“Richard Maximum!” they all said.
I kind of recognized the name. Maximum was famous for being rich and very eccentric. He also valued his privacy. He loved being the center of attention but only when he wanted that attention. “The weird, billionaire, hermit dude?” I asked.
“Yes,” they all said.
“Why?” I asked.
They all shrugged. “No idea, the guy is one of the richest people in history, but he’s kind of strange,” the girl said.
“Where can we find him?” Veronica asked.
“We don’t know,” they all answered.
“Answer me!” Veronica said forcefully.
“We did answer. We answered correctly. We don’t know,” they all said.
“Guess!” Veronica said.
“We don’t like to guess without facts!” they said.
“Guess! That’s an order!” Veronica said.
“Earth,” they all said.
The geeks all collapsed. The hologram disappeared.
“Guess, I pushed them too hard,” Veronica remarked.
Mom nodded. “Looks like we have to find Richard Maximum!”
Nina Note: Wow, having telekinesis is a cool added power. Of course, right now, I only have it if I wear Vinnie’s device. But if the device only amplifies our true powers, I should be able to mentally move things, without the device.
And Veronica’s powers are scary. Got to make sure she stays on our side. Maybe I should totally forget about Fadhili as being anything more than a buddy! Then again, my powers are pretty awesome too. Since her mind control powers don’t work on my super strong mind, I think I’d be a pretty good match for Veronica. But then again, she is my cousin and a decent girl. Not to mention that I do have Jimmy back home. He’s sweet and smart and nice and smells good. It’s not his fault he has vampire hunter genes. We can’t pick our families, only our friends.
The super-rich, Richard Maximum seems to be the one behind the trouble at Cousin Vinnie's animal reserve. No idea why a super rich dude would care about the place. The guy can buy almost anything. Even if he did want the land...why not just make Cousin Vinnie an offer he couldn't refuse? Maximum certainly had the resources. Of course, maybe he knew Vinnie would never sell his place. Vinnie would never let the animals down. Still, you’d think Maximum would at least try to buy the land before resorting to tricks. But like Mom always says, super-rich guys can be really weird. Maybe he got a kick out of stealing the land! We'd have to track him down and find out.
Chapter 9: Discovery
“Okay we have to find the richest man in the world,” Cousin Vinnie said. “And he doesn’t want to be found.”
“How hard can that be?” Frank asked, with a deadly serious look on his face.
Dad thought for a moment. “He has unlimited resources and technology. It may be near impossible to find him.”
Mom smiled. I'm not sure why but she seemed not as worried as Dad and Uncle Vinnie were. I couldn't decide if her smile was genuine or mischievous. I didn't think this was the time for being mischievous, but with Mom, you never knew.
“What’s going on?” I asked her.
“I might have an in with Richard Maximum,” she said.
“Really?” Dad asked. “Honey, I had no idea you knew him.”
Mom shook her head. “Oh, I don’t…”
“Mom, you’re talking in code, like Grandma Jasmine,” I said. It hit me. “Grandma Jasmine!”
“Seriously!” Veronica said. “What does a sweet little old grandma have to do with a billionaire recluse playboy?”
“Ah, my mom’s mom isn’t what you would call an average grandma,” I said.
“Yeah, I called her memaw once, and she turned me into a crow,” Frank said. “It was fun. I could fly!”
Cousin Vinnie, Veronica, and Fadhili all looked at Frank.
“True story,” he said.
“I’ve never met your mother,” Vinnie said to Mom.
“She didn’t come to our wedding,” Mom said.
“She didn’t think I was good enough for her,” Dad said.
"Are you kidding me?” Veronica exclaimed.
Fadhili spoke, “But you’re a brilliant weretiger worth millions of dollars!” he gasped.
Dad lowered his eyes and nodded. “Yep, like I said, not good enough. Not handsome enough. Not rich enough…”
Mom walked over and gave Dad a kiss. “You are more than enough for me, honey!”
There was a puff of smoke, and Grandma Jasmine appeared in the room. She wore a short bright pink dress. “If you are trying to get my attention, you have succeeded,” Grandma Jasmine said. Of course, Grandma Jasmine didn’t look anything remotely like a normal grandma.
“Wow,” Fadhili said. “Is THIS your grandma?”
“Close your mouth,” Veronica told him.
Grandma Jasmine laughed. “That’s okay, child, I am used to it.” Grandma turned to Mom. “Let me guess; you want to know if I know where Richard is these days. Well, this day.”
“Yes, Mom I do,” my mom replied.
“It would really help us out,” I said.
“How does your grandma know Richard Maximum?” Fadhili asked.
“We dated a little while ago,” Grandma Jasmine said.
“Did he know you were a vampire?” Cousin Vinnie asked.
Grandma Jasmine laughed. “Of course not, I don’t share that with anybody. It’s nobody's business. He just thinks I’m your average ravishing, gorgeous woman.”
“Why did you stop seeing him?” Veronica asked.
Grandma laughed. “The fool proposed to me. Jasmine does not do marriage.” She paused. “I tried that once and decided, nope, not for me.” She walked over and put her arm around Mom. “Of course, my first marriage led to my lovely daughter. She and her daughter are almost as amazing as I am!”
“Ah, thanks,” I said without a lot of feeling.
Dad raced up to Jasmine, almost leaping with each step. “Jasmine what do you know about Richard Maximum?” he asked.
“He happens to be a terrible kisser,” she said. “But he never farts, so that’s a plus. And his mustache is a fake; he still can’t grow a good one. At least not a good handlebar mustache, yet he wants one because he thinks it makes him look more manly. He wants to be considered manly and rich. Apparently, being super mega rich still isn’t enough for him. Men and their little egos.”
“I thought men had big egos?” Frank said.
“Good point, boy, they have big egos but little confidence!” Grandma Jasmine said. “It’s a weird combination,” Grandma concluded.
Veronica, Mom, and I all shook our heads in agreement. Even Frank shook his head in agreement.
“Grandma, please,” I said to her. “We need your help.”
“I’m a grandma, I love to help!” she smiled.
“Then tell us what you know!” Ruby shouted. She calmed down and added a very polite, “Please.” She took a couple of steps back. She slid behind me for cover.
“It would really help,” I told Grandma Jasmine.
Grandma Thorn appeared - well at least to Mom, Grandma Jasmine, and me. “Come on, Jasmine. Be helpful for once.”
"I'm always helpful in my own way!" Grandma Jasmine insisted. "After all, I was going for a nice refreshing swim in the Arctic, and I came here just to help out."
“Then be helpful!” Grandma Thorn insisted.
“What’s going on?” Fadhili asked, watching Grandma who appeared to be talking to herself.
“Ghost Grandma is back,” I whispered to him.
“Right, I should have guessed that!” Fadhili said.
“Richard is a funny, funny guy. He worries that he doesn’t have enough money and that everybody wants his money,” Grandma Jasmine said.
“Which means?” I coaxed.
“He lives in some underground bunkers. And by bunkers, I mean beautiful bunkers,” Grandma said. “One of them has a stream with fish in it. And somehow a moonroof.”
>
“That is cool and weird at the same time,” Fadhili said.
Grandma smiled and nodded. “You just summed up Richard Maximum.”
“Does he have a mansion in Africa?” Cousin Vinnie asked.
Grandma Jasmine shrugged. “No idea, but probably. I know he wanted to have at least one on every continent.”
“Why?” I asked.
“Honey, because he can,” Grandma Jasmine laughed. “For a man who got rich developing a social media app, he’s not very sociable.” She smirked. “Though he can be if he deems you worthy.”
“Any idea why Richard Maximum would want my animal reserve?” Cousin Vinnie asked.
“Because it’s there. The man loves acquiring stuff. He probably wants pet rhinos or something.”
“Can the man actually be that shallow?” Ruby asked. She thought about her words. “Never mind,” she said.
Dad walked over to his computer. “If we can somehow get on a satellite network, I might be able to modify their systems so I could search the area for large underground spaces. I could do it by bouncing sounds waves off the area.”
I sent a text to Jimmy.
NINA> Hey, I got a favor to ask
JIMMY> Hit me!
NINA> Can u ask Ms. Elena to give my dad access to a satellite over Kenya?
JIMMY> Really?
NINA> Yep
JIMMY> Perfect timing I happen 2 b working out at the lab HQ now. I’m actually sparring with Ms. E now!
NINA> Good timing I guess
JIMMY> Weird timing!
I waited a moment.
My phone rang. The caller ID read:
UNKNOWN NUMBER: SUPER TIP TOP SECRET
“I’d answer that,” Ruby said.
Yeah, sometimes I forget my phone can actually be used to talk to people.
I pushed the accept button. Ms. Elena’s face popped onto my phone’s screen. She smiled. “What a strange request, Nina, dear.”
“We really need your help,” I said.
Ms. Elena grinned. “Let me guess; you are looking for a certain billionaire.”
“Yes!” I said. “Can you give my dad access to a satellite?” I asked.
Ms. Elena nodded. “I could, but I will not.”
Veronica leaned over my shoulder and glared into the phone. “YOU WILL GIVE HER WHAT SHE NEEDS!” she ordered.
Ms. Elena grinned. “Nice trick, girl. But my mind isn’t a normal mind,” she said. “And besides, giving her access to the satellite will take time. We’d need to position it. Doctor Thorn would have to tweak it. Then he’d have to search.”
“I’m willing to do all of that,” Dad said.
“Yes, but I’m not...too slow...too inefficient,” Ms. Elena said. “I’ll just give you the address of Richard’s nearest underground mansion bunker.”
“Wait, you’d do that for us?” I gasped.
"Of course, and like they say, if I scratch your back you will scratch mine...sometime in the future," Ms. Elena told me.
“Oh, she wants something from you!” Frank said.
“Of course I do. I run a powerful secret government lab. I always want something.”
“What do you want from me?” I asked Ms. Elena.
She smiled. Her smiled filled my phone’s screen. “I don’t know, YET. But I will eventually need you for something, and when I ask, you will do it.” She paused to let that sink in. “Okay?”
“Do I have a choice?” I asked Ms. Elena.
I heard Jimmy say from behind Ms. Elena. “You always have a choice!”
“The boy is right. You always have a choice. I would never force you to take my offer. It’s not like Richard’s current activities are bothering me in any way. The man just cares about money and silly things. I care about keeping our planet and dimension safe from, well everything.” She smiled. “I truly am an amazing person.”
“And so modest,” I said.
“Honey, when you are me, you have no need or desire to be modest,” Ms. Elena said. “Do we have a deal?”
I hesitated. I know I didn't have a lot of choices. But…
“I won’t ask you to kill anybody or any living thing,” Ms. Elena said.
“You have a deal!” I told her.
“Good. Smart girl,” Ms. Elena replied. “The coordinates are being emailed to your father’s computer now!”
“You’ve got mail! Top secret mail!” Dad’s computer said.
Ms. Elena waved to me. “See you when you get back, Nina. Have fun with Richard.”
Dad looked at his computer screen. “Looks like Maximum’s home is only just over a kilometer outside of the reserve!”
“Cool!” I said.
“It’s probably heavily guarded,” Dad mumbled.
“That’s why Nina and I should go alone!” Veronica said. “Chances are we won’t be seen, and we are the least likely to get hurt.” She pointed to her ear. “Especially with these new devices.”
I had to agree with Veronica.
Nina Note: These power enhancers were cool. I loved being able to move objects with my mind. Yes, I really did.
Grandma Jasmine could be a royal pain, but she did prove to be useful. I guess, maybe. At least, as useful as Grandma Jasmine ever is.
Now, though, I did owe Ms. Elena something. No idea what. I could only hope that when she came calling and asking for me to return the favor...it would be something I could live with.
It was great hearing Jimmy's voice. The guy has my back. He really stood up for me. Of course, Fadhili is cute too. No, no, no. Must stick to the mission and get home. I was actually looking forward to working with Veronica again. The two of us as a pair were hard to stop!
Cousin Power!
Chapter 10: Cousin Power
Even though Veronica and I wanted to do this job totally alone, Frank, Fadhili, and Ruby all insisted that they should at least drive with us to the coordinates Ms. Elena had given us. We could have forced them all not to come, but we really appreciated the support. And I've started to figure out that no matter how powerful I may be...it's good to have the support of friends.
The coordinates for Maximum’s underground home were really close to Cousin Vinnie’s house. Maximum certainly had some interest in Cousin Vinnie’s animal reserve. We just had no idea what.
As Fadhili drove, Ruby scanned the area's geographical maps on her computer. "There probably is some oil and natural gas located in reserve areas," Ruby said. "But I'm not sure that would be enough to interest Maximum. The guy is already richer than a lot of countries. I don't know why he'd care to be richer."
“Rich guys are weird and greedy,” Fadhili told her. “Those type of guys never have enough of anything.”
“It’s possible,” Ruby admitted.
“The funny thing is he never even made my dad an offer for the land,” Veronica said. “You’d think a guy like that would offer to buy anything he wanted.”
“Maybe he’s a lot deeper than we think!” Frank said. “I mean, he was smart enough to get super rich. He must know a lot of things." He paused for a moment. "And maybe he wants something money can't buy!"
“Like what?” Veronica asked.
“Love,” Frank said. “The dude lives alone in a hole in the ground.”
“Frank, you know I love you right?” I said.
"Ah, thanks, sis, I love you too!" Frank gushed.
“But I doubt one of the world’s richest men is trying to drive Uncle Vinnie off of his animal reserve for love,” I said.
“I guess we have to agree to disagree,” Frank replied. “But I still love you. That’s the cool thing with love...you can disagree and still love.”
“Agree,” I replied.
“To disagree,” Frank said.
“Yes!” I said rolling my eyes.
“Good,” Frank said smiling.
The car jammed to a complete halt, tossing everybody forward. Turning to Fadhili, I said, “What happened?”
He pushed down on the gas pedal. The car e
ngine raced, but the car didn’t move. “No idea,” he said.
“We’ve stopped cold,” Frank added.
“Yes, but why?” I asked.
The car started to sink slowly into the ground.
“Oh, this can’t be good!” Ruby said.
Glancing through the side window, Veronica said, “It appears we’re on top of quicksand.”
My mind raced with ideas. I could open the window and fly out, but the others couldn’t fly. I could carry them one by one. “Here’s what we’ll do…I’ll open the window and fly out on top of the car. I will then carry you each to safety!” I said bravely.
Veronica gave me a nod. "We could do that. Or…" she closed her eyes. The car started to lift out of the quicksand. "Oh, I can do this…" The car levitated up off the ground and floated back to solid ground.
“Impressive!” Fadhili looked extremely impressed.
“Agreed,” Ruby said.
“Wow,” Frank added.
“Yep, that’s a better solution,” I told Veronica.
Veronica smiled. A bunch of tall men in white battle armor popped up from the ground. They pointed really nasty looking guns at us.
"Freeze!" they shouted.
Veronica stared at them and commanded, “Sleep!”
The two-dozen guards dropped to the ground and started snoring immediately. Even more impressive was the fact that for once, Veronica didn't put our friends to sleep too. Veronica blew on her finger like it was a smoking gun. "Girl, I'm getting good at this!" she said.
We all nodded eagerly in agreement.
Veronica and I got out of the car. We were in a wide-open flat area of land. Just dirt and some weeds for as far as the eye could see.
Ruby followed us out of the car. She looked at her phone. “We should be standing right over Maximum's home now," she said. "There has to be a door somewhere near here!"
“But where?” Frank asked.
“Maybe it has a holographic cover,” Ruby suggested.
Dropping to all fours, I started sniffing the ground. Yes, not the most dignified action but I thought it could work.
“Ah, sis, what are you doing?” Frank asked. “Did Veronica blast your brain and make you think you’re a cat?”
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