Episode 0005 - The Coming Storm

The morning was overcast, a wind blowing in from the Gulf. It hadn't started raining yet, but the news reports were already reporting Hurricane Gina as getting stronger as it moves across the Gulf towards Florida.  Even though it was not even seven o'clock in the morning, traffic was already heavy.  Melinda sighed as she got stuck at another red light and glanced at the clock on the dash.  She still had fifteen minutes, so she should be able to make it.

She managed to make it to Treasure State Bank with five minutes to spare.  As head teller, it was her responsibility to get into the bank and have all the drawers set up with the right cash amounts before the regular tellers arrived at eight.  She fumbled through her purse for her keys, but the glass door suddenly opened in front of her.

"Get in here," said a stern voice. "We need to talk."

Flustered, Melinda walked in, hearing the door click locked behind her.  A man in his mid-fifties with greying temples came up beside her and casually grabbed her arm. He led her through the teller area and into a back office, where he closed the door with a slam.

"Mr. Fontaine," Melinda began, unsure what was happening.  "I don't understand.  What's wrong?"

"I think you know exactly what's wrong," he growled, sitting down behind his desk.

Melinda's eyes opened wide.  Certainly he could not have found out about Quinley's plan.  If he did...

"We've got a hurricane coming," the man said, "and that means everyone is going to want to take time off to board up their homes, spend time with families, or even worse - evacuate!  We've got to plan ahead and get on top of this before anyone tries to take off.  We can't afford to have any delays for our customers.  Time is money!"

Melinda sighed with relief.  This she could handle.  Darren Fontaine owned Treasure State Bank, having started it ten years ago with his wife, Veronica.  They had six branches along the Gulf Coast of Florida, and they catered to the elderly rich families along the coast. And while the Fontaines were not anywhere near as wealthy as the Devereaux family, they liked to act like they were, constantly looking down on anyone who did not make at least seven digits.  But Melinda had worked at the bank since it had opened, so she had grown accustomed to their attitudes.

"Not a problem," Melinda said. "I will talk to them when they get in this morning."

"See that you do," Fontaine said, waving her out.  As soon as she was gone, he picked up the phone and dialed.  "It's me," he said. "We've got to move fast. With this hurricane coming, we don't have much time. You know what to do."

He hung up the phone and smiled.  Life was good...

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Sam was pissed. She looked at her watch again and then back up at the flight schedule. It showed the flight from Rome was thirty minutes behind schedule. She could not believe Max had made her come pick up Aunt Dottie. He knew that she could not stand the old hag, and she figured he was doing it out of spite. He was still upset about not getting control of the company, so he was taking it out on her. And after that travesty of a sexual encounter the previous night, she was not in the mood for this.

"Well, well, well, look who deemed herself good enough to finally come pick me up!"

The screeching voice came from behind her and startled Sam. She turned and found herself face-to-face with a woman in her seventies, her tanned skin wrinkled under the wavy blue-silver hair. Her sequined dress was reflecting all of the lights, and the small poodle in her arms was sound asleep. Dorothy Devereaux was a real piece of work - and definitely not a good one.

"Aunt Dottie," Sam said with a bit of venom in her tone. "So good to see you."

"Liar," the older woman said, pushing the dog into Sam's arms.  "Now take me to the car so we can go home.  I have some things to share with the family."

"Gee, can't wait," Sam sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, don't give me that tone," Aunt Dottie spat back as she walked outside, her heels clicking on the concrete sidewalk. "Believe me when I say - what I have to tell you all will change this family's future forever!"

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Van Steel sat in his car outside the St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, watching as Sam and her Aunt climbed into the limousine. He started the car, preparing to follow the limo, when his cell phone rang.  He pulled into the line of cars waiting to exit the airport and answered the call.

"Steel here," he said.

"It's me," a man's voice said.  Steel listened carefully and then hung up the phone.  Perfect, he thought, laying the phone down in the passenger seat next to a gun.  This was what he had been waiting for, and the time had finally come. Samantha Devereaux was going to pay for what she did to him!