Finally, this chapter is where the real problem starts. Hope everybody likes it! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW, COMMENT, READ!
Disclaimer: I do not own Big Time Rush or Tower Heist.
A few days before Thanksgiving, Kendall leaves his house again to start work. However, this time he has not harassed by Slide with comments instead he sees Slide arguing with his girlfriend about a certain incident.
"Shit, Rita, get your ass back in here! I ain't going to be chasing you all around."
"Goodbye, Slide!" Rita yells as she walks out the building.
Slide yells in a defensive tone. "Hey, hey, Rita, come on now, it's 5:30 in the morning. Not little shit like this. Come on now. I told you, I don't even know nobody named Maria."
Rita calls him on his bluff. "Yeah, well, she sure as shit knows you, Slide!"
Slide defends himself again. "It was a wrong number."
Rita argues. "Then why did she ask for you, stupid? Why?"
Slide justifies himself again. "It was a wrong number!"
Rita, just done with his excuses start randomly cursing at him in spanish.
"I don't know what you are saying, bitch!" Kendall runs away while still turning his head around at the morning argument.
Kendall does his morning rounds then walks outside to talk to Gustavo but as he walks outside, he is still surprised to see Mr. Shaw's car parked in front of the Tower when he normally leaves by 7:30 in the morning to go to Wall Street.
"Gustavo, it's 9:15. Why is Mr. Shaw's car still here?"
"Maybe he's sick." Gustavo answers trying to give a good suggestion. Simultaneously, Kendall looks around the area and notices a black Ford Sedan parked across the building.
"That black sedan has been parked there for two days. Why no boot or ticket?"
"I called the cops twice." Gustavo all confused then remembers something that was somewhat similar. "Do you remember that morning robbery at the International last year?"
Kendall thinks to himself remembering the incident, now takes charge of what might happen. "I want you to slowly lock the door and clear the lobby."
Kendall frantically enters the staff area yelling at people to calm down and lock down the entire building. "Code Black on all doors and elevators. Repeat, Code Black!"
Blond Jennifer walks inside surprised by what is happening. "What's Code Black?"
Kendall shocked by the question. "Are you serious? We talked about it at the meeting last month. Let me see the outside of the building. I think we're about to be robbed. There were four guys out there with guns."
Kendall checks the camera, and is surprised to see them already gone from the shot.
"Where did they go? Let me see the garage." Kendall, still trying to figure out the situation asks Guitar Dude to move the camera to the garage. As Kendall looks around, he is stunned to see the Stillman Brothers laundry truck at the garage exit.
"Why is Stillman here?"
Blond Jennifer then answers. "Laundry pick-up was yesterday. Mr. Shaw asked us to call him. Someone spilled wine on his tablecloth. He's bringing it down right now."
Kendall checks the shot again and notices that instead of the Stillman brothers, two men in black suits walk out the truck. He sees Shaw come out of the elevator and rather than give them the 'tablecloth,' he voluntarily walks inside the back of the truck.
Kendall yells obviously realizing what is actually happening and why the Ford sedan was parked. "Wait a second. Those are not the Stillman brothers. Oh, my God, they're taking Shaw. This isn't a robbery, it's a kidnapping. It's a kidnapping! Call 911!"
"Yes, sir." The security guard obeys Kendall's orders and dials.
Meanwhile, Kendall storms out of the area trying to catch the vehicle, when he tries to warn Guitar Dude about the kidnapping.
"Code Black, Guitar Dude! Code Black!"
"What's Code Black?" Like Jennifer, Guitar Dude had no clue what 'Code Black' meant either.
The white truck breaks through the gates of the Tower and speeds onto the streets of New York. Kendall runs through every person and every possible shortcut to try and catch up to the truck kidnapping his resident. As he is finally able to catch to the vehicle, he is stopped abruptly by a woman who clothesline him in the chest, making him fall flat on the floor. At the same time, the truck tips over when making a turn and the chase eventually comes to a stop.
"What are you doing?" Kendall asks now realizing he has no clue what is going on.
The FBI agents walk out of a black car and move in slowly with their guns on the laundry truck.
"Don't move."
A woman with blonde hair and brown eyes tells Kendall to not move as she holds a gun ready for the FBI agents to open the truck containing Shaw. Imagine the look on Kendall's face as he realizes that the woman who clotheslined him is his first love and ex-girlfriend, Jo.
"Get your hands in the air!" Shaw finally exits the truck and an FBI agent swoops in with handcuffs preparing to arrest him. Jo's face for a second is shocked as well as she realized she clotheslined her ex-boyfriend. Suddenly, she snaps out of it and runs toward Shaw.
"FBI, show me your hands." Jo runs with her gun towards Shaw.
"Okay all right, that's enough!" Shaw compliantly answers, putting his hands behind his back ready to be handcuffed. Jo and the other agents successfully handcuff Shaw, and walk him to the cop car.
Kendall gets up and attempts to stop the arrest. "No, get off him! He's the victim! That's Arthur Shaw! He lives in The Tower. He was bringing his laundry down. They kidnapped him."
"This was not a kidnapping, it was an attempt to flee." Jo tells him with great disdain.
"What?" Kendall is surprised by the allegations made on Shaw, while shocked to see Jo wearing an FBI uniform after seeing her act in LA.
Jo looks at Kendall again but longer this time, observing how the man with dirty blonde hair and green eyes has made a living in New York for two years. Snapping out of it again, she gives orders to the FBI agents. "Arrest him and get him out of here."
Shaw calls for Kendall while walking away with handcuffs. "Kendall, do me a favor, turn off the heater and cover the pool. I hate to waste money." Kendall says yes and but makes a confused face at his answer, still not having a clue what is going on.
Right before Jo walks away with Shaw, she turns back and tells Kendall with a smile on her face that it's good to see him again.
Back at the Tower, Kendall and the other staff members are hearing news about the arrest on the radio, not knowing how the arrest will affect them greatly.
MALE RADIO HOST: "Wall Street kingpin Arthur Shaw, number 138 on the Forbes 400 last year, was arrested today in Manhattan while trying to flee the city. Sources have confirmed that he'll be charged with several counts of securities fraud and an immediate asset freeze of Mr. Shaw's holdings has been ordered. Shaw's lawyers have called the arrest 'another example of the Wall Street witch-hunt,' but sources at the SEC believe the fraud in this case could be of epic proportions."
Kendall turns off the radio in the staff area and tries to breakdown the problem with everybody about Shaw's fraud accusations.
"In this country you're innocent until proven guilty, so no matter what you hear about Mr. Shaw being a liar and a cheat, or his entire business being some sort of elaborate scam, we simply don't know the truth yet."
"Kendall, what does this got to do with us?" Obdul asks, wanting to know why it affects them if Arthur Shaw was only a resident.
"For these past two years, Mr. Shaw was on the board of The Tower." Kendall says this, everybody is perplexed still not knowing the true problem.
Kelly, confused by the given information. "So we have to find a new board member?"
Kendall clarifies his statement with more information. "No. When the Tower was first built, at one of the first meetings, he was asked to do a favor for us. He was asked to manage all of your pensions."
"Pensions?" Gustavo asks.
"And he did. He took us on even though it was a small account. He agreed to handle it."
"Who asked him to do that?" Jennifer asks with an upset look on her face.
Kendall reluctantly answers. "I did, Jen. I asked him."
Buddha Bob asks, wanting to know the severity of the situation. "Kendall, what's left in the pension?"
"Buddha Bob, all this just happened, so there's no way of knowing, and by the way, this could be a mistake." Kendall answers through gritted teeth, not wanting to give any more bad news.
Gustavo: How much, Kendall? Tell us.
Kendall answers with a hesitant but sorry tone. "Right now, they're saying that anyone who invested with Mr. Shaw has been defrauded, and that more than likely, it's all gone. There is no pension."
Everybody is startled by the news that all the money they made for future plans such as retirement and other expenses are gone.
Logan interrupts Kendall with a startled look on his face. "Wait, wait. Wait a minute. I'm sorry. How did this happen?"
Kendall tries to defend himself. "The guy is the best in New York and he promised he could triple our portfolio."
Logan tries to find hope in all of this. "So they're going to get our money? The guy had billions of dollars, right?"
Kendall answers with a hopeful tone trying to reassure everybody. "Of course, it's just a matter of time. So we have to stay patient and be positive, because it has to be there."
Carlos unfortunately provides news that gave the staff false hope. "I heard on the news when they arrested Shaw that he only had $600 in his checking account."
The staff talks amongst themselves even more with the new information. Again, Kendall tries to break the side conversations.
"Look, some of you may need some time to process this. If anyone wants to go home, I will call in a temp crew for the rest of the day. I'm sure that this will all be cleared up tomorrow."
Stephanie walks up to Kendall with a sad but disappointed look on her face. "I love you Kendall, I really do but can I ask you something?"
"Yeah."
"Did he get your money, too?"
"Yeah, Steph. He did."
"For the record, I never asked anyone to triple my portfolio." Stephanie basically tells Kendall the thing that everybody wanted to say once they all found out what he did.
FEMALE REPORTER: Just an hour ago, a federal judge released Arthur Shaw on $10 million bail, on condition he remain under house arrest at his penthouse apartment on Central Park West.
On the way back on the Tower, paparazzi are crowding the entrance doors of the Tower bombarding Shaw with questions about the allegations. After finally getting through, Jo, and the FBI agents walk inside the Tower with Shaw and runs into the elevator.
"We're taking Shaw and his attorney up to the penthouse. I need Mr. Shaw's personal security code." Jo says to Kendall as he walks into the elevator as well.
"24719." Shaw answers casually.
"That was my street address on Steinway Boulevard in Minneapolis when I was a kid." Shaw having a random conversation with Jo, knowing that he will eventually get away with stealing $90 million.
Shaw's attorney pleads with Jo for certain things to allow during the house arrest. "My client would like access to the gym on 43. Even serial killers get 15 minutes of exercise a day."
"He has my permission to jump out the window." Jo answers with a tone that basically means that she no time for such bullshit.
Jo leaves Shaw to sit down and explains the rules to the attorney. "The rules of Mr. Shaw's house arrest are simple. Kendall, no visitors without prior permission from the FBI. All incoming and outgoing mail gets vetted by my office. All food deliveries, packages, cleaning, repairs, all that has to be cleared by the agent on duty. You tell your staff that this penthouse is now a maximum security prison and it will be guarded as such. The FBI is in control of the elevator and this floor."
As Jo walks around the penthouse, she is surprised to see a red convertible sitting in the middle of the place. "What the hell is this?"
"Agent Taylor, that is a 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso, owned and raced by the coolest cat who ever lived, Steve McQueen. This was his baby, and now it's my baby." Shaw walks around his car with a proud stature knowing that he owns a vehicle like this.
Jo amazed in a weird way that someone would do this. "You got Steve McQueen's car parked in your living room? And here I thought you were an asshole."
"I paid a million for it 10 years ago. I wouldn't sell it for 10 times that." Shaw says nonchalantly.
Jo looks at the bottom of building from the window. "We're 65 stories up. How do we get it out of here?"
Shaw tells her with a smartass tone. "You don't. This car was taken apart piece by piece and reassembled inside this room."
Jo, not caring about anything Shaw says. "This car will eventually be sold at auction with the rest of your belongings."
Shaw justifies himself. "Only if I'm guilty, Agent Taylor, which I'm not."
Jo: "If you leave this apartment for any reason without my say so, and you'll be remanded
into federal custody and forfeit $10 million bail. You have yourself a nice day, Mr. Shaw. Kendall, will you come with me?"
Shaw calls Kendall back before he leaves with Jo. "Kendall, do me a favor, will you?"
"Yes, sir, Mr. Shaw."
"Make sure you handle all my food deliveries. You're smart enough to know I'm innocent. I don't want the help to spit in my coffee." Shaw says this jokingly, but in Kendall's mind, the comment was hurtful, as Shaw basically insulted his friends and family.
"They wouldn't do that, sir." Kendall giving a stern look, defends his friends.
"Yeah, but you get it, right? Do it as a favor to me." As Shaw asks him, he tries to tip Kendall $20.
"Sorry, we don't accept tips at The Tower." Kendall says.
"Right, I'm sorry. Sometimes I forget the rules." Shaw says with an apologetic tone.
Kendall and Jo talk in the elevator as they go down. During the conversation, they forget that Carlos is right next to them operating it.
Jo asks Kendall. "Why did you let him get away with that? When he made that crack about the help spitting in his coffee. I know you very well and I saw your face, you wanted to hurt him. Hell, I wanted to hurt him."
"Sometimes residents say things they don't mean. It doesn't faze me." Kendall says with a straight face.
Jo calls him on his bullshit. "Either that or you got no balls. You've changed, knowing you you would've beat his ass." Carlos silently laughs at the comment.
Kendall annoyed by Jo's comment. "What? You don't have the right to say anything about me changing considering we haven't even seen each other for the past two years."
Jo blatantly apologizes. "I'm out of line. I'm sorry."
Kendall defending himself. "I have balls, all right." Carlos tries so hard to not laugh at the argument going on in the elevator about Kendall's ball.
Jo sarcastically agreeing with Kendall's statement. "I'm sure you got big balls. Whatever."
"I don't have to defend my balls to you."
"I know you don't." She laughs, remembering the time they almost slept together until Katie walked into the room, they never spoke of it since. "I'm just saying the guy stole from everyone who works in your building and it looked like you gave him a free pass."
Kendall ponders for a bit and replies. "Maybe next time I'll rip out his larynx, but today I chose to do my job as manager of this building."
"Okay, my mistake, Kendall". She adds, "It's just that most guys from your block in Shakapee can't control themselves. You, Carlos and the guys taught me that with the things you did back in LA."
The conversation ended right there and everybody was in silence the entire elevator ride.
As Kendall and Jo walk out of the elevator, Kendall decides to finish the conversation.
"And most girls from North Carolina don't end up in the FBI." Jo chuckles and smiles back. "How did you end up in the FBI anyways? Last time we saw each other, New Town High was entering its 4th season." Kendall finally brings up the courage to ask Jo what happened.
She answers back with hesitation, she asks Kendall to sit down on the couch in the lobby. "Well, my contract expired so I had to leave the season midway. When you guys left, Lucy and Camille stayed behind to help me get acting jobs. That didn't work out, but then one day I hung out with the cast of Teen CSI and itmade me like Criminal Justice, so I applied to John Jay, I got in and boom, two years later I'm now interning for the FBI." She says proudly.
Kendall says. "Well, good job, I'm proud of you, Jo, don't ever forget that." Jo smiles again, but this time with a glowing look as she's happy that her and her ex-boyfriend are still okay after two years.
After that conversation, Kendall comes with Jo to the Federal Bureau of Investigation facility in the city, she takes him a large garage style room containing trash from past and current cases.
"Here. This is where most white-collar crimes are solved, the garbage." Says Jo.
Kendall asks her with great curiosity. "When do you think you will be getting the money back?"
Jo looks at Kendall like she is about to answer but changes her mind. "Kendall, I want to tell you but I'm not really allowed to discuss the case with you."
Kendall adds. "But you're allowed to clothesline me?"
Jo defends herself. "I was apprehending a fugitive."
"He's only a fugitive if he's guilty, right?"
"Oh! Aren't you the loyal friend?"
Kendall tries to prove that he and Shaw are just associated by work. "I never said we were friends."
Jo tries to prove him wrong. "You play chess together, you're the one who asked him to invest the pension."
Kendall fights back. "I get his mail, I open his car door, I buy his cheese. We're not friends."
Jo asks him one final question. "Kendall, let me ask you something, if he's innocent, where's the money?"
"How should I know?" Kendall asks wondering if he is supposed to know the answer.
"The same way you knew I was from North Carolina when you first met me in LA. You pay attention."
Kendall asks with an aggravated tone. "I just want to know what I'm supposed to tell my staff because they're my friends and they're your friends too. Is that too much to ask?"
Jo regrettably answers, not wanting to tell them the fate of him and her best friends' money. "Tell them he's guilty."
Kendall is on his way home from work when he sees a myriad of people crowd over a cop car. As he walks by, he sees none other than Slide, the guy who harasses him every morning, being arrested.
The cop yells as he pushes Slide to the hood of the car. "Get on the car! Come on, put your hands behind your back!"
Slide fights back. "Come on, man, what's this about? This is bullshit! Shit! That's police brutality, yo! Come on now." He sees Kendall walking by the scene.
"Man in the suit, you seeing this shit?" He adds. "You're my witness. Take a cell phone picture. Take a picture, man."
Kendall tries to ignore him. "Sorry, I can't, my cell phone's off."
"If you see Rita, tell her I said to call her brother." Slide yells as the police try to restrain him.
"Rita?"
"Yeah, her brother's a bail bondsman!" Slide yells as the police push him into the cop car. "Tell her I said to use that money I gave her to get her teeth fixed." He adds. "Come on now, what you got to be pushing me like that?"
Kendall just walks away but with a face of regret wishing there something he could do.
Meanwhile, Gustavo is walking home from work, deciding to not call for the limo today after dealing with the repercussions of Arthur Shaw's Ponzi Scheme. Unable to concentrate, he crosses the street at a green light, two cars come in his direction...
