just wanders off not paying attention?"

"Pardon me, My Queen." Dave interrupted then leaned close to whisper in Tessa's ear.

Tessa listened and her expression changed and she began to glare at the woman, but speaking more to herself. "Really? Twenty minutes?"

The woman looked mortified. She knew she had been on her phone a while, but not exactly how long. Twenty minutes was a long time to ignore a child in such a place. Though the call had been work related, it hadn't been urgent. To be honest, it was just a co-worker wanting to annoy her because he could and did quite often. She had been irresponsible and knew it.

"I'm very sorry to worry your, uh, people." She replied, embarassed.

Taylor went over to her mother and said, not exactly whispering. "She's QUEEN TESSA, Momma. You have to curtsey to a Queen. Boys bow, girls curtsey. THEN you say your name."

"OH." The mother curtsied. "Paige Hollaway, Queen Tessa. I'm very sorry Taylor troubled you."

Tessa nodded her approval to Taylor then said to Paige. "Taylor didn't trouble me."

'You did' was unsaid, but very much implied to Paige. It didn't go missed either.

Paige nodded. "I understand. I won't let it happen again."

"See to it." Tessa said then looked at Taylor and smiled. "Captain. See to it Young Miss Taylor is put on my special list. I am to be informed every time she visits from now on."

Dave nodded. "Right away Queen Tessa."

Tessa nodded back then smiled to Taylor. "Have fun Taylor. That's why everyone is here."

Taylor curtsied, followed by her mother, as Tessa left with her escorts.

Paige had only been paying token attention when the woman at the gate placed the bracelet on Taylor's wrist and took a picture. Now she understood why. The bracelet was very special. It not only tracked a child, it also could lead them directly to the parent if seperated. She had still been on the phone when someone tapped on her shoulder. She turned to see a woman park employee, she asked the call to hold and was told that her daughter was with a Queen, after being seperated from her for over the past ten minutes of her now marked at twenty minute phone call.

Paige wanted to kick someone, but realized very quickly it should be herself for being so stupid. After the Queen left, she was taking Taylor to play a game to make up for it. Her phone rang and she took it out, showed it to her daughter then turned it off.

"A promise to a queen is important. A promise to a daughter is more important. I won't do that to you again. Let's go have fun." Paige said and led a smiling Taylor to the game she had pointed at.

She remembered hearing something about a daycare center and wondered if it was true and if she could get Taylor into it.

 

~*~*~*~
 

The Wanderer system was quickly proving to be worth every cent it had cost. The Bo Peep platoon as well. Of the twenty members, fourteen were prior military and six had come from Law Enforcement. Three from police departments, one had been a Sheriff's Deputy, one came from a State Police agency and one former Federal Agent. All of them had come from other states and pounced on the 'only the stupid would refuse' offer from Tessa after being scouted by Dave Wells. Liz Clayton was the commander of the unit. She specialized in surveillance systems and had no problem adapting to the system.

"How'd it go?" One of the other Shepherds asked when Liz returned to the monitoring room.

Liz smiled. "First time we tried it in reverse and it worked like a charm, Bev."

"So what happened after that?" One of the others asked.

"Queen Tessa ripped her a good one and made sure she understood the little girl shouldn't be in trouble because 'momma pulled a stupid' and neglected her. One of the guys said they were having a hard time not laughing before that." Lizz started to giggle.

Beverly asked. "Why's that?"

Liz began to laugh now. "Tessa told the little girl some wild, off-the-wall, story about how she found that chef Casey Malorian. Something about him being brain frozen in a snow meadow trying to teach snowmen to yodel. Even the Captain was having it rough trying to stay cool."

"You know, when they first showed us these uniforms, I thought somebody was kinda 'out there'." The other shepherd, who's name was Amy, remarked.

Beverly looked over. "Yeah? And now?"

Amy chuckled. "I like it. They let us wear these sneakers if we want, or dress shoes if we want. Kinda of funny that we all chose the pleated skirts over shorts for warm weather and I like the polo shirts. If you didn't know any better, you'd think we were all on a tennis or golf team."

Liz sipped from her water bottle. "We blend in and stand out from Hospitality. Just like Queen Tessa and Captain Dave wanted us to. I really like our look, myself."

"Well, it's way different from life in the Corps, but I like that we still have that military bearing. I sure am glad I got that call from the Captain. I was getting worried what I was going to do on the outside." Amy remarked.

Bev asked. "How's Bobby handling the change?"

"He's still raw, but making all these new friends makes it hurt a little less. He still cries and feels ashamed for it though." Amy admitted.

Liz nodded. "It's tough on a little boy to lose a Daddy. And a wife to lose a husband. You two aren't alone though. We're all together and Captain Dave formed that group for families that lost service members. Take it as it is Amy, a chance for a new life."

"Thanks L.T." Amy nodded with a sniff.

Liz nodded to the others in the room. "Let's stay on it ladies. We got lambs to watch over."

"Yes Ma'am!" They all replied and went back to their screens.

With Liz, there were four in the monitoring room and four working the gates. Eight that would take over the shift change later and four off. The rolling schedule kept everybody fresh. It was working out just as planned by Dave wells, and better than the Shepherds had imagined. She had been with the Air Force and stationed at Nellis. She'd met the ex-Army Officer through a mutual acquiantance that worked casino security and they had become fast friends.

She had just decided to retire and try civilian life when he called, proposing something new and different. Her background had made her a perfect candidate for command of the electronic monitoring system for children in the park. She agreed to an interview and jumped at Tessa's offer. Liz was fascinated by the platinum beauty and her cobalt eyes that never wavered.

"Dave tells me you're just the perfect person to entrust the protection of the park's most precious treasure." Tessa had said.

Liz was intrigued and asked. "What would that be?"

"The children who come to play and dream. You will be in charge of an electronic system that watches over them. Are you that person?" Tessa asked

Liz had no idea why she felt compelled to say yes, but did it anyway and never looked back. Now she wouldn't have it any other way. She was doing something she enjoyed and growing to love the place and people she worked for. The unexpected that was quickly becoming the life she never thought to dream of. She wouldn't trade it for anything.

Beverly was ex-Navy and a parent herself, married to civilian currently between jobs as an electrical engineer only made sense as he would also be be made an offer to work on the staff as a technician. Being in the Navy had been good, but now as a parent and wife, bouncing around from base to base every year or two made things complicated. She too, had jumped at the offer without hesitation.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Joe Nably slammed the phone down. He had called everyone he knew and was getting nothing. Almost every bank in the state had given him the same thing. 'Tessa who?'

He had tried running a credit report and got nothing. A connection in the police department couldn't even find a traffic violation. The woman was practically a ghost. Before owning the park property, she didn't exist. There were three banks in Bayleston and he only had a contact in one, the one that couldn't give him any help.

The phone rang and he snatched it up. "WHAT?"

"Catch you at a bad time?" The caller asked.

Joe growled into the phone. "Tell me you finally have something Conway!"

"I have something." Ralph conway replied.

"Well?" Joe asked. "WHAT is it?"

Ralph replied. "Tessa Frost, Owner and CEO of Frost Entertainment Properties, banks with Great National Bank right here in Bayleston."

"Why the hell would they float her a loan?" Joe asked more confused now than ever.

"They didn't. She just banks with them." Ralph answered.

Joe had to take a minute to register that, but still didn't understand. "They didn't? Well, who did?"

"No clue." Ralph replied.

"Look Conway, without my contributions, your campaign to stay on the city council would have gone down the toilet. I want answers. Why aren't you getting them?" Joe Nably snarled.

Ralph didn't like being spoken to that way. "You didn't do that much of a favor. A favor that I've repaid many times over. I'm not a financial investigator or any other kind. I asked around and that's what I got. It may not seems like much, but sure sounds like more than what you had before I called."

Nably slammed the phone down again for the fifth time that day. "People don't just pop out of nowhere and plunk down 70 million dollars and open up a park!"

"Not 70 million. More like over 400 million." His secretary said coming in.

Joe's jaw dropped. "WHAT?"

"Over 400 million." She repeated then handed him a page. "70 million to buy the property. All the rides there previously had to be scrapped. I checked the prices of the rides there now, new, and got this. That doesn't include all the construction or food services and other things. It's just the rides. I counted up the buildings there and estimated construction costs for those. The only thing I couldn't figure in was the actual employee wages. Over 400 million is a conservative figure. I'm sure the actual figure is much higher."

"Then WHY is she so hard to get a line on if she has that kind of credit?" Joe demanded.

The secretary shrugged. "She may be actively concealing that. Many with big money do that, remember? She may own multiple corporations and this is the first thing in her own name."

Joe reached over and grabbed his phone and dialed then said when it was answered. "Brad. Joe Nably. I need you to drop whatever you're working on."

"It's a simple adultery case, but not pressing. Why?" Brad asked.

Joe replied. "That amusement park that just opened. It's owned by a woman named Tessa Frost. I want to know everything about her. See if you can get on there as well and find out anything dirty about the place."

"It's going to cost you Joe." Brad cautioned.

Joe kept his temper, barely. "Get me answers Brad."

The line clicked in his ear and he almost went with the urge to slam the phone again, but casually set it back down. Brad Foster was expensive, but had always gotten whatever Joe wanted.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Friday came. It had been announced and posted that the park would be closing early that day, at 6 p.m., to prepare for the official Grand Opening the next day. Everyone pitched in, to clean and add decorations. At midnight they began releasing cast members then staff as their assignments were completed. The princesses made final walk-through and reported they were ready. Tessa walked SnowyHill personally and deemed it ready. With that the final crews left the park to Zeke and his Nightwatch.

Tessa awoke at 6 Saturday morning. She hurried through a shower and styled her hair. In a simple short skirt and halter top, she had a quick breakfast then left for the park. She met in the conference room with the princesses and leaders of park's services for the briefing at 7. The briefing lasted thirty minutes and they broke. Tessa checked her office for anything immediate that needed her concern then went to her dressing room over in SnowyHill.

There had been the offer of a make-up artist to come to the dressing room for Tessa in the beginning, but she declined that. Instead she merely asked to be shown a better make-up scheme than the everyday plan she used. Tessa insisted that the hair and make-up artists focus on the other cast, as they spent more time with the guests. She finished her final hair style then dressed in the white gown and high heeled sandals. Tessa put on her tiara then took up her scepter and began making her way out. The VIPs would begin arriving soon.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Elaine Oberlin thought she had been impressed the day the park opened. Seeing it today, she was stunned. They had pulled out all the stops and decorated the whole park. There were even knights in gleaming suits of armour that took position at the gates and more that had formed an escort around Tessa and her princesses to escort them.

Governor Wayne Thompson couldn't believe his eyes. He had been given day passes for himself and his family for the first day and again for today. That first day had been incredible, today was beyond belief.

"Mayor Oberlin. Governor Thompson. Welcome." Tessa greeted them, backed by the princesses.

Elaine smiled and even gave a slight curtsey. "Queen Tessa. Princess Nicole, Princess Michelle, Princess Danica. Lovely to see you all."

"Welcome." Danica and Michelle replied smiling as Nicole said. "Bienvenue."

They went over the plan for the opening ceremony then formed up under the guidance of Dave. He was wearing an outfit that looked like a cross between a ceremonial cavalryman and a marching band's field commander. Other members of Security were dressed similarly in the colors of the park areas they represented.

Tessa was having fun with this and smiled broadly. "Captain. I believe we are now ready."

Dave let the smirk slip for a moment as he offered his arm for Tessa to take then called out. "Escort Detail; MOVE OUT."

Each Princess took the arm of her escort and followed behind Tessa and Captain Dave. Mayor Obelin also had an escort and no one was more surprised than Governor Thompson, when a female member of security wearing a skirted version of the ceremonial uniform and tall white boots took position by his side. Even the security dogs had been given some form of ceremonial decor. As a procession, they made their way to the gates and a platform just outside. At 9:30 a.m. the last person stepped up onto the platform.

Television cameras turned and focused as the Governor, introduced by Dave Wells, stepped forward and made a brief speech about his impression and experience of the park. Elaine Oberlin was next.

Elaine had felt flattered by having an escort. Even feeling a little like a princess herself. When Tessa had suggested that she present a charming look, she had taken that to heart. Wearing a tea length sundress and high heeled sandals, she did look charming.

"When I heard that the park had been bought and was being rebuilt, I was very excited! I met the lovely owner one day and we had a pleasant chat. When I was invited to a sneak peek, I couldn't refuse! An incredible place with wonderful people was taking shape here. I was fascinated by everything. I'm so very glad a place called VentureRealm and Tessa Frost, its Queen, is here!" Elaine Oberlin announced then clapped, making way for Tessa to come forward.

Tessa looked out to the crowd and smiled as several girls quickly curtsied and nodded back to them. "Thank you Madam Mayor, Governor Thompson, for your kind words. Long ago, a child visited a place made for fun. That child went sleep that night already dreaming of another time. Years went by and even though that dream seemed far away, it was never gone. The chance came and it was taken. That child of long ago, stands here now. A tiara upon her head and princesses standing by her side. Children, enjoy. Have fun and dream. You never know when one can come true! GUARDS. TESSA FROST, QUEEN OF VENTUREREALM COMMANDS YOU: OPEN THE GATES! Welcome to VentureRealm Park!"

On soft opening day there had been some fireworks when the gates opened. Today though, there was close to twenty times that as the green lights lit over the gates and the knights in armour came to Attention and walked through. Music began to play and the gatekeepers waved lines forward. Children squealed in excitement and lunged forward, holding the hands of their parents to go through the gates. Even if they had already been, today was special and they knew it. None were disappointed inside the park. Everything looked completely brand new.

Tessa smiled after her attention was caught by Liz. Standing beside her was little Taylor, wearing a princess play-dress.

"Well now. Look at you! Very charming Miss Taylor." Tessa said.

Taylor gave her a deep curtsey and smiled. "Hi Queen Tessa. Momma brought me back to see the park."

Paige wore a simple sundress and mimicked her daughter. "Hello Queen Tessa. I promise good behavior today."

"Oh? That would be very nice." Tessa remarked, looking at her intently.

Taylor stepped closer and Tessa bent down to listen as she said softly. "Momma turned her phone off before we got out of the car so she won't get called again."

"VERY good. Then I leave her in your care Taylor. See to it she has fun, but doesn't get lost." Tessa smiled.

Taylor nodded. "Yes Ma'am! Come on Momma!"

Paige smiled as her daughter took her hand and pulled to hurry into the first area of the park they could get to.

Children were flocking to the princesses happily. Each one gathered up a group and led them to their area of the park followed closely by their parents or sitters. They danced and skipped along, clapping and trying to sing along with their chosen princess. Some had an advantage as they were the children of the construction workers and had met the princesses in the daycare center.

Tessa turned around and was surprised. She, too, had attracted a following of children. All looked up at her with smiles and adoring eyes.

"You all must be my Ladies-in-waiting! Now that you're here, let's go to SnowyHill!" Tessa said.

Two girls quickly reached out to hold her hands and she nodded to their adults and led them further into the park. The official opening had indeed, been grand.
 
 
 
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Chapter 13 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Tessa sat at the head of the conference table looking at her department heads and princesses.

"Jill, were you able to get those figures?" Tessa asked.

Jill, from Park Accounting, sighed. "I have some figures. No way for sure if they're true. They'll have to do, though."

"Go ahead Jill." Tessa said.

Jill nodded. "The figures from Soft Opening Day One exceed the original park's Grand Opening Day One. In terms of guests and monies collected, we exceeded the previous by three times."

Low whistles were heard around the table.

Dave looked over. "Anything odd about it?"

"Yes Sir. On Day One, teens outnumbered children four to one. By teens I mean ages between 14 and 17, children between the ages of 6 and 9. Pre-teens, 10 to 13, were close to the elder teens. Adults to pre-teens was close. Day Two, things changed. The ratio of children and pre-teens surpassed the number of adults and teens. If the records are true, both days exceeded the original park's grand opening Day One and Day Two." Jill reported.

"That's awesome!" Danica remarked excitedly.

Nicole looked over. "The old park, it have show like us?"

Jill shook her head. "No Princess. The old park did not have dedicated shows such as ours. Only temporary limited performances by medium range entertainers. No real Headliners."

"So they just had like mini-concerts?" Michelle asked.

Jill nodded. "Yes Princess. Please understand, the original park didn't actually have a single theme, much less four like we do. To be blunt, it was more of a permanent carnival. The food services were that expected at a carnival and most of the games as well. The rides was where they spent most of their money. From all I could learn, the cast was cobbled together and they improvised the characters. To the small children, it seemed great, but to the adults, it was lacking."

Tessa seemed unsettled by that. "Jill. The last week the park was open, how were they doing?"

"They were deep in the red. I found out that the tornado solved a problem. The park was failing so badly that it was going to close at the end of summer. If it hadn't been for the insurance money, the previous owner would not have been able to pay off everything when the park declared closure. He did sell whatever he could after that, because he personally was deep in debt." Jill said heavily.

Jennifer shook her head. "That's really rough. Now I understand why Bill and his guys kept saying that the park would at least be built right this time. Does the previous owner still live around here?"

"Dave." Tessa prompted.

Dave looked over to Jennifer. "He doesn't. After he literally sold off everything he owned, except his car and clothes, he joined a traveling carnival. That was only for a year. He discovered he had cancer. Police reports state that he did leave behind a note, a crude will and enough money to be cremated. He overdosed on a prescription pain-killer and alcohol, in a police station parking lot. He also included the title to his car, so it could be sold to cover any remaining cost of his final expenses. He last request was that his ashes be scattered into a river not far from here. Those wishes were carried out."

Tessa sat looking very sad. "This is the part where callous comments about mismanagement or lack of vision would be made. I'll not have any of that. The old park did something for me and I never forgot it. I had a dream as a child. Now that I'm an adult, I got a chance to make it real. Then I learned that I can do better than my dream. I will. WE will. The old park gave me a dream. I want this park to give others their own dreams. Maybe even make a few real. If we can do that, it's enough for me."

Danica sniffed back her own tears. "You already gave me mine."

"Me too." Nicole added. "Live better any dream now. Just wish Mama see me now."

Tessa gave a soft smile. "Ladies, let's not linger on that. I'm happy that you are enjoying yourselves. I think it would be nice if you turned that into a gift for the guests, especially those that will go home and dream. Let's move along."

With smiles, the other departments reported in. The meeting broke and the princesses went to get into costume while the department heads reported back to their sections. Tessa, had paperwork to deal with. It was fast looking like a busy indoor day for her. That was to be expected. Unlike the princesses, she wasn't just cast. Still, she did change into her gown and tiara then made three quick appearances for the guests. Even winning a stuffed animal for a lucky child.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Elaine Oberlin had seen the report. The Sheriff's office had placed traffic counters on the road leading to the park. The numbers were staggering. Reports from the Tourism and Commerce commissions had also grabbed her attention. Currently the the hotels and motels were holding steady, but Tourism reported that they suspected that after summer there would be more going to be built, and closer to the park.

"This just came in." Chet said coming into the office and handing over a single page.

Elaine read then commented. "Well with the good Congressman, that's all of them. Every politico in the state visited the park and had a blast."

Chet nodded. "Yes. Well, now that you've spent more time around her, would do you think of Miss Frost?"

"Don't you mean Queen Tessa?" Elaine corrected with a sly smile. "She's a great person. A lot braver than I've ever been. Blunt too. I wish I had her sense of freedom. She says what's on her mind and means every word. I wish I could do that."

"What about the possiblity of running for an office?" Chet asked.

Elaine sat back. "I asked her straight out."

Chet's eyes widened. "Yeah? What did she say?"

"I thought she'd never stop laughing." Elaine replied.

Chet's jaw dropped. "Wait! Are you serious? She laughed?"

Elaine chuckled. "She sure did. Then asked me why would anyone give up being a queen for an office job? Two seconds later, I was laughing too and almost had an accident. The Governor almost drowned in his lemonade."

"She does have a point." Chet said and began to chuckle as well. "I've heard that the Security there is remarkable."

"Oh that's only what you've seen! Every member of her security force are either former military, former law enforcement or both. She has a security force and emergency medical response teams. We've only seen the face. There are forces within the force, some in plain sight and others behind the scenes. Oh, and I found out that Captain Dave was in Intelligence in the Army. He really was a Captain." Elaine informed her assistant.

Chet looked impressed. "That makes sense. He would make a great head of security. Ever find out why they call her Queen Tessa?"

"Yep. Two reasons. She is the Queen of the park and she takes care of her people. From what I understand, they want for nothing." Elaine said flatly.

"That's a bold statement." Chet edged.

Elaine shook her head. "It's an accurate one. If they live in that dorm, they have no housing expense and it's not deducted from their pay either. Meals in the dorm are free as well. The only expense they have, are personal. Even the make-up they wear on duty is provided by the park. Uniforms or costumes as well. Right down to socks and shoes."

"Wow." Chet said. "Does anyone else do that?"

Elaine shrugged. "Maybe for major characters. Something else too. She has an in-house health inspector. Concessions and so on are checked daily. Before the official inspector even shows up, that place has been checked out and kept ready to pass any inspection. I told you about the medical teams; she has four teams of a Paramedic and EMT. The teams' leader is former Navy corpsman that served SEAL and Marine units in combat. And if that weren't enough, there are two full time registered nurses at the medical station. Queen Tessa isnt playing around about safety and security in her park."

Chet looked astounded by all that. "All that's not common knowledge, is it?"

Elaine shook her head. "Nope. And there's more, but they are keeping alot of that information restricted. I can understand why. I don't think there's a safer place in the state."

The phone rang, interrupting them. Chet ran to answer it. Elaine could hear him talking. Apparently a reporter had called and wanted an interview with the Mayor.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Brad Foster had been going over every database he had access to. Tessa Frost was an interesting read, in the fact that not much was there. Someone was pretty good at keeping her under the radar. She had an excellent credit rating, but it wasn't being used. It seemed that nothing she had was being financed at all. No loans, no debts, not even a credit card. Only a bank issued check/debit card. There were seven cellphones for her Frost Entertainment Properties and they were paid like clockwork. Every member of her security force were licensed and bonded, all medical personnel were licensed. The legal department was licensed as well. It seemed the main attorney for the park was a civil and criminal defense attorney named Trent Valen.

"I guess I'm not really going to get any further without getting in there and digging around." Brad said to himself.

He grabbed a ball cap, sunglasses and headed out. It was a nice enough day, spending it wandering around an amusement park wasn't a bad idea. If nothing else, the newspapers had raved about the foods there. An hour and half later, he paid his entry and went inside.

The first thing Brad noticed were the wristbands. Every little kid he saw had one on their left wrist. He loitered around the gates and saw those bands being placed on the kids' wrists by women working certain gates. At first he thought they were some kind of pass, then realized the only people coming through those gates were those with children under a certain age.

"Excuse me." Brad called out to a woman with a little boy. "Is that like some kind of VIP thing?"

The woman shook her head. "Oh, no. It's a child locator, like at Playtime."

Brad nodded. "Right. I've heard of those. That's a good idea. Sorry to bother you. I thought it was a kid pass thing."

"Oh, no. They do have multi-visit cards though. I got one of those the first time we came. You can pre-pay and add visits as much as you like. It even comes up with your picture when they scan it, just in case it gets lost or stolen! You can also get prepaid cards for the shops and food. They sell those and multi-visit cards at the main shoppes. It's really nice. Not even Disney has that!"

All that did sound rather impressive to Brad. "Cool. I'll check into that. Thanks and sorry to hold you up."

With that he wandered on. The first thing he noticed were the cameras. They seemed to be everywhere. He counted more cameras in thirty yards than down a whole Mall concourse. It was like being in a casino in Las Vegas. He had seen free maps and took one. On it he began marking off camera locations. In the Main Shoppe of Bayou Storm he made enquiries about the passes and cards. He bought a pass and loaded it with three visits then a park charge card and pre-paid fifty dollars on it. He was careful to use cash since he used a fake license.

"They don't have to worry about shoplifters in there for damned sure." Brad commented outside.

He had noted the cameras inside there as well. Out of curiosity he looked around in other shops nearby and saw they too, were well covered with cameras. Back outside, he continued to mark off locations on his map. When it was showtime, he went into the theater for the Cajun show. Afterward, though he'd never been to the state, he thought it seemed authentic enough. He had visited Branson before and the show seemed better than most he'd seen there.

In the Mermaid show, it seemed the front rows were dominated by females of all ages. He had to admit, it was a show worth seeing. The girls were beautiful and the guys looked attractive as well. He swam for exercise at a health club and knew it was demanding. The people of the show, however, looked like true athletes. The red-head being referred to as the princess was the obvious star and it showed. What surprised him were the lack of Disney references. It looked like it was all its own theme.

Next up was SnowyHill. He could tell it would only take a change of costume to switch it over to a Christmas show. Again, the whole area was saturated with cameras. He'd never counted so many before. Just to try it, he stopped at the ice cream shop. It was better than the national chains he'd been in. From there he went into WildForest. It had a Western theme to it. The show was good. Real hunger finally caught up to him there though.

Brad had a real problem now. It seemed there were a lot of food options that appealed to him there. Finally he decided on the barbecue. He ate there and loved the Beef long ribs. They were better than any he had ever had. The baked beans and potato salad were excellent as well. The only complaint he could think of, was the lack of beer. To him, and a few other diners, the thing missing was ice cold Corona and Budweiser. Understandable though, it was meant for families. He had ordered a raspberry iced tea and it was fine. He couldn't say no to the blackberry cobbler and even had another serving of it.

Outside again, he saw several Native Americans performing some kind of dance while an older one was talking. A woman behind him was also talking. Then Brad's attention was diverted. A woman in all white was talking to people in suits.

"So, she's Tessa Frost." Brad commented to himself.

He took note of her. She wore a full white ballgown and a tiara on her head of light hair. He wondered if the platinum hair was real and then decided it had to be real hair, even if the color wasn't. She had no guarded movements, in fear of a wig slipping, and even ran her fingers through it before adjusting the tiara. The gap between the dress and ground revealed she looked to be wearing sandals with a high heel. The star of the Saloon show joined them after a curtsey to her and the discussion continued.

He wanted to get closer to hear what was being said, but the four men in black shirts, hats and khaki BDU pants had taken notice of his interest in the group. The embroidered badges made it clear who they were. Security. Brad decided it would be better to move on and did. Coming back on the gates, he finally found an answer to a question he had. There was a small building that had three computer terminals. It was the on-site applicant kiosk. After looking around at the employment posters, he sat down and filled out the application. Finally he left the park.

 

~*~*~*~
 

"Miss Frost, I look forward to a continuing good relation. Miss Hamilton, it's been a pleasure." One of the suited men said.

Tessa smiled. "I'm sure VentureRealm and the Bureau of Indian Affairs are going to get along just fine Director Black. I do appreciate you taking the time to come see us personally."

"Not at all. To see Native American culture being proudly displayed not only as entertainment, but also in an educational light is something all Nations can agree on. I thank you for the respect you and your people here have shown." Michael Black replied. "I know Mike feels the same."

Bureau of Indian Affairs Deputy Director Michael Smith nodded. "You're right Michael."

"Two Mikes make it right?" Tessa snerked.

Both men groaned in response as everyone else in the group chuckled. It had become a running joke as the Director and Deputy director were both named Michael. Yell 'Mike' in a meeting and multiple voices would answer.

"All puns aside. Your request will be decided in a week. I understand why you filed. I just hope that problem doesn't present itself." Michael Black remarked.

Dave nodded. "We hope so too Sir, but it pays to be ready in case it does."

Tessa smiled. "All that now aside, would you care to take lunch?"

Janet Wintersky nodded. "That does sound good. I've never eaten with a Queen and Princess before."

Princess Michelle smiled. "Right this way Miss Wintersky. WildForest has alot to offer!"

At the back of the procession Dave smiled at Tessa. "You really are sneaky. I'd have never thought of this."

"I got the idea after talking to Linda JumpingDoe. When I told her what I thought of, I thought she was going to pee herself into a flood, laughing so hard." Tessa smirked. "I want to be ready for idiots before they figure out they should come here."

 

~*~*~*~
 

At seven that evening Jennifer went over to the Park's Daycare to get Bethany. She found her sitting with three girls her age playing with dolls. Watching them for a couple of minutes, it seemed like they were using the dolls to put on a show for themselves.

Jennifer knelt down by her daughter. "This looks fun! What are you girls doing?"

Bethany looked up. "Hi Mama! We're rehearsing."

The girls took turns introducing their dolls then began to tell her about the songs they were coming up with. Other parents began to come in and collect their children. Jennifer began to walk Bethany out.

"So what should we have for dinner?" Jennifer asked.

Bethany looked up. "Can we go to SeaSide? We can have spagetti!"

Jennifer laughed. "Alright Bethy. If Chef Joann weren't so good, I wouldn't go for it. I'm glad all the meals here aren't junk food."

Bethany was holding Jennifer's hand, but still skipping along then stopped to walk. "MAMA! I forgot to tell you!"

"What honey?" Jennifer asked encouraging her to continue walking.

Bethany smiled big. "Day after tomorrow they said we could bring swimsuits. If it rains as bad as they think, then the park has to be closed, but we can still come since everybody still works."

Jennifer nodded. "Yes. I'll be here working, but why the swimsuit?"

"Cause Princess Danica said we can come to SeaSide and they'll let us swim in the lagoon with them!" Bethany said excitedly. "They'll even teach the ones that can't swim, too! And the next day, if it's still raining, Princess Michelle will teach us how to dance. Queen Tessa promised to read us a story both days, too. Princess Nicole said she was going to teach us songs."

"Well, hello there." Princess Danica greeted them.

Bethany ran the short distance and hugged her. "Hi Princess Danica! I just told Mama about day after tomorrow!"

"Hi Jennifer. You don't mind if Bethany comes to play in the lagoon with us do you?" Princess Danica asked.

Jennifer laughed. "I guess it'll be ok. If you're going to play in the water, what could be safer than with the princess and her mermaids and mermen."

Bethany was still a ball of energy. "We're gonna go eat spaghetti!"

"Enjoy, but be careful not to get any on you." Princess Danica smiled and gave her another hug.

Jennifer had to smile. Her daughter was happy and finally stopped crying herself to sleep every night. For the first time since her husband had died, it hurt a little less for Jennifer. There was a group of single parents among the park staff. Mostly of the prior service and law enforcement members. Simple but plain fact was, the military frowned upon being a single parent in the service. They would even promote to encourage retirement. At a higher rank, the benefits increased.

The familiar face of Mark waved them over to a table in the Bistro and Bethany rushed over. He invited them to join him at dinner. Jennifer liked the SARC and was starting to find him charming. By the time they had finished eating, Jennifer had the mad urge to invite Mark to dinner the next night and did. Mark was surprised, but readily accepted.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Tessa stood in the Over-Watch control room. "What do you have Dave?"

Dave looked over to one of his men. "Bring him up Jake."

Jake typed and a face appeared on a single screen. "Yes Sir. That's him."

Tessa studied the face and shook her head. "Don't know him."

"He was in the park today. He bought a multi-visit pass and pre-paid a charge card using cash. All his details are bogus. He used a fake ID." Dave informed her.

That didn't set well with Tessa. "Not good. Ok, so who is this guy, what's he doing in the park and why?"

"I ran him. One: Bradley Foster. A private investigator. Not local, but in a city about an hour and half away. License is up to date. Concealed carry permit. A few Restraining Orders against him, probably work related. Two shootings, no deaths, self-defense. One was actually an attempted mugging. Miscellaneous traffic violations, a few misdemeanors, all paid; no time served." Dave listed, consulting a single page.

Tessa was taking all that in. "Sounds run of the mill to me. Aside from the bogus info, what's wrong with him?"

Dave turned around. "Ok, John. Bring it up."

A video began to play on the screen. Brad Foster was seen entering the gates, talked to a woman and boy then wandered on. He took out a map and regarded it for a long time, walking around. Suddenly the operator zoomed in. Markings were being made on the map.

"What is that?" Tessa asked.

John looked over. "He's marking camera positions Queen Tessa. All the cameras he can spot, are being marked on the map."

Tessa's expression hardened. "I don't like this."

"Neither do we Ma'am. With permission, let me fast forward. I'll show you what made us pay attention." John said.

The video sped forward then resumed speed. Brad was staring in a direction.

"What's he looking at?" Tessa asked.

John looked over. "You Ma'am. He's staring at you. Your escorts noticed him and called in. Ma'am he was very fixated when he saw you. Only after he saw that your escorts took notice did he hesitantly moved on. His body language says that he did not want to disengage. We don't like this Queen Tessa."

"We don't like it, at all." Added Jake.

Though he approved of their attitude, Dave did have to call them down. "As you were."

"SIR!" Both Over-Watch operators replied as they sat at Attention. "Apologies, Queen Tessa."

Tessa walked over to them and kissed each one on the cheek. "Your loyalty is a treasure, Gentlemen. Thank you for never wavering."

"I'm going to ask Trent for some assistance on this. He knows where to look for things on this guy not in the usual places. Jimmy Sloan was off today, but I'll talk to him tomorrow morning to see if he knows anything." Dave informed her.

Tessa nodded. "Bring him up again."

"Yes Ma'am." Jake answered and did so.

Tessa stared at the man's face. "Brad Foster. What are you doing in my park?"

"One other thing Queen Tessa." Jake added. "He filled out an application. Different information. It's been flagged by us. His face, passcard and information have been flagged as well. If he comes back, we'll know immediately."

Tessa nodded. "Stay on this. He does not roam around the park unchecked."

"MA'AM!" The two replied.

Dave led Tessa out. In the hallway he said. "He comes in the park again, I'll have him brought to me. I'll find out what he's up to."

"No. Bring him to me. I will find out what he's doing here, Captain. I'll take no chances with my people. He is to be brought before me and kept away from the cast." Tessa said firmly.

Dave smirked. "By your command."

Tessa chuckled. "You found that classics channel. Battlestar was popular at the group home I was in."

"Dirk Benedict was cute, back in the day." Dave commented.

Tessa shrugged. "No argument there. Not my type though."

"Lautner, Pattinson or Radcliffe?" Dave asked, curious now.

"Luke Evans, Orlando Bloom." Tessa replied.

Dave gawked. He hadn't actually expected her to answer and had to look to see if she was smiling. She wasn't, she had been honest.

"Wow. Never thought you'd really say. I'm surprised." Dave remarked.

Tessa smiled. "I thought about saying you, but I don't want my head of security in the hospital for a heart attack over a joke."

"Oh, now that's just MEAN." Dave retorted, but smiling and kissed her hand. "Zeke is waiting to take you home, My Queen."

"Thank you, Captain." Tessa smiled back then went out.

 
 
 
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Chapter 14 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Bradley Foster had been asking around. He asked at the Labor Office, temp agencies and even random people. The answer was the same every time, nobody knew exactly how people got hired for VentureRealm Park. There was a call, or somebody showed up, and the person was invited to an interview. They were either hired or not. Over at the Technical College a secretary remarked that Tessa met with prospects personally. Of the few that were interviewed, but not hired, he didn't get much. She had went after those that didn't already have job prospects. The ones that she had rejected would take a lengthy time to track down.

Tessa Frost was big on diversity and would not tolerate discrimination of any kind. Other than that, all he was getting was that she had a direct line on Veterans and high school kids that just graduated. At the local Mall he did overhear a couple of girls complaining that they had been overlooked during the hiring blitz. Brad wondered why that was, as both girls were rather attractive. The more he listened, the more he understood and began making notes on his smartphone.

"I can't believe that complete nerd, Evie, got hired over there!" Girl One complained.

Girl Two nodded in disgust. "I know RIGHT! I mean, she's nowhere near pretty."

"So she took Home Ec all three years? The little slummer had to make her own clothes, just so she wouldn't have to wear Goodwill rejects!" Girl One scoffed.

"Not that it HELPED!" Girl Two added with a laugh.

Brad got up and pulled a chair closer. "Hi. I couldn't help hearing. You said that you two had applied to work at that new amusement park and were turned down?"

Girl One looked him over. "What? You a reporter or something?"

"Something. I'm curious about the hiring over there." Brad replied.

Girl Two huffed. "That bimbo came waltzing into the school and talked to the Principal and the Guidance Counselor. Next thing; she was meeting with some teachers and kids started being called for interviews."

"Who got called in?" Brad asked.

Girl One all but stuck her nose up in the air. "Home Ec., Drama club, Computer class, 4-H and the Swim team. Basically all the nerds and rejects. The only ones that were something, were the swim team. Them I can understand, the mermaid show is good and it's harder than it looks. I don't swim like them, so I get it."

"Yeah. The mermaid girls are hardcore. I'd like to do that, but they've been swimming competition for years. But us, we could work the games and stuff. It's not hard. We'd make better princesses than the other two over there." Girl Two said.

Brad shrugged. "I don't know, you don't have the accent that one has. Do you?"

"Oh PUH-LEASE! That's not important. All you have to do is get up there and be pretty. I shouldn't have to sing or any of that." Girl Two sneered.

'Ok. It is easy to see why these two didn't get hired.' Brad thought to himself then the strangest idea popped into his head. "Just out of curiosity, how many jocks got hired?"

Girl One shook her head. "The closest thing to jocks working there, are the mermaids and mermen. There rest are all nerds, geeks and dweebs."

"Candice got hired." Girl Two pointed out. "She was a cheerleader."

Girl One shook her head. "She was in the Drama club though. Being a cheerleader didn't count for her. If the Drama teacher and the teacher for her dance school hadn't backed her up, she wouldn't have even been called. That's what she said when I asked her."

"One guy was from a rodeo club. The guy that does the rope trick stuff. Lame, but I guess it goes along with the show." Girl Two remarked.

Brad went back to something else. "You said 4-H. Why them?"

Girl One shrugged. "They work in that petting zoo thing. Most of them want to be veterinarians, so I guess I can get that too. I wouldn't do that job; they have to clean up the animal crap. Ut-uhn, not this lil' white girl."

"Me neither!" Girl Two echoed.

Brad tried not to roll his eyes. 'Yeah. Now I REALLY know why they weren't hired. They're lazy and racist. Probably a few other attitude problems swimming around too.'

"Well, I'll admit. The reason I asked, is because I applied too. I wanted to get on with Security there, but they never called me back." Brad said.

Girl One shook her head. "Hang that up. I heard that if you aren't military or an ex-cop, you won't get on. None of the Security just went up and applied. My cousin applied, they never called him. He knows one of the guys. The guy said that all the security people over there were Vets or cops and all the Vets had been in the war. You can apply, but you won't get hired. My cousin also said that the Security guys there don't talk about security stuff other than that. That they're like, WAY hardcore about it. Like being back in the military again and they love it."

Brad wanted to kick himself. His fake identity had no military or Law Enforcement background, neither could be faked. His real identity didn't either. Having a Security Guard reference meant nothing. He was screwed.

"That sucks. Well, thanks for telling me. I'll just have to apply somewhere else then." Brad got up to leave. "Take care."

While he drove away, he said to himself. "It seems, there's no way for me to get hired on. The only way into that park is as a customer or an intruder. This just got harder. One more thing, before I head back. Time to go talk to some banks."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Luckily for the park the heavy rains only lasted for three days. Five had been forecasted. As soon as it had cleared enough, the landscaping crew used carts to pull turbine-like blowers on trailers to blast water off the pathways. By the time the gates opened, the sun had fully broken through the remaining clouds. The time off had been used wisely, cast enjoyed free days. Many however came in to help out with the daycare center. Tessa's original idea had expanded. There was the daycare center, for children 10 and under, but she added a lounge for pre-teens and teens. In the lounge there were tables, computer stations, chairs and sofas, three video game stations and a self-serve snack station. The kids would be able to work on schoolwork, socialize or game.

Make-up and hair styling tips from the backstage crew. Sing-alongs with Princess Nicole. Dance lessons from Princess Michelle. Swimming lessons with Princess Danica and her mer-people. Stories read by Queen Tessa. The younger children, and many of the older, had been highly entertained during the rain-out.

Tessa had already prepared for the day before going to her office and sat going through the usual paperwork wearing her gown and tiara.

"Now why don't they ever mention office work in all the fairy tales?" Trent Valens asked from the doorway.

Tessa smiled, but continued to read the paper in front of her. "It falls under 'Royal Duties'. Everybody knows that. What's up?"

Dave wandered in and took note of her appearance as well. "Now that's something you don't see in the story-books."

"So I'm told." Tessa remarked and abandoned the paperwork. "Both of you at the same time. Why do I get the feeling this just became a menage-e-trois of doom?"

Both took the chairs facing her desk and Trent opened his briefcase to retreive a file.

"It took some doing, but I got the low-down on your guy." Trent said.

Tessa asked. "The P.I.?"

Trent nodded. "Him. He's a legit P.I., for the past twenty years. No specialty, he'll take any case. He's thorough. Actually, he comes highly recommended by attorneys. He doesn't talk about previous clients or cases. The bulk of his business is by referral."

"So, no idea who he's working for or why?" Tessa guessed.

"I didn't say that." Trent smiled. "One of his biggest clients is a guy named Joe Nably. Biggest Real Estate guy in the state. Foster may not talk, but his some of his clients do."

Tessa got serious. "Tell me."

"If Foster is snooping around a place and not a person specifically, then he is more than likely working for Nably. A call I got yesterday, all but confirmed it. He was in the bank yesterday talking to the loan officer. She said that halfway through he brought up the park, assuming there was a loan. He seemed very surprised there isn't a loan. After that he stayed on the subject for a while. When he left, she found it odd and ran his information. Same information he used to apply here. It didn't hold up to a full credit check, so she notified the Bank President. He called me and I talked to her." Trent said.

Dave spoke up. "According to the cops. Foster is very good at what he does. If there is any kind of dirt, he can dig it up. He walks that fine line, but he's never been caught doing anything illegal."

"True. All the restraining orders against him are from people that he investigated and were found to be dirty, but couldn't be arrested. More of symbolic defiance than anything else. They were slammed hard, but nothing they could do would save them and he was done with them anyway." Trent added.

Tessa sat casually. "Ok, so he isn't as important as this Joe Nably guy. So what's his deal?"

"He's all about the money. Any place worth owning in the state, he'll try for. He buys, developes or re-developes then charges an arm and a leg to make the big bucks." Trent explained.

"So he wants either the land or the park. If he got the park, he could go as long as he could then re-develope and parcel it off." Tessa surmised.

Trent shook his head. "Residential would be one thing, but he'd get more for commercial/industrial. Taxes and zoning and all that. Leasing would mean that there would always be income over a longer period of time. Residential is a one-shot deal. Commercial/Industrial can be done differently. Rent or leasing. This guy is all about the money. He wouldn't go residential."

Tessa frowned. None of this sounded good.

Trent finally threw in his disclaimer. "Bear in mind, this is all guess work. It's the most likely scenario, but no evidence. That's what we have; conjecture and supposition, nothing concrete."

Tessa let out twenty seconds of language no royal had ever been reputed to say.

"Wow. Never hear about that in the books either." Trent remarked.

Dave nodded and rubbed one of his ears. "I think I got singed."

"If that's it; then, Out, the both of you. There's work to be done." Tessa said and waved them out and gave a wink.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Princess Nicole and her crew had just finished performing outside the theater and began to wander around Storm Bayou. Children and adults both waved to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a boy just barely out of sight behind some hedges. He seemed to be trying to imitate the cajun waltz from her show, but was having a hard time. Nicole smiled, he was trying. That's when it clicked. He was trying to dance her part.

"Tell me, cha. Are you what you look like, or like me?" Nicole asked to herself quietly. "Hmmm. What this?"

A few other boys had wandered by and taken notice as well. The one was startled and began to look distressed. When a member of the group began to push at him, Nicole made up her mind. Even before she started moving, she looked to a camera and held her hand in the signal position as she walked forward.

"Only I make noise in my bayou." Nicole said hotly.

 

~*~*~*~
 

"You trying to dance around?" A boy scoffed.

Another sneered. "Just like a pansy."

"Leave me alone." The boy said, just above a mumble.

A third boy pushed him harder. "What's THAT? Why should we?"

"Cause if you don't, I be havin' say 'bout it." A voice behind them said firmly.

All of them turned to see the Cajun Princess standing there and looking angry.

"I Princess Nicole. Only one make noise in my bayou, be me." Princess Nicole stated. "You try make noise?"

The bigger of the bunch slapped a hand to back of the boy's shoulder and tried to move him along. "Just messing around. Come on guys."

Nicole wasn't having it. "Wrong. Hand off. Garcon, stand here."

The boy moved to the spot she pointed at as Nicole advanced and stared down the would-be bully. "I see you. Know what you try, yeah. Try treat me stupid. I ain't havin' it, none."

"Princess. Everything alright here?" A member of Security asked.

The boys looked and saw five people in black shirts and hats staring at them. The embroidered badges spelled out who they were.

Nicole kept her eyes on the one that had challenged her. "These LITTLE boy forget where they at. Maybe they remember now, yeah? That one there talkin' to me, Sean."

"So they'll be going." Sean nodded as he closed in and stared at the leader. "Right?"

When the big man hooked a thumb over his shoulder, they took the obvious hint and started leaving.

"See? You have problem, you ask for help." Princess Nicole said. "Now. What you name, cha?"

"Blair." The boy answered timidly. "Thank you."

Sean gave him a firm nod. "Well Blair, if you are being bothered by somebody, look for us with the black shirts. We'll help you. Princess, you got this?"

"M'yeah. You go on, look out for folk. I got this, yeah." Princess Nicole assured then gestured Blair to sit down on a bench. "Blair an' me, we talk."

The Security team moved out. When they were alone again, Nicole smiled gently.

"Just me an' you now, Cha. You see my show, try figure out waltz?" Princess Nicole asked.

Blair nodded. "Yes Ma'am."

Princess Nicole gave a half-shrug. "No hard. You probably learn quick enough. Allons, mignonne. Se lever, come on."

Blair found himself on his feet and facing the cajun then in a dance position. Slowly she told him the steps and moved him with them. The fairly simple footwork, took. Soon Blair found hmself moving around the small area easily as Princess Nicole sang in French. When she stopped, he blushed.

"Hmm. Quoi?" Princess Nicole asked.

"Could you?" Blair blushed even more. "Could you teach me to dance the girl part? Please?"

"Jolie, what you think you do all this time?" Princess Nicole asked.

A feminine voice suddenly cut in. "Blair! There you are! I've been looking all over for you."

"Su Maman?" Princess Nicole asked.

The women thought for a second then answered. "Oui. I'm Blair's mom. Your name is Nicole, isn't it?"

"Oui Madame. Je suis la Princesse Nicole de Storm Bayou." Princess Nicole answered proudly. "I teach Jolie-Blair waltz."

The woman was clearly struggling to remember her high school French lessons. "Uh; Je m'pelle Madelaine."

"Madam Madelaine, no need fight talkin' to me. I speak English, just fine." Princess Nicole through her natural accent, which was still heavy.

Madelaine laughed. "Oh good! I was running out of French. I took it in high school, but that was some time ago. Blair, you shouldn't pester the Princess, she's working."

"S'il vous plait, this IS work. Make sure have good time, yeah?" Princess Nicole waved her off. "This why we here. Queen Tessa say so. Have fun here, when Jolie-Blair go home, have dream. Maybe dream come true one day?"

Blair looked down and mumbled. "Boys can't grow up to be princesses."

"Hm? What that?" Princess Nicole asked.

"Boys can't grow up to be princesses." Blair said just little louder.

Madelaine gasped, but Nicole held up her hand to stop her from saying anything. "Cha, who lie so bad to you? Is that what you want? Be Princess?"

Blair nodded.

"I hate to tell you, but that's not possible." Madelaine said.

"Say who?" Nicole asked pointedly.

Madelaine shook her head. "He wasn't born a girl, like you. It just doesn't work that way."

"And who say I born completely girl? I no born this pretty. I work for it, yeah. Just like the other Princesses here." Princess Nicole stated then turned to Blair. "I no say it right for you. Maybe you girl inside, maybe no. Gotta go Doctors, find out for true. I tell true though; no easy thing, being girl. Some, they don't like. Some don't want and you can't force. Be on bad side, yeah. Some ok though, they help. Others walk off, leave you alone." Princess Nicole said seriously.

Madelaine was shocked. "Seriously?"

"Mama knew. She love me, no matter what. Even while Moccassin still bite her to die, Mama smile at me. She say 'No forget, always love you, Cha. You go be prettiest girl out there, Mon Jolie Nicole.' Then she kiss cheek and no more." Princess Nicole said as a tear rolled down her cheek. "Perfect? No. Love anyway? Oui. Mama tell me so, last breath. Never give up, that why I a Princess now."

"This is hard to take." Madelaine said sadly.

Princess Nicole stood up and hugged her. "Mama the hardest job ever. Can't take love and smile banks. Only keep in heart, yeah. Jeune fille, jeune homme, no matter. Blair you baby, perfect or no, love anyway and help all can. That a Mama's job. Perfect or no, Blair can make proud either way. Ain't that most important? Blair can do that, yeah Cha?"

Blair nodded. "I can do that."

"Madelaine. If Blair no lie, cheat, steal or fight. Is good, yeah? Good grades, learn dance, help 'round house. Girl and boy do that. Some girl mow yard. Some boy make clothes. Long as Blair don't run round drugs, drinkin', stealin', get in fight; that's good?" Princess Nicole asked point blank.

Madelaine had no choice, but to agree. "Yes. That is good. But what about the other kids? Our friends, hell, our family?"

"Other kids already pick, you never see? They try right here in my bayou, I don't put up with that none. Friend? Family? If they turn they back, that them and they ain't worth time or tear. Better off without, when they only want for themself and no for you. Any them perfect? Doubt THAT, yeah." Princess Nicole scoffed.

Madelaine sighed. "You have a point there. Ok Princess, I'll take your advice. I'll see about getting Blair to a therapist."

"There two in town. I no tell you name, you find one work for you and jolie-Blair. Ok, yeah?" Princess Nicole asked.

Blair piped up. "How do I learn French?"

Princess Nicole laughed. "You go learn in school maybe. Maybe Mama get you lessons. Remember now, I don't speak regular French. I'm Cajun, big difference."

"Oh." Blair said.

Princess Nicole hugged him. "No cry Jolie. You want learn, you learn. I grow up Cajun. Come see, we go talk Andre."

Madelaine was swept along with them as Nicole led them to the main cafe. All heads turned.

"ANDRE!" Princess Nicole called out.

The chef leaned out the door. "Yeah? What's the Princess wantin' now?"

"Cha-Blair want know how become Cajun." Nicole smiled.

Andre held up a hand and went into the kitchen then came back out with something in his hand and bent down. He spoke loud enough for all to hear.

"See this? This is Boudin. We take this and squeeze it out the case, into one of those baby food things. Stick the tip in your mouth and squeeze. We call that 'Cajun by injection'. Works sometimes. Other times, there ain't no hope." Andre said with a wink.

All the diners laughed at the chef's joke. Even Madelaine couldn't resist the humor and laughed.

Blair shrugged. "Ok. I'll try it."

"LORD LOVE A DUCK! Ain't you somethin'!" Andre laughed then called out. "Stacy! Bring this young 'un and his mama some Etouffe."

"Oui Chef!" A girl called back.

Andre directed them to a table, had a quick word with the server then said quietly to Madelaine. "Ya'll ain't payin'. This is on me, he made me laugh."

Princess Nicole smiled. "Queen Tessa herself talk Andre into come cook here from N'awlins. Don't get no better. Bon appetit."

With that the Cajun turned on her toes and gracefully walked out, smiling to the other diners. "Ya'll have good time my bayou!"

 

~*~*~*~
 

Joe Nably answered the phone. "Hello."

"It's me." Brad Foster stated.

"Finally! What do you know?" Joe demanded.

Brad began. "That park is a serious piece of work. They have camera saturation like I've never seen. The Security there is better than anyplace I ever heard of. I'd argue it's the best."

"Whatever. When do you start work there?" Joe asked.

Brad replied. "I don't. I don't have the background."

That surprised Joe. "What? You're a private investigator and you can't get on there?"

"Nope. All security must be former military, law enforcement or both. The former military are ALL combat veterans. They know each other. I can't bullshit my way in. Besides, all staff has been hired." Brad said.

This pissed Joe off. "We'll come back to that. What have you learned about the Frost bitch?"

"She has very little background. No legal problems, ever. Not even a traffic ticket. She banks locally, as does the park. Same bank. No loans. She's very direct. Very hands-on. She runs that park. She doesn't just sit in the office. She's out among the people. They call her 'Queen Tessa' and more than obvious it's out of respect. From what I hear, her people are well taken care of." Brad listed.

Joe was getting angrier by the word now. "She has to be vulnerable."

"I doubt that." Brad remarked.

"What do you mean?" Joe asked.

Brad sighed. "She never goes anywhere without an escort. Usually about six."

"Damn! Ok. Just break in there at night and screw with the rides and so on." Joe said.

Brad growled. "You don't pay attention. Joe, they have cameras there and I don't doubt they have roving patrols as well."

"You've gotten into places with cameras and guards before. It's easy, according to you." Joe protested.

"Not this place. They make the CIA look like cub scouts. Hardcore was invented to describe this place." Brad commented.

Joe growled. "TRY ANYWAY!"

Brad flinched when the sound of the phone being slammed down came through and said. "He just doesn't get the fact that people aren't as stupid as he thinks. I'll have to go back and do a recon during the day."

 
 
 
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Chapter 15 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

Tessa Sat in Brad Waverly's office Monday morning.

"So, somebody is out to get you." Brad remarked.

Tessa smirked. "You put it that way. Trying to throw in a dash of paranoia, Brad? Have I become boring now?"

"You are anything BUT boring, Tessa. I wasn't implying, you did." Brad corrected.

"Wrong again. I said that a private investigator is sniffing around the park. Said private investigator is reputed to do alot of work for a certain real estate person. Said real estate person is reputed to be seriously money motivated. It is the conclusion of my attorney that these two people are connected and focused on the park." Tessa listed then leaned in. "Where's the 'They're gonna get me' part I'm supposed to have put in there?"

Brad shrugged. "It sounds that way."

Tessa shook her head. "I've done the 'gonna get me' thing before. This isn't it. This is barely a minor annoyance. If these people decide that getting my attention in a negative way is a good idea, they'll learn otherwise."

That got the psychologist's attention. "Oh? What did you have in mind?"

"I'm fairly certain Trent can find a legal method to convince them to find something else to take interest in." Tessa remarked.

"What if they ignore that?" Brad asked.

Tessa replied flatly. "Then I'm sure that whatever misfortune they lure to themselves will become their primary focus. I hear police officers tend to be rather greedy about having someone's focus."

Brad nodded. "Ah. I've heard that too. Why don't we shift gears. I'd like to talk about Orchiectomy."

"Good subject." Tessa replied.

"If I could get you an appointment next Tuesday. Would that work for you?" Brad asked.

Tessa seemed to be mildly mulling it over. "I'm pretty sure it could. Afternoon would be good. Next Monday afternoon would be best."

Brad knew she had him. Once again; he had dug a hole for her to fall in, she challenged him of the depth and he jumped right in. "Ugh. You got me again."

"And you did all the work." Tessa smiled.

Brad just handed over the paper. "Here. You earned it. Sometimes I wish it was always this smooth, but then I don't think I'd be able to handle a full list just like you."

The timer softly beeped.

Tessa looked at it and smirked. "Aw. Saved by the bell again Brad. I'm starting to think you do that on purpose. Til next time."

"Uh-huh. Have a nice day Tessa." Brad said as she set the check on the coffee table.

Tessa hummed to herself as she drove back to the park, and her home.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Foster thought something was off as he went through the gate. He had used the multi-visit card, but could swear the gate hostess almost narrowed her eyes at him for a moment.

"Enjoy your visit." The young woman said.

The private investigator nodded. "Thank you."

Brad Foster made his way inside and took out his map. He wore different clothing this time. Knee-length shorts, polo shirt, sport sandals and Ray-Bans. In short, he looked like so many others. He even stopped and immediate bought a bottled water to tuck into the thigh pocket of his cargo shorts. Suddenly he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand straight up and slowly looked around.

"This doesn't look good." Foster muttered seeing a loose perimeter around him of people in black shirts and hats embroidered with badges.

"Welcome back." A voice behind him said coldly.

Foster turned around and looked at a formidable looking man flanked by two others. The aura coming off all of them screamed 'military' and 'combat veteran'.

"Follow me." The imposing man instructed then turned to walk away.

Before Brad Foster knew it, they had closed ranks around him as one reached over and took the map.

"I'll relieve you of that. Anything I should know about?" The Security-man asked.

Foster shook his head. "Just a pen, my wallet, phone and the water bottle."

Jimmy Sloan nodded. "Follow the Captain."

Foster thought it best to just play it cool. He followed where he was led. A set of doors were opened and he was led inside an office. He recognized Tessa Frost immediately, standing in front of the desk.

"Have a seat." The man called The Captain said and pointed to a chair.

Brad Foster sat down and the woman stepped forward.

"Why are you in my park, Mister Foster, Private Investigator?" Tessa asked flatly. "I'll let your imagination fill in the blank about attempting to lie to me."

Foster tried to play it cool. "A client wants to know about you. He didn't say why, I didn't ask."

Tessa was handed the map and held it up. "You're marking camera positions. I have no choice, but to think you intend to cause harm to the guests here. I will not allow innocent people to be made victims, simply because they are convenient, Mister Foster. Especially children. To quote John Wayne; that would cause me great annoyance and displeasure."

Brad Foster was by no means, a stupid man. The fact her voice now held ominous malice didn't go missed.

"No Ma'am." Foster replied.

Tessa kept a neutral expression on her face. "You've broken no laws, yet. The police will meet you at the gate and escort you off the grounds. Do not return Mister Foster. If you do, trespassing charges will be filed. When you report to Mister Nably, inform him that this park and myself are none of his business and I do not like his intrusions. Need I be more blunt, Mister Foster?"

"No Miss Frost. I understand your position and will convey that to my client." Foster replied.

The fact that Foster hadn't confirmed Nably as the client wasn't missed, just ignored.

Tessa simply said. "Good-bye, Mister Foster."

Brad Foster didn't need a baseball bat to the head for a hint. He stood up and was escorted out. A patrol car from the Sheriff's department was waiting. They gave him a written notice to leave the property and would be charged with trespassing if he returned, then followed him off the grounds. The message was very clear; don't come back.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Things stayed quiet during the week. Unfortunately, all that changed when a scream was heard in WildForest. Security responded immediately when Over-Watch called out over the radio net.

"WildForest, Code-8. Say again: Code-8. Location: Petting Zoo moving toward Saloon." Over-Watch informed them.

Code-8 being their code for adult in a panic. Force members close by rushed to the area. Others began making their way, but watching the crowd for anyone looking suspicious.

Mandy Kellar reached the woman first. "Ma'am! Calm down. Tell us what happened."

"We were about to go into the zoo. He wanted to play with the puppies. I was buying a packet of Nibbles for the puppies and when I turned back around, he was gone! He was standing right by me! He wouldn't wander off!" The woman said quickly.

Mandy nodded. "We'll find him. I need your names please."

"I'm Rachel Cavanaugh. My little boy's name is Tony." Rachel informed her.

"Over-Watch and Shepherds, flag Rachel Cavanaugh and Tony Cavanaugh. We have a Code-2, WildForest. Say Again: CODE-2, WildForest. Over-Watch start point is Petting Zoo, snack vendor." Mandy called out over the radio upgrading the alert to Missing Child.

Unknown to the crowd of park visitors, every member of Security went into action as the gates went into Lock-Down. Nine members of Over-Watch tore into Drone Control and launched their craft. One formation consisted of five craft and the other was four. They came in from opposite directions and began their sweeps. Two other members went into the monitor room and took up position to scan the screens.

The primary Watcher went back and located the pair at the Petting Zoo animal snack vendor and slowly advanced the time. Three men came up, two stood trying to block view and the other clamped his hand over the boy's lower face. The boy was lifted up and together the men moved away blocking him from view.

The Over-Watch operators began to narrate what they saw, directing Force members after the group. Suddenly a red dot appeared on a screen and began to flash.

"Shepherds to Over-Watch. We have an alert from a bracelet. Bracelet is Cavanaugh, Tony. An attempt is being made to remove his bracelet. Location: SnowyHill. Alley 5." Wanderer Control informed.

The Main Force members moved. Drones disengaged their grid search and streaked toward the area and were soon on scene as the cameras were brought up. It wasn't a blind spot. The camera there was disguised expertly and had been unnoticed. Within moments the faces of the men were up on the screens and being flagged. Now they would forever be in the system and unable to move within the park without notice, should they ever manage to get in.

The call went out for the Sheriff's department. Units were en-route. Fifteen members of Security, the med-response team, Mark, Dave and even Tessa herself converged to the area. In the lead were specific members that were previously law enforcement and had a secret of their own.

 

~*~*~*~
 

"Hurry up and get that bracelet off the kid!" One man ordered.

The one with a utility knife shook his head. "I can't cut through it. There's a metal band underneath."

"Pry it loose." The thrid man said and handed a flat-blade screwdriver over.

The one with the knife, pocketed it then took the tool and began trying to force the band's connection to the housing apart. The problem was, the tip of the blade could not gain any purchase. He swore in frustration.

The leader demanded. "What's taking you, Ted? Get it off him!"

"I can't! We're going to have to grind it off, Mel!" Ted replied.

Mel snarled. "DAMN! We'll take him over the fence then. Len, go get the van and meet us on the road. Let's go!"

Before they could split up though the sound of boots were heard and voices called out. "FREEZE!"

All three did just that. The last thing any of them had expected, was to facing down several drawn pistols.

"Why are they ARMED? Our scouting runs never saw any armed guards!" Ted hissed.

Jimmy Sloan smirked. "We're all Auxillary Deputies. Put the kid down and step back, slowly."

None of the three felt like giving up their trump card, the boy.

"Mister Sloan. I am going to count to five. If they have not complied, shoot one of them. In the groin." Tessa's voice spoke from behind them. "One. Four."

Immediately the one called Ted set the boy down. He stood up and held up his hands and backed away.

Mel glared at the people in front, but snarled at Ted. "Dumb ass! We could have gotten away, with the kid."

"No way. That woman and her men just want an excuse to shoot us legally." Ted shook his head.

Three members secured their pistols and moved forward, covered by two others each maintaining control, to search then cuff the men. Once secure, Mark and the medic team moved in to assess the boy's condition.

"Sharp!" One of the men called out then held up a capped syringe in his gloved hand.

Mark looked back. "The boy is unconscious. Pupils are dialated. He's been drugged."

Tessa looked at the men. "What did you give him?"

Mel sneered back. "Blow me!"

"Certainly." Tessa remarked then held out her hand. "Mister Sloan, your pistol please. This one wants to be blown; I'll use your pistol to blow his testicles off."

Jimmy smiled and handed it over. Tessa took the gun, worked the slide to ensure everyone knew it was definitely loaded with a round and stuck the muzzle down the man's pants.

"I'm no expert, but I'm sure I can hit something in there." Tessa said calmly, staring him in the eyes and pushing him to turn sideways. Only Jimmy saw the subtle wink meant just for him.

None of them actually expected her to do it, so the sound of the gun going off suprised them all. He screamed in horror and wet himself as he dropped to his knees.

Tessa frowned. "I missed? HOW could I possibly miss?"

Only Jimmy had seen her wink and knew that whatever she was doing, just go with it. The ploy worked.

"We gave him Ketamine! He'll wake up in an hour. I swear it!" Ted confessed.

Mel was staring at the hole in his pants, made when the bullet exited from being fired, struggling to catch his breath. There was also a large wet spot and a puddle underneath him.

Dave leaned down and spoke directly to him. "You definitely want to confess to the cops about what you and your buddies did, along with why. You should even consider informing them of everything wrong you've ever done. It would be a very good idea to go to a nice super-max prison. Better hurry, too. She might just get the idea that it might be fun to bail you out, personally, so she can improve her aim and then feed you to the REAL alligator over in Storm Bayou."

Mel looked up in horror as the woman in white slowly began to smile. "Oh that's a LOVELY idea, Captain. Mister Sloan. How fast can these three have bail posted? I just found myself a new hobby."

Jimmy didn't get a chance to answer. Nine Deputies and the Sheriff arrived. Handuffs were changed while Miranda Rights were read then the three kidnappers were taken out, followed by the medical cart carrying the unconscious boy and his mother.

"Miss Frost." The Sheriff said, turning around. "One of those suspects has wet pants and what looked suspiciously like a bullet hole."

Before he even finished talking, the Security force closed ranks. The message was clear, he was getting nowhere near Tessa.

"I guess my inexperience got the better of me Sheriff Dooley. I was demanded to perform an act. Sad to say, I didn't do so well. Or maybe there was some confusion and a miscommunication as to exactly what someone wanted me to do." Tessa remarked then took on a cruel glare. "I tend to get a certain way, when someone tries to hurt a child around me."

Jack Dooley wanted to groan. "Ma'am you understand that the case against them is now compromised. I may have to turn them loose, because of that."

"I doubt it Roy. I'd be surprised if you don't get a full confession for everything they ever did. In fact, they probably think prison is a fairly nice place to be." Jimmy Sloan commented.

The ex-Deputy had been practically prophetic. As soon as recorders were turned on, all three began to recount every thing they had done in their lifetime that was illegal, with full details. It would later be known that they had been part off a small kidnapping ring to supply pedophiles all over the nation for the past five years. Tessa would later secretly set up a foundation to cover the cost of treatment for the victims, and many more later on, called Little Ones Found.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Brad Foster was crouched close to the tall fence at one in the morning Monday. The park closed at Nine on Sunday nights, as a nod to working parents. He had reported in to Joe Nably as soon as he returned to his office to inform him that he had been confronted and they knew he was the client. Nably went off on a tirade, still demanding that Foster go in.

foster had made a copy of the map before going to the park on a second recon, so he had consulted it to come up with a feasible route. Still, he didn't feel confident about it.

"This is a bad, BAD idea." Foster muttered to himself.

Even the fence practically said 'Don't even think about it'.

He used a circuit tester to see if it was electrified. It wasn't. An extendable ladder on each side got him over the fence. Not subtle, but it was the only way as the vertical members of the fence had been sprayed with a permanant coating that prevented good grip. Also there were shrubs that had spiked leaves on both side of the fence to discourage climbers.

Back on the ground Foster sighed. "This place is a Security nut's wet dream. All they need is electrics and landmines."

Slowly he began to make his way, both walking and occasionally crawling in effort to avoid the cameras' field of view. His destination were neither rides nor attractions. He was heading to the offices. If he could get into the Personnel office and Tessa's office he could come up with some information that would satisfy Nably. If he was successful with those, he would then go into Accounting. Finally he reached the Administration building and used a set of picks to open a fire door.

"I'll take yes for an answer." Foster whispered to himself, noting the absence of any alarm.

He didn't see any sensors either as he entered. It took a few moments to locate the Personnel office on the ground floor. He began going through the file cabinets. Each file was pulled and photographed using a digital camera. After double-checking that nothing was out of order, Foster eased out of the room to proceed to his next target, Tessa's office on the second floor. The upper-cut to his jaw took him completely by surprise. The solid punch to his gut met with no resistance and doubled him over. This was followed by a series of punches that worked his abdominal area along with the occasional kidney shot.

 

~*~*~*~
 

"Zeke, you copy?" The radio on his hip came to life.

Zeke Malone called back. "Lima Charlie. Go ahead."

"Sensors have detected intrusion along the perimeter fence over in WildForest. Standby." Over-Watch informed him then added. "Confirmed. Intruder has scaled the fence and now proceeding into the park. He's trying to avoid the cameras, but doesn't know them all."

"I'm on my way. Vector me in." Zeke requested then asked. "Got an ID on the intruder?"

Over-Watch answered. "Affirmative. Brad Foster, the Private Investigator that's been thrown out and warned. Notation to alert the Captain, Queen Tessa and notify Sheriff's Department. Doing so now."

"Copy that. Continuing on Mission. Where is he?" Zeke asked.

"Admin. He's working the fire-door. Entry. We have him moving down the hall. He found the Personnel office and is entering." Over-Watch narrated.

Zeke had began running and now was within sight of the building. He knew every shortcut there was to get anywhere in the park. Some were there specifically for Security to use and hidden. Zeke made it to the door and used his RFID bracelet to open the door. Inside he stalked down the hall and took a position outside the office where his quarry was. Zeke turned down the volume of his radio and waited. After what seemed like an eternity, the intruder came out. Zeke attacked without hesitation and continued, even when lights suddenly snapped on overhead.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Tessa had been met by ten members of the Main Force and joined them to go inside. She heard the sounds of violence and flipped on the hallway lights. Three-quarters of the way down, someone on the floor was under an onslaught of fists belonging to 210 pounds of enraged former-Marine. Tessa strode down the hall between the columns of her guards and stopped just back from the fight.

"MISTER MALONE." Tessa said loudly. "That will do. I would like you to stop now."

Zeke never took his eyes off the man, but did stop and slowly edged back. "Yes Ma'am. Barkley, secure that piece off shit."

A younger man jumped to obey. "Hoo-Rah!"

Brad Foster gave no resistance as his hands were cuffed behind his back. His whole torso was now sore and would feel worse in a few hours.

"Beyond stupid, Foster." Tessa commented. "Gentlemen, remove him from the building."

"Queen Tessa. He was taking pictures in there. Pictures of the files." Zeke informed her.

Barkley searched him, pulled out the camera and looked through its memory then said. "Personnel files Queen Tessa. Everybody's."

"Remove the card and give it to Captain Dave when he arrives. Destroy the camera." Tessa instructed now standing face to face with the private investigator.

A crunch was heard next. Brad closed his eyes and waited for whatever hits were going to come. Better to just go ahead and let it happen than try to fight back against her, provoking the men surrounding her to beat him to death. He knew without a doubt they would and not give it a second thought.

"Take him to the front gates and hand him over to the Deputies when they arrive." Tessa said looking at him. "I've saved you from my guards this time, Foster. It won't happen again should you prove too stupid to learn from this. Go. Mister Malone, that man does NOT return."

Roughly, they turned him and began to march him out, but stopped when Tessa added.

"When you talk to Joe Nably, tell him I said; 'This stops now, I won't tell him again'." Tessa said firmly then looked to the former-Marine.

Zeke nodded then ordered. "Martell, Cranston, Dermot, Holland. Escort Queen Tessa home when she's ready. The rest, with me. Move Out."

Throughout the entire walk to the front gate, Zeke spared no detail as to what he intended to do to Foster if he dared to come back. At the gates, two Deputies waited with their patrol units. One took Foster into custody, returning the guard's handcuffs then Mirandizing Foster. As they were driving away, Foster finally passed out.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Dave knocked then entered Tessa's office. "Busy night."

"I'd say so." Tessa replied, sitting at her desk in her gown, the tiara sitting on the corner of the desk.

Dave sat down and sighed. "Foster will be released from the hospital sometime tomorrow. Malone beat the ever loving dog shit out of him."

Tessa sat back in her chair. "Had I not been there, I don't think he would have stopped."

"You're probably the only one that could have stopped him. Zeke owes you everything, he'll obey you in all things." Dave said very clearly.

Tessa's face grew stern. "Wrong Captain. Mister Malone owes me NOTHING. I saw a man needing only the chance. I gave that chance, nothing more. All he is now, is of his own making. As he should be! Mister Malone is his own man and I, for one, will have it no other way! He owes me NOTHING."

"That's not true!" Zeke said from the doorway with five members of Security behind him.

Before anyone could object he strode to Tessa's desk then stood at Attention.

"I was worthless when you found me. A stray dog hunkered under your trailer, starving, sick and cold. You brought me out. Treated me like a man again and gave me a chance when nobody else would. You got me cleaned up, fed, taken care of and put me to work. You truly are a Queen and I'll follow you anywhere, carry out any order!" Zeke declared and saluted. "Even when you wanted me to take you to."

Tessa bolted to her feet in fury. "MISTER MALONE!"

Zeke went silent, as had everyone else in the room. Even Dave was surprised. No one had ever seen Tessa actually angry with anyone, much less Zeke. She looked imperious as she faced down the former-Marine.

"My private business is EXACTLY that. Discuss it and I will have you removed, MISTER Malone. IS that UNDERSTOOD?" Tessa growled.

Zeke visibly flinched. "AYE AYE, Queen Tessa!"

Tessa walked around her desk and stood facing him. "I gave you a chance. Nothing more, nothing less. Who and what you are now, is all of YOUR OWN making. I'll hear NO argument to that. You have worked for and earned ALL that you have. Including the respect of everyone in the park. Do NOT jeopardize that now, with such display. I won't stand for it!"

"Gave me back pride, as a man and a Marine." Zeke quietly reminded her.

Tessa shook her head as her voice calmed. "I did no such thing. That was always with you Mister Malone, you merely forgot. Say no more on this. You have my gratitude for protecting us, my trust has been well founded. You may go and sleep well, Mister Malone."

Zeke went down on one knee, took Tessa's hand and kissed it. "Yes My Queen."

With that he rose and left. The members of Security that had been with him were shocked to say the least. They had been working with Zeke for quite some time, never had they seen him act or speak in such manner. They all saluted as well then left.

Dave arched an eyebrow. "For a second there, I thought you were going either slap or fire him."

Tessa sat back down behind her desk. "I would do neither. It would be cruel."

"What about Foster and this Joe Nably ass-hat?" Dave asked.

Tessa picked up a single page. "Trent is working on that now. I have something else for you to do."

Dave took the page when she held it out. "What's this?"

"Some group in Massachusetts. It's claimed they are big LGBT supporters, with stress on transgender persons. Find out. If they are, then we'll lend support and even propose an intern program next summer." Tessa said.

Dave looked at the page. "Finn Foundation. Ok. I'll check them out, starting with John and Jaimie Finn, since it looks like they are the major players."

Tessa said, going back to her paperwork. "Use every means at your command to find out if they are as good as they say they are. Carry on, My Captain."

"By your command, My Queen." Dave replied with a bow and left.

 
 
 
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Chapter 16 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

The foiled kidnapping attempt garnered much attention. Of course, the local media wanted interviews and began hounding the park's Hospitality department. The Public Relations team worked in that department. Two specialized in social media, two in communications(television and radio), one in print media(newspapers and magazines) and the Head of the P.R. team had taken modeling and acting classes as well as Public Relations. The fact that she was local, and a lesbian, was a bonus.

On the advice of the P.R. team and under close scrutiny of Trent, VentureRealm hosted a press conference. Tessa and Dave would be interviewed. At the appointed time, both local and some national Press were allowed into a conference room and set up. Ten minutes later, Emily returned and nodded to begin.

When the camera lights came on, Emily smiled and spoke into the microphones. "Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I'm Emily Rosenthal of the Public Relations team here at VentureRealm Park. I do regret that we are limited in time, so please be considerate of each other. I now present Queen Tessa of VentureRealm. With her is Captain Dave Wells."

Emily curtsied then moved back and to the side as Tessa nodded to her then faced the Press Pit.

"Good morning and welcome to VentureRealm. It is my understanding that you are all here to inquire about a recent event here. That event was the attempted abduction of a child. As this is an ongoing investigation by the local and state authorities, we are not at liberty to discuss specifics. We can discuss some general points. Let us begin." Tessa stated then pointed to a man on the far right.

The man, from the local newspaper, stood up. "Bayleston Times, Queen Tessa. Some say the Security here at the park is rather extensive. Is that due to the fact that so many children are here?"

"Children hold the greatest of treasures; dreams. By working diligently to ensure their safety is paramount, we guard that treasure." Tessa replied then pointed to the far left.

A woman stood up. "Fox News. Is it true that the kidnappers targetted a little boy for the sex trade?"

Tessa gave her a stern look. "I see Fox News has difficulty understanding what they have been told already. You may sit down until you do understand."

Another woman was indicated and stood up. "USAToday, uh, Queen Tessa. You did say that safety is paramount here. Could you eleborate on that please?"

Tessa nodded to Dave, who stepped forward. "VentureRealm has a multi-tier system for safety and security. This system utilizes both electronic and personnel to detect situations of distress. Our personnel are stationed at optimum placement for immediate deployment, along with roving units for rapid response, in the event of a guest becoming distressed."

The manner of Dave's response clued them all in that they were now dealing with a military officer that handled things personally.

A man in the center stood next. "L.A. Times. Judging by your previous response, would it be a fair assumption that certain military aspects are being used here?"

Tessa answered this time. "VentureRealm puts high priority on the hiring of Veterans. The women and men formerly of our Armed Forces still have so much to offer and wish to serve, but in a way more personable. I encourage this and have welcomed them with open arms. Also on our Security force here are former members of the Law Enforcement communities. Both aspects bring abilities to the table that can and do work in conjuction to ensure the wellbeing of our guests. Not just some mere security contingent, but Guardians of the greatest treasures. They carry themselves as Royal Knights."

Another woman stood up. "CBS News, Queen Tessa. What types of prior military personnel do you have here?"

"Captain." Tessa redirected.

Dave stood forward again. "We have members from all branches here and various specialties. Many are veterans of the field, both Afghanistan and Iraq. They all served with honor, fully discharged and able to serve here. Some are currently active in National Guard and Reserve units, VentureRealm fully supports those that still serve in those capacities and make every accomodation for that continued service."

"ABC News, Captain." A woman stated as she stood up. "Do these prior military personnel have some kind of specialized training that makes them suited to this field?"

Dave nodded. "In a way, they do. So many of our personnel have served overseas in the combat theater, which of course is a hot temperature environment, that they have become trained to work in those conditions. They know and recognize the hazards of such exposure. Heat-related injury is very common for places such as this. As we have served in heated conditions, we are vigilant to look for the signs that our guests may become distressed from that. Our rapid medical response teams stay on deployment footing to treat the guests. Security seeing the beginning onset of heat-injury can advise a course of action and direct to a suitable area to abate the progression and begin recovery so that the guests can continue their visit safely and comfortably."

A man in the back stood up when he was pointed at. "MSNBC. You mentioned some kind of Medical teams. Could you elaborate on that?"

"Certainly. The park has two full-time Registered Nurses in our Medical Station. Each area of the park has a team of a Paramedic and an EMT on station at all times. These Rapid Medical Teams are led by a prior-serviceman. He is formerly of the Navy. A Special Amphibious Reconnaissance Corpsmen, or SARC, as they are called. This gentleman served overseas within elite Marine Reconnaissance and Naval SEAL teams, providing medical assistance during combat operations. His joy is looking after the wellbeing of others and is happiest knowing that all under his care are in fine health. All of them are a pleasure have here." Tessa said with pride then pointed to a woman beside the man.

The woman stood up. "Miami Herald, Queen Tessa. Compared to other places, all that seems to be rather extreme. Isn't it?"

"Not in the slightest. We have a responsibility to ensure our guests' safety. Be it from the environment or from elements that wish to take advantage of those here to enjoy the hospitality. This responsibilty is taken very seriously and it is our focus. A circle, if you will." Tessa explained and even gestured. "We can not be satisfied with our efforts to entertain, if they can not enjoy them. They can not enjoy, if they are distracted by suffering of some sort. If they are suffering, we can not entertain them. It all falls back on itself. Our measures may seem extreme, but that is because the situation warrants that. Would you not agree?"

Several gave a chuckle. Tessa had eloquently talked in a circle and it had not only been illustrative, it had been correct.

"Touche, Queen Tessa." The woman sat down smiling.

A man stood up over to the side. "New York Times. Abduction of children is a constant threat, everywhere. What measures does VentureRealm take to prevent this from happening?"

Dave smirked. The man was slicker than Fox News. "We have multiple elements that firstly, discourage the attempt. However, there are some who will be determined. Those elements will prevent their success. VentureRealm IS on the cutting edge for the utilization of equipment, personnel and tactics to protect the children here. As to details, I'm afraid that is as far as we are willing to discuss. Details are kept confidential to maintain effectiveness. Wouldn't want those nefarious types to know all the ways we foil them, would we?"

Everyone chuckled, he had answered, but not entirely.

"Quite the point there, Captain." The newspaperman chuckled and sat down.

Tessa nodded to Emily, who stepped up to the microphones. "Ladies and gentlemen, we've run our time. Thank you all for coming. There are information packets on the table on your way out. Good day and thank you."

The press began to collect the packets as their crews gathered up equipment while Tessa and Dave waved and left. A six person Security detail stood by to watch them leave.

The Fox News woman went up to one and turned on her digital recorder. "The owner and head of security didn't tell us alot. What did happen during the kidnapping recently?"

Jimmy Sloan wanted to roll his eyes, but kept a poker-face. "VentureRealm is not at liberty to comment about such incident, all inquiries related are to be submitted to the Sheriff's office and District Attorney."

"Sounds like cop-talk." The woman remarked with disgust.

Jimmy just smirked. "Drive safely, don't forget to buckle-up."

She now knew that he was or had been a cop of some kind and wouldn't get anywhere.

"You're a parent, wouldn't you want to know what was going on with potential child predators?" The reporter asked the woman beside Jimmy.

"Local authorities will be able to answer questions at an appropriate time." Former DEA Agent Anna Calderone replied blandly, knowing it would simply aggravate the woman more.

In disgust she turned and left. Had she turned around, she would have seen all six smiling at her failure. In fact, all six members were former law enforcement and had been hand-picked to be at the press conference. None of the press had particularly paid much attention when a Dog-handler had passed them on their way in. They had no idea that the Handler and dog were both prior military with Army EOD.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Princess Michelle was between shows and leading a group of children. Casually she came to a stop and smiled to the old Native American man with a young Native American woman beside him.

"Good afternoon Elder StormDawn, Miss JumpingDoe. We would like to visit and learn about the old ways, may we?" Michelle asked.

Linda JumpingDoe translated the Elder's words. "Please do Princess. Knowledge should always be given to the young."

As if an invisible gate lifted, Michelle and the group walked forward. Actually they simply stepped over what looked like a mosiac brick placement in the pathway. There were many designs of Native American theme in the mosiac. The children, followed by their parents and sitters, eagerly taken in the sights of tribal works.

Several other tribal ladies took turns explaining the workings of the craftsworkers. Finally the children were directed to the performance area. The Elder told the story, translated by Linda, behind the dance performed by younger men in full costume accompanied by drummers that sang as well.

At the end of the dance, they all clapped and Michelle smiled. "Wonderful! I'm afraid I have to go back to my Saloon now. Please enjoy yourselves."

Everyone smiled as the Princess of WildForest elegantly turned and left.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Joe Nably was barely controlling his rage. Foster had emailed a report. He had been released from the County Correctional Center after paying a fine. Foster having failed at getting any usable information out and couldn't remember any he had seen.

Nably looked around at the park's website. He saw the Native American feature and thought about it. An idea hit him. Quickly he searched for groups opposed to Native Americans. A whole slew came up. With a cruel smile, Nably sent the more aggressive sounding group a message. They were claiming to be Christian-based, denouncing Native American cultural practices as demonic and so on.

"Let's see how they like some negative Press!" Joe Nably sneered.

He went back to previous reports from Foster. A small note finally stood out. Several cast members were reputed to be gay or lesbian. That was also something he may be able to use. The problem was that it wasn't confirmed. He needed that.

Joe dialed the number. "Foster. Start going to the gay bar there. Find out if any of the fags or dykes hanging out there work in that park! Don't screw up again!"

 

~*~*~*~
 

It had been a week since the Press conference and things seemed to be quiet. Suddenly people began to rush around in WildForest then held up signs that they had concealed then put together. They formed a line in front of the Dancers and Drummers to block the view.

"THESE DISPLAYS ARE THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL! HURRY TO ESCAPE! DON'T BE TRICKED! ALL GOD-FEARING RIGHTEOUS WHITE PEOPLE SHOULD OPPOSE THIS!" A man yelled over a small megaphone.

Members of Security came up, but stopped at a distance.

"People. You'll have to stop this and leave immediately." One of the Security members instructed.

The man with a megaphone got in his face with it. "WE ARE WHITE AND RIGHT! YOU CAN'T MAKE US LEAVE!"

"I don't have to." The Security member smiled. "He will."

"You're all under arrest." A middle aged man with short-cropped hair wearing jeans, western shirt and boots announced.

Megaphone man sneered. "You can't arrest us!"

A badge was flashed. "Wrong. I'm Tribal Police. You're on Tribal Land. I can arrest or shoot you. Security Men, I give you permission to enter to secure these people and await Federal Agents to them take into custody."

"Yes Sir!" One replied then led the others across that ornate line.

Within seconds, all the protestors were cuffed.

"Never mess around on Reservation Land. We take it personally." The Tribal Officer growled in the leader's face.

An hour later, a State Police bus arrived and all the protestors were loaded onto it. The Troop Commander was given a disk.

"That video will show that they were on Tribal Land, disrupting cultural display. I've already notified the State Attorney General and Bureau of Indian Affairs." The Tribal Officer informed him.

Megaphone man snarled. "Damn Indians!"

One of State Troopers looked down at him. "Boy; you're in a heap of trouble. Everybody knows you don't go making trouble on a Reservation."

What reporters had been tipped off by the group to be there were just as shocked as the protest group.

"Excuse me." One of the reporters asked the Tribal Officer. "Is VentureRealm Park a Reservation?"

The Officer shook his head. "Not the entire Park. Just a specific area within it. I'm Tribal Police Chief Dan Ironshirt."

"I'm still confused Chief Ironshirt. Are you saying that the protest was illegal?" The Report asked.

Dan nodded. "Very much so. Things work very different on Reservations. Even if they filed with the county, it means nothing. They have to appeal to the Council, which can deny them. The rest of the Park is owned and controlled by Queen Tessa. She donated a specific area to a Council of Nations. Those Nations include the Dakota, Pueblo, Cherokee and Navajo. We're protected by treaty with the United States Government. A formal treaty was offered by Queen Tessa to the four Nations. Long story short; those people are facing Federal Charges. Serious Federal Charges."

The reporter turned back to the camera and made her closing statement, doing her best to conceal her own surprise at the revelation.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Bureau of Indian Affairs immediately took the group to trial a week later. It was literally a 'turkey shoot'. The prosecution had every duck that could be thought of in a row and quacking in formation. Even a few things nobody had ever thought of before was thrown in. When the actual validity of a certain area of the park being a Reservation came up, Tessa was called to the stand by the Defense.

The Defense attorney gave a smug look. "Miss Frost, please clarify this false allegation that an area of your amusement park is, in any way, a Reservation."

He thought he had been somewhat entertaining, by smiling to the Gallery and throwing air quotes during the word Reservation.

"Not a problem. An area in the section WildForest had been surveyed then marked off and donated to a council of Tribal Nations by legal treaty between Myself and those Nations. This has been recognized and approved by the United States' Department of Interior's Bureau of Indian Affairs. This went into effect shortly after the park opened. The Prosecution has copies of those documents, already submitted into evidence. I have copies as well, with me." Tessa replied then smiled with malevolence. "Wanna see?"

Every Native American in the gallery smiled as well. Queen Tessa Frost had given her word, put it on paper and wasn't about to go back on it. Some were thinking that she might even be inclined to ask the Officials to step aside simply so she could have the pleasure of taking on the opposition all by herself. It was obvious that she had been provoked and was now itching for a fight. The self-made Queen wanted to make an example that would be remembered.

Tessa went a step further and addressed the court while still on the stand. "I invited representatives of Native American tribes to my park. Their culture is amazing and much can be learned from it. I have done much to ensure that they are respected and protected. Not just because it's the right thing to do; I feel a kinship to them. I, too, have been victimized by so-called Morality Groups. I was abused by them as a child, but held onto myself. I will do what is correct in the interest of good people. Including the total destruction of groups like the one you represent. On the record; don't ever try to pick a fight with me or those within my realm. I'll show no mercy."

The last part had been issued dripping with venom along with her gaze going to a point in the gallery then back to the Defense Attorney. He knew that she wasn't talking to just him or his clients alone. There was someone else, in the courtroom, that she meant it for as well.

"No further questions." He said.

Tessa was dismissed. Court went into recess for two hours, during which there was a closed door meeting. Court reconvened just before close of day and the case was settled with a guilty verdict. The fastest win for a case involving Native Americans and Hate groups. Not only was there a heavy fine, there was also a settlement to be paid to the Council of Tribes. The Judge Ordered each individual of the group never to return to the area.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Joe Nably walked angrily out of the courthouse. He knew that Tessa Frost's last statement had been directed at him personally. Fairly obvious, as she had locked eyes with him. He was so angry that he almost ran directly into the focus of his anger. He stopped short and was face to face with Tessa Frost herself, flanked by a ten-member Security escort and two men in suits.

Reporters had been hoping to interview her, but saw that she and her escorts looking like they were preparing for a confrontation. Patience was rewarded within seconds.

"Joseph Nably." Tessa glared at him.

"Think this'll stop me?" Nably sneered. "I know your secret. Drag Queen."

Several of the Security made to move, but Tessa simply held up a hand and they stopped.

"I am not now, nor ever been, a Drag Queen Mister Nably. The fact that I'm transgender was never a secret. Everybody knows. My guards are not here to protect me from you. They are here to dissuade me to not tear you to ribbons right here on the steps. You're scum Nably. This is your final chance." Tessa said flatly.

Trent Valens nodded to someone behind Nably. He turned and saw a Marshal.

"Joseph Nably. You are hereby Served." The Marshal informed him then put a paper in his hand.

Trent smirked. "The State Police conducted an investigation into your Private Investigator. His license has been pulled. That is an Injunction against you. Cease and Desist any and all further attempts to disrupt the operations of the park and stalking of its employees. The Hate Group showed the email that got their attention. It got the Judge's attention too. Followed by ours. It came from you."

"He didn't learn before that it's not good to get our attention." One of the Security remarked.

Dave called him down. "Secure that."

"Hoo-Ahh, Captain." The Security-man replied at Attention then resumed Parade Rest as the others.

Joe Nably leaned closer. "Nobody tells me 'No'. I always get what I want!"

"You won't get VentureRealm. Me, and my people, aren't going anywhere. We're here. To. STAY." Tessa said firmly.

Trent smiled. "In those documents are also restraining orders. You are not allowed within 500 meters of the park or Tessa. That means you have to leave or be arrested."

Nably looked at the papers finally and saw it. He swore and left.

The reporters finally pounced.

"Is it true? What he said." One reporter asked and pushed her mic forward.

Tessa's switched immediately flipped. In her most regal manner, she addressed the media. "Joseph Nably has set his sights on VentureRealm Park for reasons we do not know. I stand in the way of his plans, whatever they are. I purchased the property nobody wanted. No one had the courage to do anything with it. I made my dream come true. Greedy, unscrupulous people using underhanded tactics will not harm that. Neither myself, nor the people that work for me owe anyone. We have earned for ourselves. We are here to STAY."

Another reporter tried a different approach. "You said that you are transgender. Is that official?"

"I am and it is. My Transitional Process has been by the numbers, following the medically approved guidelines. No short cuts, nothing below standard. Everything above board. I am the premier employer of LGBT and Veterans. Guests can rest assured that they are looked after by the best this country has. Each and every member of cast and staff have been thoroughly vetted and I have gathered only the best! There will be absolutely no slandering or trash tabloid portrayal. The media will maintain true Journalistic Standards or face the harshest of realities." Tessa warned then said. "We're done here."

All members of Security came to Attention loudly then followed, closing ranks protectively in diamond formation around Tessa, Dave and Trent. The effect was more impressive than anything everyone on the Courthouse steps had seen and respectfully made way. Queen Tessa and her guards were not a group anyone wanted to challenge.

Tessa had finally given in recently and bought a more comfortable vehicle for going out and about, a Lincoln Navigator. Trent sat in the back with Tessa while Dave rode shotgun. A sedan holding four members each had the luxury SUV between them.

"You do know that you're going to be all over the papers and news, right?" Trent asked.

Tessa casually flipped through a file of papers she had brought along to go over. "Make the call Captain."

"Yes Ma'am." Dave nodded then brought his phone. When the call connected he spoke briefly. "Nably called Tessa a drag queen on camera, Emily. Go FULL saturation. Out."

Trent shook his head. "Of course. You were expecting it."

Dave looked back. "Emily came up with 6 different plans to combat the outting of all the transgender cast, including Queen Tessa. Before any of the Media broadcast anything, the truth will be all over them. Hell, Emily would send out pigeons with notes if she had them."

"Remember Trent, Drag Queens are parody performers. The only parodies are a set of songs sung by three straight guys. No drag queen acts in VentureRealm at all. If a media person refers to any of my performers as Drag Queens, we can sue. Fun, huh?" Tessa smirked. "The correct information is being sent out in a manner that they can't deny receiving. They go with Drag Queen, they're screwed for biased Journalism."

Trent chuckled. "Drop me off at my office. I better start drafting some lawsuits."

"Dave." Tessa prompted.

"Onward!" Dave told the driver who merely chuckled.

 
 
 
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Chapter 17 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

The Friday morning's newspaper had bold headlines. The morning news shows led with similar by-lines. Even social media was running, but with more blunt wording; Hate-group suffers Native Americans' warpath! Essentially the articles and commentaries highlighted the fact that an area of WildForest was actually a combined Nations Reservation, offered by personal treaty between Tessa and representatives of those four Nations while being protected by previous treaty agreements between Native American Nations and the U.S. Government's Department of Interior. Some outlets received anonymous releases suggesting that the Hate Group had been duped by a Real Estate developer, reputed to have used similar strong arm tactics to devalue and acquire properties in the past.

One television reporter commented. "It's been implied that a person has tried to slander the owner of VentureRealm Park. Though she admits freely to being transgender, following approved guidelines for transition, Tessa Frost outright denies any implication of Drag Queen performances of any kind, Miles."

"That she does Cathy. I was very surprised to find out that A Drag Queen is actually a parody performance artist, lip-syncing to songs. Tessa is quoted to say 'that she regrets she, herself, is not a performer of any kind. More that when she is away from her office duties, she takes on a Hospitality role. Interacting with the guests, pointing out features and attractions, in general; being a guide. Her primary role is the owner and chief administrator of the park'." Miles added.

Cathy nodded. "Well with all the effort that's been put forth to ensure the safety and well-being of the park's guests, it's fairly easy to understand why she's called Queen Tessa. After the break we'll check in with Lori over in the weather center."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Tessa clicked off the television in her office with a smirk of satisfaction. Emily on the P.R. team had reached full saturation with an hour of Dave's call. It had been a full-on blitz attack. Mass emailings, faxed statements and social media postings that went viral. Strategically worded disclosure had cut off Nably's knee-jerk accusation dead cold. Tessa had even managed to get live call-in interviews with a select core of on-air personalities. Even two that were openly anti-LGBT, featured her. Unfortunately for them, Tessa bested their obnoxious diatribe with cold statements of logic. It had the effect she wanted, infuriating them and reducing them to frothing and impulsive responses.

She had followed Dave's strategy to the letter and he had not been wrong. The former Intelligence officer had been dead-on as to what words and phrases to use to hammer away at the ego-driven, ignorant, hate-mongering hosts. The one that purported to have vast evidence that transgenderism was a form of brianwashing got slammed the hardest. Tessa knew his material better than he did and it's verified detractions. She then challenged him to come up with a stronger argument and shot that down as well.

Tessa's coup de-grace came when she said flatly. "I find it beyond pathetic when people of so-called high morals and family values realize that praying and various other pleas to desparately make a member of their family more acceptable to their own brainwashing have no effect and resort to beatings and isolated incarceration to force somebody to submit to superstition that has NO basis in reality. Transgender peoples have been around far longer than that pack of fairy tales they call a religion. We aren't leaving. We won't submit. We are, and always have been, here. That nonsense was tried on me. It had all the effectiveness of throwing bricks into the Grand Canyon. By-the-way, how is your fiance doing? This is the third surgery on her face now, isn't it? How did that last breast augmentation go? You had her go up two cup sizes, right? Are you still introducing her as your 'Fix'er upper'? You weren't happy with her 'as God intended and in His own image'? Poor woman, she's going to suffer self-esteem problems. Not being 'pretty enough' for you."

The line went dead immediately, making Tessa smile in satisfaction. "Gotcha."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Elaine Oberline had been tipped off about the call-in interviews and listened to them. In no time at all, Tessa had her howling with laughter. She quickly drafted a letter and sent it to the Editor of the local newspaper then called him to ask that it run immediately. She wanted it known that she had always been supportive to the local LGBT community, proprosing and implementing city ordinances that met or surpassed the state laws for fair treament. Her only regret, that she still felt there could be more done. LGBT peoples in Bayleston were friends and family after all, therefore should not be snubbed or forgotten. The Editor told her that she just barely made it and the letter would be printed in the morning paper.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Michelle joined Nicole and Danica at the table for breakfast. Nicole was giggling.

"Ok. What's going on?" Michelle asked.

Nicole smiled. "Queen Tessa get them loudmouth good yeah!"

"She's talking about those hater-talk-show guys last night." Danica explained.

Michelle frowned. "I was catching up with friends back home. So what'd I miss?"

"Loud fool, he get slam left 'n right." Nicole laughed. "Big mouth think he know stuff, Queen Tessa know better and hit harder and harder each time. Every time he throw somethin' out, she slap him right back with why no good."

Danica shook her head. "It was both funny as all get-out and appalling. The guy had to have been foaming at the mouth by the time Queen Tessa was done with him. That guy threw the 'Nature-Nurture' bit at her."

"Oh Hell." Michelle winced.

Nicole sighed. "I get it don't mean nothin'. I just don't get why it come up."

Michelle explained. "A long time ago twin boys were born. Well during circumsism, one of the baby boys was almost castrated. So the doctors feed the parents a line of crap and call in this old psychiatrist. Now this guy was more of a researcher, but more importantly, he wanted to be a BIG name. He was trying to pass off this b.s. hypothesis that if you start from the beginning, you can raise the child to turn out the way you want. Specifically, if you raise the boy as a girl, he will be."

"Didn't work. Kid didn't even get into his teens and rebelled. He lives as a male. It all came out in the wash. Total failure. Unfortunately, that quack went around proclaiming success. People want to believe, because it's more palatable than having a transgender in the family." Danica clarified.

Nicole had been listening intently. "Brainwash? This guy say; you babe no the way you want, just brainwash?"

"Yep. Pretty much." Danica and Michelle replied in tandem.

Nicole looked angry. "Where this guy?"

"If he's lucky; an unmarked grave. Finish up sister, we're princesses." Michelle remarked.

Quickly, Nicole finished her breakfast and the three princesses began heading toward the park to get ready for the day.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Joe Nably's secretary walked in and found Nably sitting behind his desk. His personal office was trashed. Knowing he had done it all himself, she went to her desk without a word and began her day.

"Lynn." Joe called from the doorway. "Find me a church group. One that hates queers and freaks."

Lynn turned around. "Mister Nably. What are you hoping to accomplish?"

"I want that park! I want that freak run out!" Joe hissed.

Lynn stood and picked up her purse. "Mister Nably, you've paid me fairly decently. Also, you've never tried to make a pass. that's the only good things I can say. That woman, and yes, that's what she is; will never sell. You will not run her out. If you continue to try, you will find yourself so deep in legal trouble, no one will help you. Or worse, you're going to find yourself sued into a bankruptcy you'll never recover. If you will not let it go, I have to leave."

"Where do you get off throwing ultimatums at me?" Nably snarled.

Lynn glared. "I have a son and daughter, both under ten. If you stay on this, you'll go down. Nobody will hire me after that."

"What makes you think anybody will if you walk now?" Nably hedged.

Lynn leaned in close. "The recordings I have of over twenty illegally acquired properties. Those are with somebody I trust, you'll never know who, and will take them directly to the State Attorney General, with copies also going to the major media. Oh yeah, and I'll sue. For everything."

Nably glared at her. "Get! Out!"

"Reference. And my check." Lynn said coldly.

He went back into his office and came back a couple of minutes later and tried to throw it at her.

"You'll get the damned reference. Now get out!" Nably growled, of all people, he knew she wasn't bluffing.

Lynn picked up the check, glanced at it then tucked it into her purse and set a keyring on the desk. "Goodbye."

After the door closed behind her, Joe Nably grabbed the cup of pens and flung it at the door. "BITCH!"

 

~*~*~*~
 

Tessa looked up from her paperwork to the knock at her office door.

Zeke walked in and stopped in front of her desk then saluted. "I spoke and acted without thinking the other day. I apologize. It won't happen again."

"Go close the door Mister Malone then sit down." Tessa said.

Zeke immediately obeyed.

Tessa looked at him intently. "Apology accepted, Mister Malone. However, do not ever reveal any personal business of mine you may be privy to. Do not ever argue this; the only thing I ever gave you, was a chance to prove yourself. All that you have gained since then, is of your own doing. You have the respect of everyone working here and the construction crew. You earned that for yourself. You have much to be proud of, Mister Malone."

Zeke nodded. "Yes Queen Tessa."

"Mister Malone. So far things have been good for us here. I believe that is going to change. I feel we are going to have serious problems." Tessa said.

Zeke frowned. "If you mean that private investigator, he won't be back."

Tessa shook her head. "I'm referring to the man he was working for. That man is greedy and underhanded. He isn't done yet, Mister Malone. He will come after the park and us again. Particularly me. I own the park, so I stand in his way. He wants to destroy me, everything I've built and all I stand for, Mister Malone."

"Not going to happen, Queen Tessa. He'll have to come over all our dead bodies to do that. He's going to need all of North Korea to even think of that." Zeke said firmly.

Tessa arched an eyebrow. "Well, since we lack a cuisine appropriate to distract them with; let's sincerely hope it doesn't come to that."

Zeke smirked. "You could always have Casey Malorian yodel them into surrender."

Tessa laughed. "They would definitely attack if he did that! On sheer principle alone!"

Zeke laughed.

"Alright Mister Malone, get going. Sleep well." Tessa waved him to go.

Zeke stood and saluted. "Queen Tessa."

Tessa was still chuckling as the former Marine left.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Dave Wells answered his phone. "Wells."

"A friend said you needed help, Captain Wells." A feminine voice stated. "Major Morehouse should ring the bell."

Dave chuckled. "Ah. And that would make you Lieutenant Westin. So very nice to make your acquaintance. Call me Dave."

"Michelle, Dave. How can a little Financial Officer be of service?" Michelle Westin asked.

Dave got serious. "One: Joseph Nably. I believe he is on your radar."

"He is. If word is right, he's out to get your current employer. What's up?" Michelle asked.

Dave said bluntly. "He's too brave. I think he's been purchasing political protection. I know he has a pitbull for an attorney, but that's not enough. He's got people making things happen. I'd like to know who. Probably somebody local here."

"Bayleston, right?" Michelle asked, more to herself than him. "He made a several campaign contributions over the years to a Conway, Ralph."

Dave began looking through some files on his computer then found it. "Conway. City Councilman. He does a lot of work in Zoning. Mostly commercial."

Michelle didn't sound surprised. "Nothing new then."

"It is to me. Thank you Lieutenant, much appreciated. I owe you." Dave remarked.

Michelle disregarded it. "That was nothing. If you get anything, let me know. The AG's office has been after him for a while, but we can't get anything that'll stick. Take care, Sir."

Dave hung up then headed out. He was heading into town. Sitting on a bench outside the local VFW was who he wanted to see.

"Mornin' Top." Dave greeted and handed over a go-cup of coffee.

The old man took the coffee in his left hand and tossed the handful of bread crumbs in his right on the ground for the birds hopping around and chirping.

"What's got you out 'n about? Ain't you supposed to be watching over the folks at the park?" The old man asked after taking a sip of the coffee.

Dave grinned. "I could do with some Intel, Top."

"Your troops had to love you, somebody schooled you well." The old First Sergeant chuckled. "Ask me questions."

"Ralph Conway." Dave replied.

Top grunted in disgust. "Hookers on corners deserve more respect. At least they're honest. He's about as crooked as they come Captain. Give him money and he'll do whatever you want."

"I see. What happened during the last election?" Dave asked.

Top adjusted his hat. "Damnedest thing. Everybody thought it was all over, but the shouting a month away. Out of nowhere, be bounces back. TV ads, radio, heard he was all over the computer stuff too. then the week before he comes up with young Ed had a DUI and wreck a while back. That slammed the door shut. Won for the fourth time."

"Let me guess. By a landslide?" Dave commented.

Top nodded. "It was worse than the Tet."

Dave shook his head. "That's just disappointing."

"To be honest, I'm surprised the park got built." Top remarked.

That surprised Dave. "Why's that?"

"Well, anytime somebody showed any kind of interest in the place, Ralph claymored the advance. Don't know how your boss-lady got around him." Top stated.

Dave shrugged. "The only person she talked to about it was the agency selling the place."

Top looked over. "That's why. She didn't ask around. See, people always went through the City to ask about the place. First one they saw, was Ralph. About seven years ago, some big money man from out west came. The guy got permission to go inside, to look around, he got sprayed by a skunk. Word has it, that weren't no accident or chance."

"You mean he had somebody in there wrangling a skunk to intentionally spray the guy so he'd run off?" Dave asked.

Top shrugged. "Pretty much. There is a guy here in town that has a trained skunk. He can handle it without getting sprayed. Says he can get it to spray on command, too. He's about an odd individual. Definitely a few rounds short of a full magazine."

"Is Conway visibly connected to a guh name Joe Nably?" Dave asked.

Top thought about it then nodded. "Believe so. There was a big parcel on the other side of town, sat for a long time then Ralph rezones it and it got bought. Now that we're talking about it, more than one place got rezoned then sold. Places that nothing was going on with then they got rezoned for commercial and a week later, sold signs went up. Can't be no coincidence."

"Top, a coincidence is out on a sly date and running into your other's sibling, doing the same thing." Dave said.

The old man laughed hard then shook his head. "That's a good one! Yeah, that'd actually be a coincidence. Or Murphy's Law!"

"Thanks Top. Always good talking." Dave said.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Ralph Conway had been surprised when the call came. Now he was walking into the office of Tessa Frost. He was surprised to see two Security members posted outside her office. One knocked then let him in.

"I must say, I'd never have imagined a queen doing office work in full regalia." Conway oozed.

Tessa finished signing the paper then slipped it into a file and put it away. She gave him her full attention.

"Mister Conway. I'm glad you could find the time to come down." Tessa gave as a greeting. "I have quite a bit going on, so I'd like to simply get right to this."

Conway nodded. "I'm not one to beat around the bush, myself. Go ahead."

"What is Joe Nably's unhealthy obsession with my park?" Tessa asked point blank.

Ralph was truly taken by surprise. "I have no idea what or who you mean."

Tessa pulled over a folder, opened it to read off locations and dates then looked at him. "You rezoned and he bought within seventy-two hours then resold within four to five days. He also contributed to your campaign fund during the last election at the last minute. A rather sizable amount as well. Even I would find it very hard to forget somebody that dropped close to a hundred thousand dollars on me. No way in Hell would you not know nor be on good terms with them."

Conway could only sit there in silence. Tessa had him cold. She knew what he'd done, why and for whom.

"You've also run off any party interested in the park. I find it amusing that after all you did for him, the favor went to me." Tessa said flatly. "I'm guessing you were forcing devalue to the property then when it hit his mark, you'd rezone it and so he could grab it up. He makes a bundle and you get a piece, by way of campaign funds, consulting fees and get to stay in office another term."

Conway's eyes looked like they were about to pop out and bounce off the wall. Tessa's supposition was actually dead-center. He recovered quickly though.

"I made jobs possible." Conway retorted.

Tessa kept a neutral expression. "Not that many. Those companies brought in automated lines and relocated most of the personnel here to run them. All in all, less than three hundred new jobs. I brought on over seven hundred local employees. The companies increased revenue by only one percent. I increased revenue already by fifteen. Amateur hour was over when I came to town Mister Conway. Welcome to the big league, you're in deep shit."

Tessa looked down at her phone. "You can come in now."

The door opened, Captain Dave and Elaine Oberline came in followed by the Sheriff. The District Attorney was with them.

"They were listening in the conference room. Captain." Tessa said.

Dave handed over a folder. "This only took half an hour to assemble. All of it found in public records. His campaign contributors, the rezoning and property sales."

The D.A. flipped through the pages then glared at Conway. "Ralph, the only thing I find harder to believe than you doing this, was us not seeing the truth. Roy, take him into custody. Influence peddling, bribery."

The Sheriff waved him to stand up. "You're under arrest Ralph."

Conway was shocked and could only nod numbly after his rights were read. They stopped at the door when Tessa spoke again.

"Mister Conway. When you speak to Mister Nably, inform your owner the game is now over. Anymore foolishness and his ass will belong to me." Tessa said setting out more papers to go through then waved them out, never looking up.

Elaine commented to the D.A. "I think I'll thank my lucky stars tonight, that Queen Tessa liked my record."

"I think I'll do the same." District Attorney Howard O'Neil muttered.

Dave arched an eyebrow looking at Tessa. "I thought Trent would be here for that?"

"Since you gave me a certain report that I liked reading. I have him up in Massachusetts making a visit for me. He'll be back in a day or two." Tessa replied.

Dave nodded. "Finn Foundation."

Tessa nodded. "I'm sure they'll appreciate a contribution and find my offer appealing. While he's up there, he'll check on that girl in college. The one from Mississpi I personally sponsored. Grady's cousin's girl. The one he told us about that needed to get away from a crappy family. She seems to have been ambushed. Some individuals that should not be allowed around, drugged her and some other boy; to get her pregnant by him. The situation has been resolved and she's assured me that it's already been sorted out. The father and his fiance will adopt the baby from her. something about her not being able to have any children."

"I remember. She's going to intern during the summers. Yeah, Trent should check on her, make sure everybody is on the up and up. Well, back to work. As the chopper-jocks used to say; you're screwed when you've run out of Cyclic, Collective AND good ideas. Nably hasn't been neutralized yet." Dave turned and went out.

"Yet." Tessa muttered then hummed a tune and softly sang to herself. "Teardrop on the fire, fearless on my.....BREATH."
 
 
 
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Chapter 18 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

"Close the door." Joe Nably said as the last of the six men entered his office then picked up a stack of envelopes and held them up. "Five thousand now. Another five after."

One of the men took his envelope. "So what do you want done?"

"I want you guys to break into that park tomorrow night and make the rides breakdown. Do whatever you can. I want them to go haywire, fall apart, the works, Clay." Joe Nably.

Clay had been counting the money, but looked up. "And if people are on them when it happens?"

Nably snarled. "All the better! I want that place shut down!"

Clay nodded. "Alright. You just bought alot of accidents."

"Just get it done Clay. Make it a BIG show." Joe Nably said angrily as they left.

Alone again, he went back to his desk for his computer and pulled up the site for religious group against transgender people. He had found one that didn't just hate them alone, they would show up at anything important to lesbians, gays and transgenders. They were also known to have protests at war veterans' funerals and pretty much anything else that wasn't religious. A message, along with a donation, got their attention. The website now had an announcement that the protest-group would be at the park to block the gates at opening. Between them and the sabotage, the park should be ruined.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Ol' Mac was sweeping the sidewalk along Third street. He had been assigned two blocks before lunch and two blocks after lunch. The young man wearing a hat saying he was an Air force veteran and a T-shirt printed with Idle Hands had promised him lunch and money for the sweeping. He had seen the young man before, and several others like him. They traded money, meals and other things needed for work by the street people. Currently he was sweeping in front of A-1 Appliance and Electronics Repair. He stopped for a minute to look at the television in the window. A busy commercial was on and it caught his attention, even though he couldn't hear it.

Suddenly he all but banged his head against the glass to look close. "THAT'S HER!"

A worker saw this and came out, worried the streetman might break the glass to try stealing the television. He stopped when he heard him muttering to himself. "You're real. I really saw you. It wasn't the booze. You're really real."

"Um, could you ease back from the window?" The worker asked.

Ol' Mac pointed to the television. "She's real! I saw her!"

The worker walked over and looked at the screen. "That's the commercial for the park. VentureRealm. Who did you see?"

"She wore all white. She looks like an angel. THAT'S HER!" Ol' Mac pointed again.

The worker recognized her. "That's Queen Tessa. She owns the park."

Ol' Mac's eyes had filled with tears. "It was Christmas. I saw her. She gave us envelopes. Told me Merry Christmas. It wasn't the booze, I really saw her. I ain't gonna drink no more. She was real."

The owner of the shop had come out and heard most of the exchange. "Tim, go get a bottle of water. I think the heat's gettin' to him."

"Might be right, Mitch. Be right back." Tim nodded and went inside.

Mitch gently pressed on the streetman's shoulders to turn him. "Why don't you come over and sit down in the shade over here?"

"She's real." Ol' Mac repeated as he went over to a bench under an awning and sat down.

Tim returned and handed him an opened bottle of water. "He's talkin' about Queen Tessa over at the park."

Mitch nodded. "Yeah. She's real alright. Hired my nephew's girlfriend right out of High School to work over there. She's working in the kitchen of the Italian place over in SeaSide, learning under real chef. That ain't all Queen Tessa done. She donated to the schools' Home Ec classes, drama clubs and computer classes. Queen Tessa; she's very real ol' man. What are you doing out here though?"

"Mitch. Look, over there." Tim said and nodded to the broom leaning against the building. "That broom has one of them Idle Hands stickers on it."

Mitch went over and brought it back. "Are you sweeping the walk here for Idle Hands?"

Ol' Mac nodded. "They give us money for the sweepin'. Feed us too."

"That's good, but I think you might be working a little hard. Probably be best if you sat down a bit and drink that water. I'll be back in a minute." Mitch advised.

Ol' Mac drank the water while Mitch went inside and came back out a couple of minutes later with a damp cloth.

"Here. Wipe your face down with this and wrap it 'round your neck. It'll cool you down." Mitch said.

Ol' Mac did and began to feel relief from the heat. It was hot out, but only 92 degrees. Hot, but not unbearably.

Tim looked to the old man. "If you saw Queen Tessa outside the park, that's really something. She doesn't just up and wander around. No sir, if she's out and about, it's for a reason. She definitely doesn't go off by herself. Always a handful of people watching over her. Those princesses too."

"Park?" Ol' Mac asked, confused.

Mitch nodded. "Yeah. The Amusement Park. She bought and rebuilt it. It's called VentureRealm. It where that old broken down park was. All brand-spankin' new now."

A man walked up wearing a veterans hat and Idle Hands t-shirt. "Mac? You ok?"

Tim nodded. "He got a little excited, but he seems ok. Ok if he takes a break here in the shade?"

"Yeah. We don't want the folks pushing themselves. They get a small area to work in and they can take as long as they need. I'm Morris, I volunteer with Idle Hands and Street Table." Morris said offering handshakes.

Mitch shook hands. "Heard of you folks. Doin' good work around town."

"Getting better and better everyday. Lots of places are donating to us now. I'd name some, but they all agree to be anonymous. Let's just say that several restaurants contribute their buffets to Street Table after the line closes and other stores and business pitch in with various donations for Idle Hands. Good for the community." Morris said proudly. "Folks, like Ol' Mac here, trade us their time and we give something for the effort. Some money, supplies for them staying outdoors. The like."

Tim asked. "What's Mac doin' today?"

Morris pointed down the way. "We asked him to sweep the walk from Cherry to Birch. After that we gave him a plate lunch and thirty dollars. He said he could do more so we asked him to sweep from Birch to Sycamore. I can give him some more money for that and he'll get dinner by Street Table anyway."

"Four blocks. You say he got thirty and lunch for the first two, right?" Mitch asked.

Morris nodded. "Yep. We don't dog the folks willing to trade time."

Mitch took out his wallet and pulled two twenties. "Tell you what, I'll add forty to that right now. Mac, right? Mac, you come down here every monday morning and sweep this block first thing, I'll give you forty dollars and a full breakfast personally. Deal?"

Mac nodded. "I can do that. I have a time keeping days right, I forget sometimes."

"I'll make sure you come on the right day Mac." Morris said writing in a notebook.

Mac was given another bottle of water and told he could keep the towel. Morris told him there was no rush and to take his time sweeping. Mac nodded and after half an hour went back to it. However he was more focused on the discovery than sweeping. The Christmas angel was a real woman and they said her name was Queen Tessa. His mind was still fuzzy, but he did remember the envelope of money that bought him food and warmer clothes. While he ate dinner that night, his hands started to shake.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Tessa wandered about the park. Though the adults seemed a bit hesitant to approach, children flocked to her for hugs. With a smile she gave them hugs and said encouraging things to them. The four member Security escort stayed with her, but discreetly so the children wouldn't be intimidated. Tessa played a few games with some, winning prizes and handing them out. The kids enjoyed being with her, playing the games and even sat in the shade while she sat on a bench and told them a quick story.

When some of the cast from the Winter show happened by and began to distract the kids, Tessa slipped away and went back to her office for more mundane work. It seemed the big revelation of Tessa being transgender had only an hour or so of impact on the park. Most people did seem to understand that her main job was working in an office. They never thought to ask if she was the only one and nobody else was interested in informing about any others. Unfortunately for her, the rest of her work day required her to stay in the office. The God of unending paperwork decided it was the perfect day to lavish attention on her. By dinner time, Tessa was seriously considering having a stamp made for her signature. By closing time, she was definitely ready to change and go to her house for a long bubblebath.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Clay led his guys out of the bar, lighting a cigarette and blew out a long stream of smoke. "I been thinkin'."

"Yeah?" One of the men asked.

Clay spit to the side then took another drag off the cigarette. "Nably wants that park to fall apart so he can buy it, right?"

The group grunted and murmurred in agreement, not really getting his point.

"If that's all he wants, there's a better way. Easier too. That park is owned by that queen freak, Tessa." Clay stated.

One of the other men shrugged. "Yeah. So?"

"That's the point. The freak owns it. There's no board or committee. Just her. If the freak's not there, Nably can buy the park easy." Clay stated.

Another drained his beer. "So?"

"So; we take it out instead. I heard it lives in a house all alone. We just go over there and throw a beatin' and torch the house. No more freak, no evidence, job done. Hell, we'll probably get a bonus." Clay smirked.

"Shit! Chill! Chill!" One of the guys said looking off.

Clay looked in the direction and saw a man trying very hard to pick up some discarded cans and shook his head. "Forget it. That bum ain't nothin'."

"You sure?" The guy asked.

One of the others nodded. "Look at him. That dude's shakin' so bad. DT's are hittin' hard. He probably can't even make sense right now. Probably lucky if he knows his own damn name. Clay's right. Let's just go do the freak and torch the house."

"By this time tomorrow, we'll be 5k heavier and that freak Tessa'll be toast. Come on, we'll get some gas and wait til about two in the mornin'." Clay said leading them away.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Ol' Mac had tried six times to pick up the empty beer can. Then he heard men talking. Not much made sense until they said her name, Tessa. Tessa and fire. That made sense.

"Gonna burn the angel. Can't let." Ol' Mac stammered out and abandoned the cans despite not having a drink in two days.

The man in the bar had said he would give Mac some beers or a few dollars for picking up all the cans. That no longered mattered. He had found out the angel was real and now some men wanted to burn her. He had to find her and tell her. Mac began walking. He saw a police car and went over to it.

"Help." Ol' Mac said waving to the officer inside.

The officer warily got out. "What's the problem?"

"I have to go see her. They're gonna burn her." Mac stammered.

Officer Strahern looked at him intently. "Who's going to get burned?"

"The angel. Tessa. Where is she?" Ol' Mac plead. "They want to burn her. I heard."

"You mean Queen Tessa?" Strahern asked then noticed the old man's shaking. "Mister are you drying out?"

Mac went down to his knees. "She's real. I saw her! They want to burn her!"

Strahern reached down and pulled him up. "I hear you. Ok. Tell you what. We'll go tell the Security there, ok? They protect Queen Tessa."

Ol' Mac let himself be sat in the back and the officer drove. Strahern was mentally arguing with himself. One side said the old man must be going through withdrawls and could be breaking. The other half though remembered all the latest incidents at the park. Queen Tessa did have real enemies that may come after her. He decided it couldn't hurt to err on the side of caution and drove to the park. He pulled up at the gates and got out then brought out the old man. They didn't have to wait long.

"Evening Officer. Can I help you?" Zeke Malone asked then focused on the other. "Mac? Ol' Mac? What's going on? It's me, Zeke."

Mac understood the man knew him and lurched forward. "They're coming! I heard them! They want to burn the angel. Tessa. I saw her that night. I know she's real. They want to burn her!"

"Is he making any sense to you?" Strahern asked.

Zeke nodded. "Yeah. Let me take care of him Officer."

"Ok. He's all yours then. I almost took him in instead. He looks like he's drying out." Strahern said then went back to his patrol car.

Zeke put an arm around him. "Come on Mac. Let's get you some coffee."

"Tell the angel? You'll take me?" Ol' Mac asked.

Zeke nodded. "Yeah Mac. We'll tell Queen Tessa."

By the time Zeke got him through the gates and into the park, several others had arrived.

"What's up Sir?" Barkley asked.

Zeke gave orders. "We need to get some coffee in this man. Looks like he's going into DT's. I don't want to give him any alcohol, but may need to to get him calmed down."

"Yes sir!" Barkley acknowledged and ran off.

Zeke keyed his radio. "Over-watch. Is Queen Tessa still in the park or has she gone home?"

"Copy Zeke. I have her heading toward her dressing room. You need her or just checking?" The Over-Watch operator asked.

Zeke answered. "Have somebody ask her to come to my location. This might be important."

"Roger. Hold position." Over-Watch replied.

A few minutes later Tessa and two of her Security escort came into view. She hadn't changed yet, so she was still in her gown and tiara.

"Mister Malone." Tessa said. "You have something that needs my attention?"

"It's you!" Mac exclaimed and slipped off the bench Zeke sat him on.

Tessa ordered. "Help that man."

"Ma'am!" Martell and Dermot quickly reached down and gently helped him back to the bench.

Tessa bent down. "You came here to see me?"

"You're real. I saw you. Help you. They're coming. They want to burn you." Mac stammered out.

Tessa leaned down to him. "Yes Sir. I'm real. You did see me. Who's coming to burn me?"

"I heard them. They're coming." Mac insisted.

"I believe you. You told me about them. They won't hurt me." Tessa reassured him then turned back to Zeke. "Mister Malone. Get this man to the medical station. He needs attention. Have Over-Watch call the Captain, tell him to return to the park."

"Aye Aye Queen Tessa." Zeke said and relayed the instructions then turned to his men. "Let's take Mac to the infirmary. Come on Mac. We'll take care of you."

Zeke looped one of Mac's arms over his shoulder while Martell did the same. they all but carried him away.

"I found her. I told her." Mac insisted. "They can't burn her now?"

Zeke nodded. "They can't burn her now. You did good, Mac. We're going to take care of you now. Just relax. I got you."

Mac was taken to the Medical Station. Within minutes both nurses arrived and began checking him over. Unfortunately Mac hadn't bathed for some time and it was becoming a factor.

"Zeke. I really hate to say this, but something is going to have to be done about your friend." Leslie stated.

Zeke nodded. "I understand Ma'am. We'll take him over to the staff locker room and get him cleaned up."

With Martell's help again, the two men gathered Mac up and took him to the locker room. An hour later they were back and the nurses were able to resume work.

Finally Leslie sighed. "He's in bad shape Zeke. He's going into withdrawls. Alcoholism I suspect. I'm sorry Zeke, but he's going to have to go to a clinic for rehab. He's so old and weak, he may not be able to handle it on his own."

Zeke looked down at the old man, shaking even harder than before. He felt torn. His duty was there, to Tessa. Yet, Ol' Mac needed him too. He needed somebody to care. Zeke reached for his mic.

"Anybody near Queen Tessa?" Zeke asked.

Her voice came back seconds later. "Yes Mister Malone?"

"Queen Tessa, Ol' Mac needs to go to a rehab clinic. How do I get him there?" Zeke asked.

Tessa answered. "Take him there yourself Mister Malone. Take Leslie with you and have her fill out the relevant documents. Leslie, have them bill the park. We will assume responsibility for Mister Malone's friend."

When Leslie nodded, Zeke called back. "Aye Aye Queen Tessa."

Martell drove the medic cart to transport the group to the dorm parking lot. Ol' Mac was transferred to Zeke's truck to lay down on the backseat. Leslie got in the passenger seat and Zeke drove away. An hour later Mac was being settled into a room and beginning a severe detox treatment. Leslie assured Zeke that his friend would be looked after, but he would better off returning to the park.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Clay led his crew over the gate. Four two-gallon plastic gas cans were passed over then the other two men climbed over. Clay carried a flat pry-bar and a sledgehammer. The others had lengths of board three to four feet long. They sneaked up the long drive and approached the castle-like house. The group quietly circled around, looking at the windows, but choose the french doors on the back patio for their entry. Clay checked his crew and nodded then began to work the doors with his pry-bar. The door was compressed enough to groan and finally popped open. The group silently entered. The gas cans were left in the middle of the darkened room as they found the stairs and went up. Quietly each door was checked until they found the master-suite. All of them entered and surrounded the bed.

Clay edged closer and swung the sledgehammer at the middle of the form within the bedding. "GET IT!"

The boards swung together, smacking into the bedding. For a minute all that could be heard were the thwacking of impacts.

"WHAT THE?" Clay exclaimed at the oddness of no resistance or sound of injury.

Suddenly the lights snapped on. "FREEZE!"

Several armed deputies were coming through the door with their pistols draw and some with shotguns. Clay and his crew all looked completely stunned. They were handcuffed and read their rights.

Tessa came into the room, her face was etched with fury as she stared at the man that she had seen leading them and glared at him. "You didn't come up with this all by yourself. Who sent you?"

Cclay pooled his saliva and spit at her face. "Fuckin' freak!"

From the side, a tissue was held out. Tessa took it and wiped the spittle away.

"Call over to the dorm. Inform Princess Nicole to come to her bayou, wake up her pet." Tessa snarled then turned away. "Bring the scum."

Without thinking, the deputies began bringing the crew. The Sheriff was confused and hurried after her.

"Tessa, just what are you up to?" Sheriff Roy Dodd asked.

Tessa didn't look over or break stride. "Getting an answer to my question Sheriff. Don't interfere."

"Wait a minute! You can't mean that you're going to force these men to talk? That's illegal! It'll get the whole damn case thrown out!" Sheriff Dodd protested.

Tessa asked loudly. "Who said those so-called men were going to court, Sheriff?"

Only the Sheriff saw her wink. He decided to play along for a minute. "Look, that thing with blowing that kidnapper's balls off was one thing; the little boy was in danger of a drug overdose! Yes; you doing that did save the kid's life, but this, this is different."

"Get earplugs if you can't handle the screaming. They're criminal scum, tried to slaughter me and burn my house to the ground! You saw the gas and what they did in my bedroom! You will NOT stand in MY way!" Tessa declared and led on.

The Security men encouraged the deputies to continue on, trying not to smile. They knew immediately what Tessa had planned. They also knew it would work. Sheriff Dodd continued with his token argument until they reached a large body of water surrounded by a fence and went through a gate.

"Princess Nicole! Did you wake up your pet?" Tessa demanded.

The cajun girl nodded angrily and glared at the men in custody. "Oui, Reine Tessa. Etienne, him plenty mad."

Nicole waved them to follow and led up to the edge of the concrete pond. She turned on a flashlight then bent down and splashed her hand in the water. Seconds later something splashed on the other side and a low, gutteral, gurgling growl was heard. She played the beam around then twin white reflections came back. Whatever was reflecting the light was moving as well. Toward them.

"Allons you mean ol' thang! ALLONS ETIENNE!" Nicole shouted then turned around and crooked a finger. "Monsieur bad-guy. You meet Etienne. Allons Hommes."

Two of the Security-men grabbed Clay, hauled him over and began to bend him over to the water.

"Non!" Nicole said then gestured with her hand to turn him around and spread his legs. "Other way, yeah."

Clay realized what they were doing. Maneuvering him to be held over the water, groin first and legs wide open. The growling sounded louder and water was rippling. Nicole shined the light and a dark form was moving through the water, coming closer.

"You see sign? There for reason, yeah. Etienne no nice." Nicole grinned. "Swamp Legend Jeromy Pruitt, David LaDart drive up, themself, to bring Etienne. Put Big Arm on 'im! Etienne make big fight, yeah!"

Tessa playing along. "Ten thousand dollars for your gator was a big bounty, Princess. Show me what he's worth."

Nicole smiled big then slapped the water three times fast. "ALLONS!"

The thing in the water revealed itself to be what looked like an alligator, at least ten feet long of body alone. It lifted its head to hiss and sped up.

The Sheriff and deputies were startled and voiced their surprise.

"WHOA WHOA WHOA! THIS IS GETTING REAL NOW!" Sheriff Dodd protested in very real alarm.

Nicole laughed. "Bon apetit, Etienne!"

Clay struggled to get free, but the Security held him tight and even lowered him further. The Gator reared up again, hissing, as it closed in.

"WAIT! JOE NABLY SENT US. HE PAID US TO MESS UP THE RIDES WHILE PEOPLE WERE ON 'EM! HE DIDN'T KNOW WE CHANGED THE PLAN!" Clay began to scream in terror.

Nicole hollered. "YA'LL WANT HURT PEOPLE? KIDS?"

"JOE NABLY! HE PAID US TO! IT WOULD DRIVE SALE OF THE PARK!" Clay yelled then screamed as the gator reared up a few feet away.

The gator reared up and opened its mouth. "You wet your britches, boy?"

Laughter followed. The security-men holding Clay, Nicole and the other Security force members were laughing as well.

Sheriff Dodd looked over at Tessa dumbfounded and pointed to the water. "Uh....."

Tessa finally smirked. "Concrete pond, ten thousand. Animatronic alligator, thirty-five hundred. The LOOK on your faces; PRICELESS."

"This guy pass out." Nicole giggled then turned to call out and wave. "Merci, Bo!"

Etienne opened its mouth again. "No problem. Too bad I don't have the accent you do. I'll put Etienne back inside the show pond now."

The animatronic gator 'swam' away and a light came on by the building and a man came into view as the gator came up out of the water. to reveal it was animatronic. It was mounted on a metal post and running on a track that went into the water.

Sheriff Dodd watched as Tessa's face resumed a look of anger. "Get that trash out of my realm, Sheriff. Before I think of something more creative and definitely harmful to do with them."

The deputies reclaimed Clay as he came around and began to take the crew to their squad cars.

"Somebody get me that asshole Nably's head. I need a new paper-weight for my desk!" Tessa snarled walking away.
 
 
 
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Chapter 19 of     VentureRealm  Park

 

 

 

As the cast and staff began to prepare for the day, a sense of tension was spreading. Those that lived in the dorm had it first. Due to interaction in locker-rooms and dressing areas, it passed to those who lived off-compound. The mechanics and technicians had come in early and worked with a fury to inspect every ride. Reassurances by Over-Watch were taken, but equipment was still verified to be in proper working order. Anything that even looked suspect was replaced. By the time guests began to line up at the gates, the last of the rides had passed their test run. All were operating as they had when first run.

Every member of Main Force Security had a hard look on their faces. They were scanning the faces of every person they could see. During the morning briefing the State Police showed up. The Sheriff had contacted the State Attorney General who in turn contacted the State Police with a warrant to search Nably's business. After that was when Troopers visited the park. Their news incited even more anger from the Security Force, Tessa and the princesses. A picture was flashed on the big screen on the wall. Joe Nably, detain and call for the State Police to take into custody.

When the gates opened, the Hospitality staff were paying close scrutiny. Over-Watch had an additional member in the monitor room running facial recognition on the entrants. The first hour passed. The second hour passed. It was just after Noon that the quietness ended.

"Over-Watch to all. Juliet November is over the threshold. Number 6." The operator announced. "Repeat; Juliet November over the threshold, number 6."

Heads turned and confirmations were subtly made. Direction of movement was relayed and ten Main Force members converged to take up a dedicated perimeter around him. Dave Wells was already calling the State Police. Troopers were en-route before he disconnected. Dave strode angrily as he made his way to Storm Bayou. Along the way he met up with Tessa and her escorts.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Over in WildForest Princess Michelle heard the announcement over the radio of her own escort detail.

"Let's go!" Michelle said and started walking fast.

Her four Security escorts kept step with her as they left her area to head for Storm Bayou.

Princess Danica in SeaSide was doing the same. "Come on guys!"

"Aye Aye Princess." One the former Marines replied and led the way.

Princess Nicole stopped in mid-joke at the announcement then turned back to the kids. "Je suis désolé les enfants, sorry kids. I get back on this later."

A collective 'awww' went out as she turned to go.

"Hommes, avec moi! Allons!" Princess Nicole waved to her escorts.

The detail were hot on the heels of the cajun. They knew she was furious and needed to be held back, or she would attack the man alone. Soon enough though she spotted him.

"See you, yeah!" Princess Nicole snarled and made to confront him.

One of her escorts caught her and stage whispered. "Not yet Princess. Wait. He's not going anywhere."

Nicole said back angrily. "Want him bad Tommy. He paid those guys mess up the rides to hurt people. Change they mind, try killing Reine Tessa 'stead."

"We want him too Princess. Stand fast though, he's trapped. He just doesn't know it yet." Tommy DeVrie informed her.

Moments later, Princess Michelle could be seen coming from the other side. She too, was stopped by her escorts. Princess Danica joined Nicole with her group. Finally Tessa arrived with her full contingent. Each princess had four escorts while Tessa had all twelve of her own. They began to move in, but had to stop as people suddenly took off baggy shirts. They were wearing t-shirts underneath emblazoned with a church group on the back and front.

"THIS PLACE IS SINFUL!" One person yelled.

A woman called out. "YOU'VE ALL BEEN LURED INTO A TRAP BY A DEVIANT!"

Tessa waved her people forward to push past the people.

Nicole growled angrily, passing through. "Knock off, noisy fool! We busy!"

The group stopped shouting in confusion at being pushed aside and disregarded. It was beyond obvious that they and their antics were unimportant. VentureRealm's royalty stood surrounding Joe Nably. Their security escorts forming a ring around them.

Dave Wells called out. "Sloan."

"Yes Sir, Captain." Jimmy answered then addressed Joe Nably. "Nably, stay where you are. State Police are coming to take you into custody. I'm a reserve Deputy for the Sheriff's Department and can arrest you myself, so don't move."

Princess Nicole snarled at him. "Can't believe you. You send you boyfriends come in here tear up rides so people get hurt and kill! All to make close down and buy for self!"

Joe Nably had frozen in surprise. He had no idea where all these security people had come from to effectively surround him so fast. Like they had materialized from thin air itself. When she spoke, he stared at Tessa Frost in anger, but it was no match for the fury on her own face.

"Nably I send word through your lackey; back off. Twice. I told you, face to face, to back off. I have no idea where you come off thinking laws don't apply to you, but they do. You can't buy your way out of this." Tessa said then hooked a thumb over her shoulder. "And as for the stunt with those idiots? You forgot to mention to them about your little sabotage plan?"

"Sabotage?" Someone asked, confused.

Tessa turned around and addressed the group. "Of course. He paid six men to break into the park last night. Their task was to sabotage the rides and cause injuries. By his own words, death would be even better. I'm assuming he sent you a message highlighting myself. I'm sure he sent you a donation as well to motivate you."

People began to look at each other trying to understand exactly what was being said. One was fairly quick on the uptake.

"Are you saying he's using us?" A man asked.

Princess Michelle nodded. "He played you all like a cheap MP3 and now you look like REAL idiots. Congrats, you're stupid."

"Bunch of guppies. Little brains, BIG mouths." Princess Danica remarked in disgust.

Princess Nicole was still the most hostile. "Should take down to Breaux Bridge and strip 'im down and leave out for the skeetas. Gatorbait too good for him, yeah. That or throw bucket of beer over and drop in the Basin for them leeches."

"That will do, Princess. Even though your suggestions are entertaining, we'll be turning him over to the State Troopers." Tessa said to Nicole, but glared at Nably. "Oh yes, Mister Nably, you will indeed get your day in court. Even though any punishment they impose will always be woefully inadequet, you'll face justice. When they are done with you, it will be MY turn."

Unknown to Nably, three State Troopers were coming up behind him.

"Think any of this'll stop me, freak? I'll make bail before the ink dries and I'll hire better guys to come after you. Maybe if enough of your people go to the hospital, better yet, the morgue; you'll clear out! I'll scoop this place up for nothing and do whatever I want. I got money, I own people. Things a freak, like you, can't!" Nably snarled then froze as he was suddenly grabbed and cuffed. "WHAT THE HELL? GET OFF ME! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME! I'LL HAVE YOUR BADGES!"

One Trooper was cuffing him and the other began mirandizing and actually reading it off a card. "Joseph Nably, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a Court of Law. You have the right to an attorney and have them present during questioning. If you do not have or cannot afford an attorney, you will be provided one. Do you understand your rights as you are now under arrest?"

Nably continued to shout and struggle until the Trooper pulled his Taser. "SIR! If you continue to resist, I'll have to light your non-complying ass up!"

Several people began to shout in support of the Troopers, to tase him anyway, until Tessa caught their attention. It became so silent, even a snail could be heard crawling.

"Enough." Tessa said the looked at Nably. "Count the minutes Mister Nably, the time of getting your way has just come to an end. See you in court."

The Troopers led him away to their patrol units at the gates. Tessa finally turned to the protest group. In her gown and tiara, backed by the three princesses with a large contingent of Security, she looked extremely imposing. The look of disgust she cast at them was unmistakable as well.

"One bit of nonsense down, one to go." Tessa said coldly after stepping close to the obvious leader. "How exactly does it feel to be duped by a man that would resort to murder in the name of money? The same money you jumped all over."

"We were told a deviant runs this place!" The man proclaimed only be silenced with a slap.

Tessa cut him off before he said another word. "Listen close you sanctimonoius jackass! You call me or anybody that works for me that again and I'll tear you apart where you stand! You don't know any of us! How dare you come here and insult! Your bullshit religion is as corrupt as it gets! You danced to the whims of a so-called man that paid thugs to come in here and damage the machinery here in hopes people would be injured and even killed in the pursuit of money! I can go into any church of the so-called Christian faith and find con artists, adulterers, drug dealers, thieves and even pedophiles! The con artists and pedophiles are usually at the pulpit banging their fist on a bible! So don't you dare come at us with your unfounded accusations, we have more integrity than you ever will!"

He shouted back. "I'm a man of the cloth!"

"Oh Yeah? Then I will pay you a million dollars cash to prove, right here, right now; Heaven and God exists and YOUR way is correct! I challenge you and your bullshit religion! PROVE UP or GET OUT!" Tessa demanded then addressed the crowd around her. "My parents took me to every church they could get to, brought in every priest, pastor and anybody else they could call. The only things they didn't try were voodoo witch doctors, snake-charmers and Budhist Monks. I'm still ME! I wasn't possessed, I'm not deranged. I've never harmed a child, nor will I ever. I even go out of my way to ensure the protection of children here. I donate to school programs that truly advance a child to a realistic future, instead of filling their heads with pipe-dreams of professional sport! These churches and their hate-troops, do NONE of those things and never will!"

Dave took command of his troops. "PLATOON! REMOVE THESE HOSTILES!"

A chorus went up. "HOO-AHH!" "HOO-RAH!" "HOO-YAH!"

The Security force moved in and began roughly walking the protest group to the gates with Dave leading the way.

Dave glared at the leader. "And if you think we can't throw your butts out, this is private property except for the Reservation. You can be arrested for tresspassing by the Sheriff's department or be arrested by Federal Agents, take your pick. Or you can leave and never come back all on your own."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Tessa addressed the actual park guests. "Ladies, gentlemen and especially children, I do apologize you all had to endure that. Fools will always demand more attention than they should get. Please put it all from your minds and enjoy a beautiful day in the park. Princesses, take charge of your areas."

All three curtsied then turned and invited people to follow them in pursuit of fun things. Tessa herself, led the way to SnowyHill. In no time, people were enjoying games, sing-alongs and dances with the park's royalty.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Nably and his attorney sat in the Interrogation Room of the State Police Headquarters and looked up when the State A.G walked in.

"I demand the release of my client." Nably's attorney stated but was cut off.

Jeremiah Hessfield rolled his eyes. "Not happening. We're still tacking on charges. Right now we have him for extortion, bribery, conspiracy, racketeering and the hits keep coming."

Nably smirked. "You got shit!"

"Actually we got everything." Jeremiah said to their confusion. "You're pretty stupid, really."

Nably and his attorney's jaws dropped as a CD was played, the meeting that Nably hired the thugs to go in to sabotage the park.

"How in the Hell did you get that!" Joe Nably demanded.

Jeremiah smirked now. "Your computer. You mean YOU didn't set it up to record audio every day and store it on a cloud? That and you don't delete your sent emails of wrong doing. You practically handed us evidence of every illegal act you've committed for the last ten years. You're sabotage crew rolled, that gave us probable cause to get a warrant to search your office. The rest, is about to slam you in court."

The Real Estate developer and his lawyer sat stunned as the A.G stood up with smile to go, but looked back from the door. "Oh yeah, the I.R.S. are wanting to talk to you too. Something about falsifying your records, undeclared income. They have a thing about stuff like that. Good luck with them. No sense of humor at all."

At his arraignment, bail was denied. Nably was deemed a flight risk due to his many property holdings and possible still undiscovered secret funds. His time in the cells weren't pleasant. One of the Deputies was 'overheard talking to another Deputy' about how Nably had paid to have rides at the park sabotaged. For some reason, emphasis was put on the rides for small kids. That didn't set well with the prisoners and they made it very clear in blind sopt of camera coverage, between the guards rounds. Three weeks later Nably finally saw the courtroom. The judge sat calmly, but the jury grew more and more angry as evidence was presented. Evidence and testimony that couldn't be refuted by the Defense. Put simply, the case was over before it had even begun. Right after the Judge gave the sentence, Trent Valens intercepted Nably and his attorney. He served them the papers for the lawsuit. Tessa had Trent going for everything Nably had left.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Elaine Oberline sat in her office. It had taken a while to go through and repair all the damage done by Ralph Conway. It turned out, Nably wasn't his only source of money. The more the Deputies dug, the worse it became.

Roy Dodd came in. "I think we're finally done."

"About time!" Elaine groaned.

"That park has really turned this town up and around. Kind of hard to know now, which way is up." Sheriff Dodd remarked.

Elaine sighed. "Don't I know it! Between her improvements to the schools and streets, to the two-minute uproar of her being a transgender and that developer trying to take the park away; I swear Roy, it's been non-stop."

"That Queen Tessa sure does know how to stir things up, that's for sure!" Roy laughed.

Elaine nodded. "Oh, she is anything but dull alright. I'm glad she has no intention of running for office."

"You know she's suing the underwear off that guy, right?" Roy asked.

That got Elaine's attention. "How much is she going for?"

"Don't know, but I heard it's absolutely everything of value he has." Roy said. "The real question is; what's she going to do with it?"

Elaine shrugged. "With her, it's anybody's guess. No one really knows what she's up to until its in full-swing."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Zeke had spent several hours everyday at the detox center. Ol' Mac had a rough time drying out, but somehow made it. On the last day, Tessa herself was there.

"Mister McDennett. I've not forgotten you." Tessa said.

Mac looked her up and down. Tessa wore a simple white halter dress and sandals, but in his eyes, still very much the same angel he saw on Christmas Eve.

His voice no longer sounded hollow as he said. "You're Tessa. The Queen. I remember you."

"Yes Mister McDennett. I'm told you no longer need to be here. Are you ready to go?" Tessa asked.

Ol' Mac was confused. "Go? Where am I going? I don't have anywhere."

Tessa shook her head. "That's not true Mister McDennett. You do have a place to call home. It would be best if we take you there, because you start work tomorrow. Mister Malone, we should head out now."

Zeke nodded. "Aye Queen Tessa. Come on Mac. Let's get you home. Ride's waiting."

Outside, Tessa's Lincoln waited. Zeke helped Mac into the backseat beside Tessa then sat ride shotgun up front. They drove back to the park and parked at the dorm. Zeke led the way upstairs and down a hallway to a door and opened it. Slowly Mac went inside and looked around.

"Nice digs, huh?" Zeke asked proudly.

Mac nodded. "Is this where you live?"

Zeke shook his head. "Nope. I'm right next door. This is yours. Look here. "

Zeke opened the closet and brought out a set of white pants and purple shirt with the park logo. The name Wesley McDennett was embroidered above the park logo.

"Queen Tessa hired you to work the Senior Services desk." Zeke said with a smile.

Mac was still in minor shock of it all. "I have a job now?"

"You have an important job, Mister McDennett. Children aren't the only ones to visit the park. Older people do as well. Some need assistance. I think would be the right person to help them. Would you do that for us?" Tessa asked.

Mac was more surprised and asked just to make sure. "You want me to stay here and work for you?"

Tessa smiled. "Of course, Mister McDennett. For as long as you want to."

"As long as I want? For real?" Mac asked and her nod, replied. "Yes Ma'am."

Zeke patted him gently on the shoulder. "She's your Queen too now. Queen Tessa."

"Welcome to my realm, Mister McDennett. See you tomorrow." Tessa smiled as she turned to go. "Carry on Mister Malone."

Zeke sat Mac down and handed him a packet of papers. Some needed his signature, the rest needed only to be read. Later when Zeke took him down to the cafeteria, Mac was amazed at the food there. Zeke encouraged him to try as much as he could and eat his fill. He also assured him that the others back at the alley of outcasts were going to be fed. That the food not eaten from the line would be trucked over there. When Mac laid down in his bed that night, Mac finally knew a night of peaceful sleep.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Trent Valens gathered up all he needed. Joe Nably had 4 million in liquid assets and another 8 million in properties scattered over three states. Tessa told him to go after it all. That was all Trent needed to be told. The only reason to go to court at all, was Nably was desperately fighting to hang on to anything of value now. The bulk of his wealth had already been ravaged by the courts in the form of fines and I.R.S. penalties. When he had been arrested, Nably was worth almost 30 million in assets. Much of it undeclared. He was shown no mercy.

Closing his briefcase, Trent said to himself. "Tomorrow is doom'sday for you, asshole."
 
 
 
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Chapter 20 of     VentureRealm  Park   the finale

 

 

 

Trent Valens started off having a field day and carried it for three more. Thanks to the evidence found by the State Police, Nably and his legal team had no hope in Hell of even thinking of winning. They did try though. Every dirty and bigoted ploy was thrown at Trent Valens and Tessa's case. Each one was turned around and shown for what it was. Crude and lowball tactics to try excusing behaviour that had no excuse. Finally the last word was given by Tessa herself.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the jury and court. You've heard many things here in this room. Many were malicious and without substance. Since I moved to Bayleston and set up my works, I've done many things. I've given support to educational programs in all the schools, from elementary up to the Technical colleges. Worked in conjunction with the local department of Veterans' Affairs and Military Recruitment offices to provide mentors for young people wishing to volunteer for our country's military services. Donated funds and other needed things to programs for improving the conditions of the streets of the city and its denizens. Even with accredited Humane Animal services to help with the problem of unwanted and abused animals." Tessa said as she wandered the court room.

"I never hid the fact that I, myself, am a transgender person. That, however, is nobody's business; but mine. Even in my past, I never endangered, nor mistreated any child, though I had been repeatedly. I took all that and made it a fuel. I'm not out to change the world, just my little place in it. I've done well and will continue to do so, with or without anyone's permission or approval. I do it for myself, because I want to. Mister Nably cares only for the accumulating of personal wealth and influence without a second thought of any harm his actions bring. No, I correct that, he has already said that if people are harmed, and in some cases killed, it was all the better as far as he was concerned. Every cent I seek in this legal action will not be for myself. I intend it to go to even more of those programs I support. I'll do all I can to make children's dreams real and clean up the streets of our cities." Tessa said then stared at Joe Nably. "I'll do it to the very last PENNY."

All could see the look of absolute furious conviction on her face when she said that. Her crisp white dress and white high-heel sandals gave her the look of Winter's Queen. Right down to the platinum snowflake jewelry and three tiny clear crystals at the outer corners of her eyes and silvery eyeliner. All had drawn every eye to her and served its purpose exactly how she had wanted to appear; clean and untouchably radiant as a Queen. With those final words, the jury went into deliberation.

Four hours later Court reconvened and the Foreman stood.

"Has the jury reached a verdict?" The Judge asked.

The Foreman, actually a woman, nodded and stated clearly. "We have, Your Honor. In a vote of Eleven to One; we find in favor of the Plaintiff, Tessa Frost."

Trent leaned close to Tessa and whispered. "They managed to sneak in one definite anti-trans hard-liner."

Tessa nodded, but said nothing. She knew it would have been impossible to keep them all out to get an unbiased jury.

"Very well." The Judge acknowledged. "Defense rise. Joe Nably, You have faced a jury of peers and they have found against you. A settlement of sixteen million dollars is to be paid to Tessa Frost in a timely manner. Counselor Valens."

Trent nodded. "Seven to ten working days will be sufficient, Your Honor."

"So noted. Seven to ten working days. Case closed, Court adjourned." The Judge stated for the record, while making the proper notes as well.

A moment later he stood up and the Bailiff called out. "All Rise."

After the Judge left, everyone began to filter out. Many congratulating Trent and Tessa. Nably was taken out and returned to custody as his legal team left. As the last few to congratulate Tessa made their way out the Attorney General came up and shook hands with Trent.

"Valens, that was some damn fine casework!" Jeremiah Hessfield smiled.

Trent chuckled. "Well you did so much hard work for us, I couldn't let it go to waste now, could I?"

"I still can't believe he was so stupid to set his computer up to record every dirty deed." Tessa remarked.

Jeremiah smirked. "Actually, he didn't."

"Say again?" Tessa asked, now confused.

The State Attorney General laughed. "He didn't. His former secretary did it. When she found out he was real piece of work, she knew she had to protect herself. She set up his computer to record and transfer the files to a cloud. She could remotely access it, anytime she needed, if she got made the fall-girl. We just happened across it and I brought her in for questioning. She admitted that she did and why. Pretty smart. She turned State's Evidence in exchange for a reference. To sweeten it, she told us about four properties that Nably had filed falsely under her name and signed them over to the state to use as we see fit. I have a friend in a federal agency looking for a property manager and passed her resume along. She moved out of state a week ago, no longer of interest to us. All's well that ends well."

Tessa rolled her eyes. "Really counselor? How long have you sat on that cliche?"

Jeremiah laughed again. "Since I first got Nably in my sights. You all have a great day. Hail to the Queen and all that."

Tessa shook her head smiling as he left waving over his shoulder, whistling a happy tune.

Trent took up his briefcase and offered his arm. "Shall we, My Queen."

"Of course, we shouldn't keep everyone waiting." Tessa chuckled and took his arm.

Trent asked. "So what are you going to do now?"

"Same thing I do every day Trent; try to take over the world." Tessa giggled as her Security team formed around her.

"ZORT!" Trent replied as they all laughed with her.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Three weeks later Elaine Oberline stood on a dais. Tessa and her Princesses were in full regalia, along with their escorts in ceremonial uniforms.

"Queen Tessa. In respect to all your works here in Bayleston, improving the community in so many ways we'd be here for a week and half to list them, I present you the Key to the City."

"Thank you Mayor Oberline. And definitely thank you for not going to detail." Tessa said, taking the key. "Since you were so kind to be brief, so will I. There are so many good people here in Bayleston, I'm very glad to have met some of them and hope one day to be able to say that I've met them all. Sad as I am to say that there are some that don't think too highly of me, but that's them and there's nothing I'll ever do that will change that. I'll just keep doing what I do and hold my head high. I've heard many good things about you Elaine, I do hope you run for another term. You've done alot, but I know you can and will find more ways to better the city."

"If that's a Royal command, in your confidence, I'll be happy to oblige." Elaine interrupted with a smile.

Tessa smiled back. "Then I charge you; make it happen, Madam Mayor. Now, let's return to my realm for a wonderful day!"

Even the Mayor curtsied to her as Tessa and all three Princesses took the steps down to four horse drawn carriages. Elaine Oberline joined her in the white lead carriage. Each princess got into her own, painted in their color. Blue for Danica, green for Michelle and purple for Nicole. Their escorts mounted horses and rode along the sides as the procession left to go to the park.

Away from the crowd, Elaine asked. "These carriages and horses are so beautiful! Where on earth did you get them?"

"The carriages and tack were built by my people at the park and the horses came from rescue shelters. All they needed was love and good home. We'll use them for special events, like parades and rent them out for weddings for a low price. Rental money will be donated to shelters around the state for medical care and feed for horses not placed yet." Tessa told her.

In the lead, Dave Wells rode on an actual Clydesdale of spotted grey color that had been rescued. He wore what looked like traditional cavalry ceremonial Armour and helmet holding a drawn saber. He raised his saber and called out attention to any flag they passed along the way. A line off cars followed behind them with their hazard lights flashing. Two Deputy patrol cycles led them and took turns to control traffic. When carriages and riders came into sight of the park gates, a cheer went up. A crowd had formed and waited for the park to open, at its regular time. One by one the carriages pulled up and the ladies were let out and walked to the gates.

Tessa was let in, along with her group and she turned to look at the clock. Two minutes later she called out. "I, Queen Tessa, command; OPEN THE GATES! WELCOME TO VENTUREREALM!"

Green lights came on over each gates and the Hospitality workers smiled as people came forward to pay admission. Children flocked to their favorite royal and soon large groups began to make their way into the park.

Even Elaine Oberline got into the spirit as several girls looked up at her. "Well now, where should we start? How about WildForest today and see the animals?"

"YAY!" The kids cheered and followed her.

Elaine's husband and kids met up with her there then they all separated to go to their favorite area.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Eight days later, Trent entered Tessa's office. As usual, she was in her gown and tiara, but tackling paperwork.

"Ah, Royal duties." Trent chuckled.

Tessa continued to sign papers. "Everyday Trent, everyday. What's up?"

Trent laid a check in front of her. "Every cent the asshole had left."

"Sixteen and some change." Tessa read the amount. "I know just what to do with it."

A three minutes after being called, the head of the Financial department came in. "Yes Ma'am?"

Tessa signed the back of the check and handed it to her. "Deposit that in the charity account immediately. Send a fifty-thousand dollar check to the girl Sylvia up at AmHurst college. Then cut a check for another five million going to the Finn Foundation I told you about. Put a million in Idle Hands and Street Table each. Another million to Little Ones Found. That's all the ones for today. I'll get with you tomorrow about how the rest should go."

"Easy come, easy go." Trent remarked at how fast she started going through the money.

Tessa went back to signing more papers. "Lots of people in shit Trent, just like paperwork, it's every day. Was that all of it?"

"Nope. Turned out, he owned the three properties across from the park already. Here's the deeds to those." Trent said and laid the papers in front of her. "You have to sign those, by the way."

"I'M GETTING A RUBBER STAMP THING!" Tessa hollered.

Trent burst out laughing. Tessa muttered various things she wanted to do to people that indulged in the bizarre fetish for signed papers then handed the packet back to him.

"Uh, what am I supposed to do with them now?" Trent asked.

Tessa looked at him blankly. "DUH! File them at the courthouse. Then you list two of them for sale. Get me a good deal for them. The one right across the drive from us, I want to keep. Call Bill Roanoke and Dominic Hadley, tell them I have a NEW job for them. I want a hotel built."

"Hotel?" Trent asked.

Tessa turned around and pointed to an eight inch stack of papers. "Resumes, each one a transgender person in deep shit and needing a new life. Oh yeah."

Tessa pulled twelve files from the stack and handed them to him. "Four lawyers and eight paralegals. Call them up and get them here. They need a job. Lots of good people need somebody to stand up for them against assholes. We nailed one, let's see what else we can do."

 

~*~*~*~
 

Ol' Mac sat at the desk in the shade. Children walked by and waved to him, so he waved back. Suddenly four little girls stopped and were looking past him. Quickly they curtsied then smiled and scampered off. He turned around and saw why. Tessa was walking up.

"Queen Tessa." Mac greeted and began to stand up.

Tessa waved him to sit. "No need to get up Mister McDennett. I'm just wandering by and wanted to look in on you."

"Doing fine here. It's shady and usually a little breeze. That young 'un, Mark, comes by often enough and tells me to drink my water." Mac told her.

Tessa smiles. "Mark is happiest when people know he's doing his best to look after them."

"He's a worry-wart alright. Still getting used to that." Mac said.

"To what Mister McDennett?" Tessa asked.

Mac looked around. "Everything. People smiling and waving to me. Having a place to live. A job to come to. Real money. Not drinking. Folks calling me 'Sir' and 'Mister'. Even you calling me 'Mister'. Queen Tessa, you ain't got no cause, calling me a 'mister'."

Tessa gave him a firm look. "That's where you're wrong, Mister McDennett. I have every reason and right to call you Mister McDennett. Because of you, I am still here. You kept me safe. Now I keep you safe. I do have to admit, I did tell a small lie."

Mac was puzzled. "Lie?"

Tessa nodded then held up an envelope and pulled out a sheet of notebook paper. "I did come to see you for a reason. I got this letter today. Dear Queen Tessa. My name is Richie. I'm eight years old and saw you on tv. I watch alot of tv here in the hospital. People talk about you all the time. They say you make dreams come true. I never knew my grandpa. He died before I was born. I'm going to meet him soon. I heard the doctor tell my mom and dad. My dream is to know what to do when I meet him. Can you make that one come true? Love, Richie."

Mac saw the tear roll down her cheek and felt his own doing the same.

Tessa took a moment to gather herself then looked to Mac. "Mister McDennett, I want to make this dream come true. Will you help me tomorrow? It'll be an all day thing."

"That little boy is dyin'? Can't they save him?" Mac asked.

Tessa looked down. "Not even if I spent every cent I have. Captain Dave looked into the boy's condition, along with our nurses. There is nothing that can done now, except this last wish. I'm told he wants to go fishing. I'll provide you anything needed. Will you do this?"

Mac was in tears in now and nodded. "How could anybody say no? I'll take that young 'un fishing. I'll be his grandpa tomorrow; and every day he's got left."

"Thank you, Mister McDennett. I'll see you and Mister Malone at nine tomorrow morning." Tessa said then turned and left.

The next day, Zeke and Mac met with Tessa and her small contingent. They rode to the hospital. Two hours later the men left to take Richie fishing. Every evening after, Mac went to the hospital and read to him. Six days later Mac was called to Tessa's office. Richie's parents and night nurse were there. Little Richie went during the night.

"He smiled and told me it was time to go meet his real grandpa. He knew what to do now, thanks to you teaching him." The Nurse cried.

Mac wept and blamed himself. "It's my fault. If I hadn't done all that, maybe he'd still be here. Maybe he'd have held on?"

"NO SIR!" Danielle Willows exclaimed through her own tears. "You gave him something we couldn't! We'd have laid down and died for our boy to live. But that wasn't going to happen. We accepted that. We hate it with all we are, but we accepted it. You did the only thing that could be done. You made him happy and we thank you! The funeral is Sunday. Will you come and stand with us? He'd want you to be there."

Tessa knew this was going downhill fast and took command. "He'll be there! He won't be alone. Let me and my people make the arrangements. Prince Richie will be laid to rest with all the honors of a Royal. I swear it."

 

~*~*~*~
 

True to her word, as always, Tessa made good on her promise. The park closed early for it. A pavilion was set up in SnowyHill and Richie Willows' funeral was held there. One by one, the park cast and staff came up to the small ornate casket whispered quiet words of goodbye then shook hand with Darrel Willows and hugged Danielle. Finally the princesses came up.

"May your days be only fun and love, My Prince." Princess Michelle said then kissed her fingertips and touched his lips gently.

Princess Danica was next and gave her kiss the same way. "Enjoy sitting before clear blue water under a sky of billowing clouds that never rain, My Prince."

"Au revoir, cha. Sing, dance every angel you see; Mon Prince." Princess Nicole kissed her fingertips and touched his forehead, lips then beside each eye.

Tessa leaned down, whispered and kissed his forehead then turned. "Captain. Prince Richie is ready now."

Dave turned and ordered. "BEARERS, ATTEN-TION! MAKE READY THE PRINCE!"

Six men in full Armour came along the sides and stood waiting as the lid was closed securely. On his order they lifted and then marched out, carrying the casket and slid it into a black enclosed carriage. The hearse had been made at Dave's suggestion for use at veterans' funerals. It was pulled by a team of six black horses. An open black carriage was in line behind it, for the family to ride in. Behind them were all four royal carriages with mounted escorts.

People came out and lined the streets to see the procession pass. Quickly they realized it was the funeral they had read about in that morning's paper and reacted. Those wearing hat's took them off, girls and women of all ages curtsied. Many of the younger boys figured they should follow the girls' example and bowed. VentureRealm's first Prince was laid to rest an hour later. Two days later, Tessa introduced Mac to the local children's home.

"These children have no grandfather. Some have never known one. You are still needed, Mister McDennett. Will you help?" Tessa asked.

Ol' Mac nodded and walked forward. Within seconds he was surrounded by kids trying to hug him. Once more, Tessa had saved him.

 

~*~*~*~
 

Soon, summer ended and children returned to school. However, locals still came every day and some from not far away drove in for the weekends. For Halloween, many of the children came that weekend in costume. For Thanksgiving Day, the park was actually closed. The chefs and their staff cooked in the main kitchens and had the food trucked out for Street Table and the shelters. The children's home brought over the kids for the day along with the staff's children to play and eat. The same with Christmas Day. On New Year's Eve at nine o'clock that night, the park officially closed for the season. However, a party was held for the staff and cast at the Ice Castle in SnowyHill.

The Princesses were excited, due to the fact that they were all leaving on January third to go have their final surgery. When they returned, they would be in charge while Tessa went for her own. During the party, at midnight, there was even fireworks to signify the start of the New Year. At one a.m. the party was winding down and people were preparing to leave for the dorm or home by a pair of rented buses driven by Zeke and Mark.

The Princesses had come up to stand with Tessa and hug her. They were about to go back down when soft piano music began then turned around in shock to hear her voice singing in a haunting tone.

"Love. Love, is a verb. Love is a DOING word. Fearless, on my breath." Tessa sang gently.

Everyone began to stare in wonder. Most that worked in the offices, especially close to hers, had been hearing the song off and on for sometime now. No one had guessed that it was actually her singing it, because she adamantly denied being any type of performer. Now she was standing front and center of the platform and singing for all to see and hear.

Tessa continued. "Gentle impulsion. shakes me; makes me lighter. Fearless on my, breath. Teardrop on the fire. Fearless on my, breath."

Nicole was amazed at the long gentle notes off the end that swept up to ring clear in the room and smiled as she whispered. "Oui, Mon Reine. This true you."

"Night, night of matter. Black flowers blossom. Fearless on my, breath. Black flowers, BLOSSOM. FEARless, on my brEATH! TEARdrop on the FIRE. FEARLESS on my BREATH!" Tessa sang strongly and added very powerful notes after the lyrics again.

None outside the office staff had heard the song sung this way before and were stunned. It was haunting and powerful.

Tessa started softly. "Water, is my eye. MOST faithful mirror! Fearless, on my breath. Teardrop on the fire, of a confession."

All three princesses had come to stand behind her with arms linked.

"FEARLESS on my, BREATH! MOST FAITHFUL MIRROR! Fearless on my, BREATH! TEARDROP ON THE FIRE! FEARLESS! ON MY! BREATH!" Tessa ended with all she had, drawing out the last note.

The entire park crew erupted into applause and Tessa curtsied to them. "Thank you. Enjoy the easy next months, they'll pass faster than we want. Goodnight."

With that, Tessa went back to her house. She would sleep like never before, the one true day she would be taking off. Her own work would never be done. Such was the life of VentureRealm's Queen, who's true kingdom didn't actually stop at the property line. It lay within the hearts and dreams of people, especially children, even if they would never meet or know Tessa Frost.
 
 

~Finis~
 
 
  Teardrop by Aurora(Massive Attack cover)
I hope you liked VentureRealm Park, please do Kudo. No membership needed. VentureRealm will remain a Free Story to be found only here at BCTS, free to read and enjoy. Other writers may reference visiting the park, but are not allowed to change the park or its characters in any way. The only exception to this is Efingdumb who I am pleased to have already made a previous agreement with.