Standard FF disclaimers apply.

Chapter 13

As Chief of Staff for Trenton Mayor T F Mack, Anthony Giovanni reviewed the schedule and was relieved to know that the mayor would not only be out of town at a speaking engagement tonight. he would be out of town for the remainder of the week. And so it appeared that everything imaginable was aligning itself perfectly for the operation to begin this evening. The phone call had been expected, maybe not in the middle of his morning staff meeting, but he excused himself and took the call. This was important, and he needed to hear what his informant had to say. After finishing his conversation with Joe Morelli, Anthony Giovanni was indeed convinced that the timing would never be better to move forward with their plans to begin manufacturing the counterfeit software for sale on the black market.

Morelli had made it crystal clear that with so many chance circumstances happening all at once, the likelihood of success would never be greater.

Giovanni had to agree that he was correct in his analysis. There would be no better window of opportunity than now. It was the right call to move forward. But still Giovanni had to be careful, a man in his position could not afford any mistakes, which is why he had his own safeguards in place. The good news was that even his own inside guy at the software company had confirmed that everything was as it had been conveyed to him. Thinking he had taken all the necessary precautions, Giovanni made the decision to start operations immediately that same evening.

This was going to be his crowning achievement since assuming control of the gang hierarchy a couple of years ago. He had brought in Joe Morelli because he was told by his connections that he was not only the right man for the assignment. but he could be trusted if the price was right. And Morelli had been on top of things from the moment he had come on board. Giovanni was the kind of man who knew how to respect loyalty and had made certain that Morelli knew of his respect towards him. He had put his trust in Joe's ability to oversee the activities of the gang, and now Giovanni could see that Morelli's recommendation that he come tonight and oversee things personally was the right one.

Up until now, Giovanni had been running his illegal gang operation behind several layers of separation, he did not want his identity known. Apart from a few phones calls, no one had any direct communication with him about anything that was gang related. It had worked in his favor and he hadn't seen any reason to change things. But Morelli was the one of the ones whom he had spoken to on the phone. Joe had started working on him from the start of this latest operation, trying to get him to be more involved in the normal flow of operations.. So far Giovanni had resisted all of Joe's efforts to come out of his comfortable anonymity. But tonight was the big show, Morelli needed to have one of the head honchos at the crime scene. This was imperative for the success of his entire sting operation.

So he explained to Giovanni how being there in person would give him the opportunity to meet and interact with the members of the gang. His leadership would be established with the advent of this bold step into the counterfeit software racket. "You deserve to be respected for your genius," Morelli had told him. It all made sense to Giovanni, he knew the timing was right for everything to happen this evening, and revealing himself to the members of the gang would energize and unite them like nothing else. It also made sense for him to make a few phone calls and put in place some plans of his own. And once these plans were set, he smiled his trademark politician's smirk, as he thought about the surprise he had in store for Morelli later that evening.

OoO

Still standing right outside of the building entrance, Albert looked closely at the people surrounding him. He was trying to record their names and faces in his mind. The tall gentleman to his right was old enough to be his grandfather, but Theo Koppe was vibrant and full of a quiet energy that created a natural buzz around him. Albert looked forward to getting to know him better. Lovey Thurston was standing close to Theo, and by comparison she looked very short, but she was probably of average height for a woman. Her name didn't seem to fit her well, she was a slender, elegant, soft spoken lady with a kind smile, he liked her immediately. Both had greeted him warmly, with sincere condolences about his father's passing mixed with genuine appreciation for all that his father had accomplished. All in all, Albert felt like his father's mastermind group were individuals of the highest integrity.

Valerie was speaking to the man standing next to her, Albert thought for a second before he recalled his name. Peter A Winston. Albert smiled, he remembered now, when they were introduced, he had wondered if the A stood for Albert. He would have to ask him sometime. Peter looked like he had stepped out of the latest issue of 'Business Week' magazine. His suit was sharp, his eyes keen, and his handshake was firm. Mr. Winston had that unique aura that comes from being someone of authority that demanded the attention of others. It was no surprise that he was the President of Fantastic Families, Inc.

The last two members of the mastermind team were standing across from Albert and Valerie. They both had the same name; Terri and Terry. Actually Terry was short for Terrance, and Terri was short for Theresa. It was explained at their introduction that he was called Terry T as his last name was Thompson, so she just went by Terri, that way no one got confused when addressing them. Terry T had a fire in his eyes that indicated his fierce determination in everything he did. His hand shake had been fast and firm. Terri Gavin was a fireball, her energy was bursting around her. She had a way of energizing everyone around her. It was Terri that herded the group into the building.

As Albert and Valerie entered the building they were immediately drawn to the center of the foyer where the logo and mission statement of the company was proudly displayed. It was a beautifully hand-crafted inlay of exotic hardwood parquet in the gleaming wood floors.

Fantastic Families, Inc.

Where Fantastic Families Are Our Specialty!

Albert was intently looking at the design in the floor. He couldn't help but wonder about the significance of the company's name and mission statement, and who the individual was that came up with both ideas. There was no doubt in Albert's mind that if things had been different, when he was growing up, he would have likely embraced these ideas. But the reality was that nothing was going to miraculously change the past, and Albert had mixed feeling about what he saw.

Valerie looked down at the very same designs. Her heart began to pound, as she was filled with overwhelming emotions of love and compassion towards those she loved and cared about most. She thought of the members of her family. Valerie couldn't think of a more appropriate mission statement and felt strongly that whoever was responsible for the idea had to be someone with an amazing capacity to love others. She was glad to be here today to be able to understand more about the business that would come to mean so much in their lives.

Albert and Valerie were immersed in their own individual thoughts, and at first they didn't hear the voice behind them. But by the third time he repeated his statement, it caught their attention.

"Welcome to Fantastic Families, Inc."

And the voice was familiar . Albert spun around. He recognized it immediately. "Mr. Jordan! What a wonderful surprise!" Albert responded enthusiastically!

"Hello Albert!" "It's good to see you and your beautiful bride here today!" "I trust the both of you are enjoying your first visit here, right?"

"Yes we are!" Albert exclaimed. "And I am so glad that you are here because I hope you can help fill in some of the blanks for me." His eyes were thoughtful, as he said, "I have so many questions."

"Of course I can Albert." "I was told by my good friends that you would be coming in this morning and thought it might be a good idea for me to come and be with you on this important day." "I was hoping you wouldn't mind my being here with you."

"It's perfect! I wouldn't want it any other way!" Albert said, "Thank you for being here!"

Valerie looked at Albert and knew right away that Mr. Jordan's presence here was well appreciated by him. And she felt exactly same way. From everything that Albert had told him about growing up alone without his father, Mr. Jordan had always been a stable influence in his life. And so it was fitting that as they were about to embark on a new chapter in their life that he would be here today and continue to fulfill the same role that he always had in Albert's life.

After Mr. Winston led them on a brief tour of the corporate offices, and they had the opportunity to meet and greet the other employees, Albert and Valerie were taken to the executive office suites where each of the members of the mastermind group had their own, individual offices. As they glanced in each room, it was obvious that every person had memorabilia that reminded them of their families. In fact, each office was completely immersed in things that portrayed so many wonderful memories, it was impossible not to feel an immediate attachment to the individuals in the pictures. It was easy to feel like you were a part of their family as well.

But it was the last office, at the end of the hall, that they were lead into that created the biggest emotional response for Albert, because it was so unexpected and yet so welcome. And it was nothing that Albert or Valerie could have ever prepared for in advance. As Albert looked into this office, he immediately knew that it was his father's executive office; there was no question about it. And for the first time in many years, Albert began to cry, without worrying about having to hold his emotions in check. He allowed the tears to stream down his cheeks. The emotions were intense, he had never felt this before, but it was good, it was peaceful. He couldn't be happier in his life.

OoOoO

Mr. Jordan saw the emotions that had overcome Albert and was pleased by his reaction upon seeing for the very first time the heartfelt tribute his father had created for him in his absence. Everywhere you looked in the office, there were literally hundreds of pictures of Albert in different stages of his life, hanging on the walls, sitting on bookshelves, and resting on the huge mahogany desk. And it was the picture on this desk that had caught Albert's eyes immediately. The over-sized picture of Derrick and Albert at Waterfront Stadium, dressed in their Trenton Thunder jerseys, it was the last important memory that his father had with his son, it was his most prized possession, and it was prominently displayed on his father's desk for all to see.

And then there were those pictures that covered the room, candid pictures of Albert playing in the park nearby his home, walking to school with his friends, his graduation, the opening of his law office, and other moments in his life. It was a sight to behold! In reality, the quality of most of these pictures would have not been considered as being noteworthy, but for his father, they were priceless. As Albert and Valerie walked around the office looking at every picture, Albert began to share with her when and where all of the pictures had been taken. Valerie couldn't help but notice how each and every picture brought a smile to Albert's face as he told her, in complete detail, the story behind the occasions that had been captured. And Valerie was pleased that she could not only hear it in his voice but also see it in his eyes that he was touched by this display of love and affection from his father.

Not wanting to interrupt this special moment for them, Mr. Jordan waited patiently as together, Albert and Valerie continued on their wonderful journey of discovery. As they were reminiscing about the past, Mr. Jordan also felt his own emotions coming to the forefront as he reminisced about the many times he had spent in this very office, talking with his friend about the regrets of his life, and how he had wanted things to be different, but couldn't find the way to come back and remedy things as he should have. And it was at this moment of personal reflections that he finally heard the questions that he had fully come prepared to answer.

"Mr. Jordan, what happened the day that my father left?" Albert asked. "Why did he leave and never come back? "Why was he keeping tabs on me from afar?" "Why didn't he just come up and talk to me?"

The questions continued coming.

What is Fantastic Families? Why did his father give this company to him? What exactly was their business model? How can anyone expect him to walk into his father's shoes and take over the business for him?

There were so many questions that he wanted answers for, but before he could ask another question, Mr. Jordan smiled at him and told him that he had nothing to fear, and that he would be happy to answer any and all question that he had for him. It was then that Mr. Jordan revealed to him that "everything his father had built and created, every single success that he had achieved, he had done it for one purpose, to regain the love and affection of his only son." And with those words Mr. Jordan began to share with Albert and Valerie to story of his father's life.

OoOoO

At Mr. Jordan's invitation, they all sat down in the comfy leather chairs that formed a semi-circle around a large beveled glass coffee table. Once they were all settled, he began his story.

"The day that your father left your mother was both the happiest and saddest day of his life" Mr. Jordan began as he turned to look at Albert. "Although you were very young. It was likely that you could not only see, but feel that things were not going well with your parents." Albert slightly nodded his agreement.

"After your parents separated Derrick was at a loss on how to maintain a relationship with you" "The divorce proceedings were very nasty and your mother made certain that she had full custody rights and a restraining order forbidding your father to have any contact with you." "So it was very challenging for your father to have direct contact with you in any way" "It was the beginning of a new chapter in his life" "Although he had finally rid himself of his wife, the price had been at an enormous cost, the loss of his son."

"That was when he came to me and pleaded with me to become his liaison in order to continue having contact with you" "I agreed to do so under one condition." "That he would never in any way speak of, nor ask me to ask me to speak disparagingly about your mother in front of you." "And to his credit, it was a promise he kept for the rest of his life." "As for me, it wasn't too difficult." And besides, I never really thought at first that he would actually fulfill his end of the bargain, and continue having contact with you through me." "I thought he would simply disappear." "It made my heart rejoice when time and time again he proved to me this was not the case."

"It was no secret that your father was a dreamer who had always believed he would someday become rich and famous." "Everyone who knew him thought that he was only interested in fame and fortune." "But those select few who really knew him knew this was not the case." "In fact, the individuals that you met earlier were all part of a very unique group of like-minded people who believed in your father's dreams despite the many obstacles he had to overcome."

"And don't let anyone tell you that your father became an overnight success shortly after leaving your mother, because this isn't the case." "For more than 10 years after the divorce was finalized your father continued his path of failures with very limited success." "At first your father dedicated himself to do whatever was necessary to fulfill his financial obligations to his ex-wife and to his son." "This meant that despite what he felt in his heart and in his soul, he accepted whatever job he could find that helped him accomplish what he had to do for his family." "But after a while, he knew that this was not his calling in life." "And so again he became involved with different business ventures."

"After yet another business venture turned into yet another disaster for him, he was so upset with himself, because he had thought that this time he had done everything right, but no matter what it seemed like everything always fell apart for him." "Believe it or not, this was the 21st time that he had started and failed in business." "Can you believe it, 21 different business ventures and failures." "I know this is true because I've known about every single one of his business failures." "It would be logical to think that with this kind of track record, he had no business starting a new company again, but apparently he didn't think his past failures disqualified him for success."

"But he took his most recent failure the hardest of all." "He had had high hopes that this one was the one, the one that would be the change-maker in his life." "And when it did not happen yet again, he became so despondent that he resigned himself to accept the inevitable." "His life was a complete failure." "How could he return and re-establish a relationship with his son if he had nothing to offer him?" "In his world, he could not do this, so it was then and there when he resigned himself never to come back into his son's life." "It was a foolish decision, but nevertheless it was the only one he could rationalize at that time in his life."

"It wasn't that he didn't care." "From the very first day that he left, he had always remained close to you." "But he was careful not to draw attention to himself, there was that restraining order." "But," Mr. Jordon made a sweeping gesture with his arm, " the proof that he never left you is all around you, in this very office." "Your father never abandoned you." "In his own way he was always there." "It's just that in his mind, he felt that this was a close as he could be to you without having to disclose to you that he was a failure." "It was difficult for him to overcome the painful reality of his lack of success, because he knew that this was the narrative that his mother had given him for years." "And the last thing that he ever wanted to happen was for you to know that your mother had been right."

OoOoO

"There comes a time in everyone's life where the rubber hits the road, so to speak" Mr. Jordan continued. "For Derrick this was his defining moment." "After all the failures he could have easily given up, but despite what others might think, Derrick was not a quitter." "Far from it." "All of his life's experiences had slowly refined him into what he would eventually become." "An individual who appreciated the life lessons he had learned that prepared him for his ultimate calling in life"

"There are many things that I haven't told you about your father." "I've omitted some of the darkest moments of his life that you don't really need to know about." "Stories about the huge challenges, the obstacles that your father had to face and overcome." "Suffice it to state that adversity will either make you or defeat you." "Your father had reached ground zero after his most recent failure." "He was at the most difficult time of his life" "He was faced with having to make a decision that would forever change the person that he was, the person who had always been a dreamer." "In short, he had resigned himself to believing it was finally time for him to set aside his dreams and enter into the real world."

"But then he received the phone call that forever changed his life." Mr. Jordan had a look in his eyes, a far off look that showed that he was remembering a day long ago. "I was sitting in his small den, we were visiting and the phone rang, Derrick answered and put the call on speaker mode." "It was a phone call from someone he had not spoken to in over five years." "But none of that mattered to the individual on the other end of the line." "He had been searching for Derrick Kloughn for more than six months and was elated to have finally found him." "I can remember the conversation today as if it was taking place for the very first time."

"Is this Derrick Kloughn?"

"Yes it is. Who is this?"

Derrick, I am so happy I've found you!" "My name is Peter Winston and I met you five years ago at an entrepreneur conference" "We had lunch together with a few friends of mine and you graciously agreed to spend several hours with us during the remainder of the conference." "You inspired us in a way you cannot imagine as you shared so many insights on how to turn your ideas into reality." "My friends have never forgotten the words that you shared with us."

"Does any of this ring a bell?"

There was a short pause before Derrick responded. After all it had been five years since this event had taken place according to the caller. But then it came to him. The Dallas, Texas Entrepreneur Workshop. This is where he had met Peter Winston and his friends. Panic turned into peacefulness as Derrick remembered the lunch appointment with Peter and his friends. He was certain of it.

"Yes Peter." Derrick responded." "I remember you fondly." "How are you and your associates doing?"

"Very well, thank you for asking!" I've never forgotten how enthusiastic you were about the power of creating a master mind group and am so thankful for the time you spent with us." "My friends and I have always agreed that spending time with you was the highlight of this event." "You really impressed us."

"Thank you for your kind words."

"Derrick, the reason I've been looking for you is because I'm working on a project right now that might end up becoming very lucrative for someone who has the ability to think outside of the box and come up with new ideas no one else has ever thought of." "Very few people have this type of ability, but I know that you do, and my friends agreed with me." "I know that it's likely that you may have several different projects that you are currently working on, but we would really like to fly you in to our offices and talk with you in person." "Perhaps this could lead to something extraordinary." "It was then that Peter Winston used every ounce of courage that he could muster and asked your father the magical question that changed his life forever."

"Would you be interested at all in talking with us or should we scratch your name off of our list?"

Mr. Jordan paused and looked at Albert intently, trying to determine his reactions once again. From the look in his eyes, Albert was obviously intrigued at what was he was sharing with him.

Nevertheless, Mr. Jordan asked him, "Am I sharing too much information all at once, because if you would like we can take a short break?"

"Please continue Mr. Jordan"

Albert responded affirmatively because he knew that what he was about to hear was the beginnings of how Fantastic Family, Inc. came to be. And it was this story more than any other that Albert and Valerie wanted to hear about. Albert had correctly assessed that none of what had transpired in the last few days would have occurred if it had not been for this opportune phone call. Besides, the story that Mr. Jordan was sharing with them had offered new and important insights about his father, things that Albert had never heard of before, which lead to a much greater understanding of his father. He was eager to hear more.

OoOoO

Clouds passed in front of the full moon, only allowing the light to peek through occasionally. The grey cloud cover set the mood for the big operation tonight. As if it had been written from a Hollywood script, the gloom provided the perfect cover for the occasion. Morelli had Hector disable the security system, very aware of the fact that the additional cameras, that had been installed after that last break in, would provide proof of the illegal activities of the gang. With his eyes glued to the screen, Hector was ready to see Morelli at work. His job was to monitor the activities at MindTech Inc. tonight, and to watch for Morelli's signal. It would be Hector's responsibility to be the one to call in the special unit of the Trenton PD that was waiting in the wings to round-up all of the top leaders of the gang organization. The whole sting operation was brilliantly planned by Morelli. And Hector had a new appreciation for the work that Morelli did.

Joe Morelli arrived right on schedule with a handful of the members of the gang ready to get things going. Other gang members began to appear as well, but had not come with the others so as not to create any kind of scene, having so many people arriving at the same time. Getting into the building was easy, the inside man took care of that with no problem. When they were all in the building, Morelli told them that he had a special surprise for them, but they had to wait a few minutes until he would reveal it to them. Looking at his watch, Morelli was a bit uncomfortable with the fact that Giovanni had not yet arrived as scheduled. And it was this type of change in plans that always created the possibility that something could happen that would result in disaster. Knowing this, Morelli made certain that he would not let his guard down for one minute until he could determine if this was nothing more than someone simply getting behind schedule, or a problem that he was going to have to deal with. The adrenalin was flowing throughout his entire body, Morelli braced himself for anything to happen.

It was at that exact moment that the familiar silver vehicle, that one that he had seen many times before, pulled into the driveway and made its way to the back of the building. Upon reaching the entrance, Anthony Giovanni stepped out of the vehicle, but he had some company. Immediately Morelli was beginning to sense that something was wrong and his guard was up as he began assessing the situation. Why didn't Giovanni tell him that he was bringing someone else with him? Not to mention more than one 'someone'? And who were these people? As they walked towards him, it didn't take very long for Morelli to determine the identity of the people who were with him. Morelli knew them all too well. Every one of them were prominent business leaders in the community, which surprised him. Why were they here? And then it dawned on him who these individuals were, the inner circle of the entire organization!

"Hi Joe" Giovanni called out as he reached out to shake his hand. And before Morelli could respond, he continued, "I brought along a few of my friends with me tonight." "I hope you don't mind."

"Great" Morelli responded, knowing full well that these individuals did not pose an eminent danger to him. He had accurately assessed the potential danger and had determined it was minimal.

"Let's save the formal introductions until after we have an opportunity to tour the facility" Giovanni continued. "These gentleman have invested an enormous amount of capital into this operation and would like to see how we are spending their money". Giovanni looked at Morelli, waiting for his response.

"Then let's proceed" Morelli stated affirmatively, nodding his head slightly to acknowledge Giovanni's position here.

"Good, good!" "Gentleman, follow me".

Giovanni said as he led the men into the building. This was the response that Giovanni was looking for. He wanted to make certain that Morelli knew his place in the organization and would not openly question his orders. Little did he know how terribly incorrect his assessment of the circumstances were and what was about to happen next. Joe followed with a masked face. He could not afford to show his elation. This was better than he could have ever dreamed of happening. And he was more than ready to take advantage of the circumstances that were unfolding rapidly, right before his eyes.

After a brief tour and demonstration, production of the counterfeit software was under way. Using the equipment at MindTech made their operation so easy. The men in charge were glad that they had been dragged in to see their ideas become a reality. So smug, they sat back and watched the kids in every step of production. With dollar signs in their eyes, they exchanged smiles, they were so sure that they had now set the standard for other gangs to try to follow. It actually made them feel a sense of pride and accomplishment that they would always be known as the first to use technology to bring in more revenue than ever before. No one could take this accomplishment away from them. It made them feel as if they would leave a legacy behind for others.

Morelli couldn't believe how lucky he was! Without planning it, he had the key money men of the entire operation all in one place! And they were so comfortable with their setting, they were actually being careless and unaware of what was about to transpire. Their euphoric mood had them distracted, the money they were about to make had clouded their vision, and this had led them to lower their guard. Morelli perfectly gauged exactly the right moment to make the signal. It was time to reel in the big fish, and he was more than ready to get this operation over with. Grabbing a bright red bandanna from his pocket, Joe sneezed into the fabric. The noise would have been startling if they had been paying any attention to him, but everyone had their sights on the finished products now being packed into boxes, ready for shipment. Their satisfied smiles said it all, they were very pleased with the results tonight.

With the signal from Morelli, Hector had made the call. The teams were closing in on MindTech. They were silently moving, surrounding the area. Dressed in black, and equipped with night goggles, they were ready. On cue, electricity was cut and the whole building went pitch black. Quickly and effectively the men were rounded up and placed in custody. The kids that had been working production tonight were also rounded up, but kept separately from the gang leaders. Morelli was also taken in, treated exactly the same as the other men. Within an hour MindTech was cleared and the men were already booked and in jail. Anthony Giovanni was furious, and demanded to speak to his lawyer immediately as this was all a huge misunderstanding. The local businessmen sat silently looking at one another. plotting their next move on how to get out of this predicament. And Joe Morelli was pacing the large cell that they were all being held in. His act was flawless. He was angry at the idea that he had been set up, betrayed. He was very convincing, and in the minds of the other leaders he was also a 'victim', just like everyone else that had been captured. Morelli's plan had worked perfectly!

OoOoO