The old rented HQ had been based in Norfolk. When I’d found Reading Hall, I’d given HQ people the choice of a generous severance packet, or help to find another job or the option most had taken.
I’d moved each of them at a personal cost to me and helped them find a house they liked. I then paid their expenses in moving across the country and paid for them to have a week off so they could move in and sort what they needed too. The real estate around Rapid City had taken a huge boost.
Any relocation expense they had come across I had covered, they were moving because I wanted to live in South Dakota in Rapid City and so I owed them. Oblivious, I’d no idea how much this had meant to them. They were paid well, but it meant they weren’t taking a monetary hit.
It wasn’t just my Directors who’d moved. Every single S.M moved, their assistants, legal and admin staff, property and investigations. Three hundred people worked at HQ, and we’d only had vacancies for just forty-two people. Of the forty-two people who hadn’t relocated, they received jobs elsewhere in the Trusts, no one had become jobless.
Diana had interviewed and filled the positions that had become vacant. She’d hired people that lived locally so I didn’t have to move anyone else. It’d cost me a whack, a huge whack to move HQ people across country to here. I was touched by their dedication to the Trusts, we didn’t hire people who didn’t get my vision and work their ass off to achieve it.
I couldn’t ever repay the loyalty they showed, although I could show them how much it meant to me. In making their moves easier, I hoped I had shown that. The staff that had relocated, had no mortgage, no moving costs and no debt in relation to the move. (I’d paid the monetary difference between their old home and the new home. Any mortgage left I paid for them.) Trust staff got a bonus every year that came out of my personal money. The interest on my fortune was immense.
My two hundred and seventeen million pounds was now just under one billion dollars thanks to my investment broker. He’d been rewarded extremely well. In fact, he could retire, but the man loved to make money! This freed me to do the things such as paying for the staff’s relocations and bonuses. So yeah, moving everyone, covering any mortgage and clearing it, paying moving and decorating costs cost a whack, but as I said it wasn’t even a blip.
Motorbike pipes roared again, and I walked to the French doors that opened onto my balcony. Ever since Sturgis I’d loved bikes, ever since Hellfire I’d loved MC’s. Pure coincidence my building was opposite a garage that specialised in bikes and one I knew linked with Hellfire.
Hellfire specialised in car designs, with Rage MC designing bikes. The two MC’s split the mechanic business between themselves. That meant it wasn’t a vague link between the two clubs but a strong one. Chance never explained the connection to me though. I admit I was curious. I never pressed him, he’d tell me when he wanted too. Chance had never taken me to visit Rage MC either, although they met up often.
Directly opposite Headquarters, the Rage forecourt was large and easily could hold thirty plus cars. The garage had five bays in which you could see vehicles being serviced. Two bays at the end were where they obviously completed their builds.
The garage was a long squat L shaped building with what looked to my eye an office at the end. To the left of the garage was a two-storey building I believed was their clubhouse. Rage’s clubhouse was as large as the first five bays and a dull concrete colour. Three tall white flagpoles were outside and flew three flags. One an American flag with an eagle embossed on it, the second the MC patch and the third their motto.
MC members parked their bikes in spaces to the left of the clubhouse, and if they were driving vehicles, they parked on the forecourt. From turning my body a little, I could see that behind the clubhouse was a huge grassed area. Huge grills and kegs stood on stands placed randomly around. Picnic tables and chairs were scattered around the grills. Under a wooden shed with doors that closed, I could see a music centre and large speakers.
Next to the forecourt was a row of shops. The first shop was boarded and appeared empty. A second, the width of two shopfronts was called Rage Shop. The shop sold biker paraphernalia, the shop to the left was boarded up too.
Further up, if I leaned forward and looked at the corner of my side of the street, I could see the bar that Rage and Hellfire both jointly owned. I hadn’t been in it yet. Without Chance or Hellfire at my back I was unlikely too. Hells Rage was an apt name for the bar and it appeared busy even at this time of day.
The front corner of the forecourt held the parts store, which always had people coming and going. Hellfire was flush I knew that, it appeared Rage was too. Snuggled up on my rocking chair, I watched a tall man get off one of the three bikes that had pulled in. He swung his jean clad leg over the bike and clapped another man on the back.
Nearly breaking my neck straining to see his face, I was disappointed I couldn’t, as his back was to me. A mighty fine ass was on show, though. That ass could make any woman smile. Proof of that was my own smile. I jolted as a gorgeous Native American and his son strode out. Both wore the warrior biker uniform of faded well-fitting jeans, tees and their cuts. There was far too much raw male sexiness in Rage and I drooled. They had an intense discussion, then the five men disappeared into the clubhouse.
I looked as my phone pinged and saw a text from Chance. ‘Be in Rapid City tomorrow, Rage clubhouse after five, baby.’ That was Chance short and sweet! No how are you, what’re you doing, just meet me at five! I sighed and sent him an okay back and then my phone pinged again as Bear texted me. Curled up, watching the bikes come and go from Rage for half an hour, I had a text conversation with Bear. Surely it would have been easier to talk over the phone. Bikers!
In the middle of shelving my files around one o’clock, I heard several loud toots on a horn and music being blasted from the street. I groaned as I knew who it was. I walked to the balcony and looked at the road and there heading towards me was Bernard driving his (as I call it) beach jeep. Hanging on the bars on the back and waving madly at me was Stefan.
I adored Stefan, but sometimes he could make me want to run for cover and this was one of them. Wiry, slender, with toned muscles he wore a pair of black jeans that made him look even slimmer. Proudly, he wore a Queen tee showing the album cover of their greatest hits. Stefan’s hair was short and bleached almost white by the sun.
Bernard swung into a space outside HQ and rose to his feet and waved at me. I waved back as the man blew kisses. Stefan was wriggling his hips around the back of the jeep in a kind of terrifying dance. Bernard grinned at me, turned the volume up and he blasted me with Tudthumping. I rolled my eyes at Bernard and he shrugged and turned to look at his crazy assed husband.
A new black Dodge Dakota belted up the road and I closed my eyes in horror as Diana pulled in beside them. Diana could be one of the calmest, most rational people you’d ever meet. Stefan though brought out the wild in her, when he did, everyone braced!
Diana leapt out of the car and threw her arms above her head and screamed at Stefan who grinned back at her. Swinging his hips, he jumped off the jeep and swept her up into his arms, throwing her on the back of her pickup before jumping up with her. Together, to my alarmed eyes, they began jumping about. I bit my lip and swallowed a giggle.
Too intent on my crazy staff I didn’t see people coming out of the Rage clubhouse watching us. Instead, I saw another new black Ford Ranger pickup pull in. Stuart got out and waved at me and then glared over his shoulder at the maniacs dancing on the jeep.
“I’ve been following those two fucknuts for hours. I desperately need a beer followed by whiskey.” Stuart bellowed up at me. “Road trip from hell. Phoe you don’t want to know what they did in the diner we stopped at!” Oh I did, I really wanted to know! I tried to keep a smile from my lips and saw his gaze shoot to my face. I bit my lip again instead. After all, the team had stayed behind to shut the previous HQ for the last time, I shouldn’t laugh at his pain!
Stuart’s passenger
door opened, letting Susan, his assistant out. The woman dressed herself in Armani head to toe and looked the ultimate professional. Which was at odds with the mischievous smile she sent me. Bernard winked at her, Susan shrieked and ran over to the jeep. Susan hitched up her skirt and clambered on the back of the jeep and began twerking.
“Susan get your ass off there now!” Stuart hollered. She responded by twerking in his direction. I guessed the trip had been wearing on him. Stuart rolled beleaguered eyes to me and hitched his butt on the front of Bernard’s jeep. I looked at the street as the last two vehicles I had been expecting arrived.
Kyle climbed out of a black (sensing a theme yet?) Jaguar and looked unimpressed. At his look I felt my lips twitch, I couldn’t help it. Like Stuart, Kyle dressed in slacks and a buttoned shirt. Unlike Stuart he wore a tie he’d yanked around his neck while he’d been driving. Kyle swept his arm toward the three nutcases who had moved on from Tudthumping, to what appeared to be an out of tune rendition of the Bohemian Rhapsody.
Bernard was now up on the back of the jeep and holding on to Susan’s waist as she shimmied and twerked for everything she was worth. Excited squeals and yelps came from the last car. A stunning 1967 black, with silver stripes going up and over it, Flashback Shelby Mustang, Emily’s baby Eleanor.
Emily shot out of the car, heading straight towards Stefan, today her hair was pink with blond streaks and I sighed at her. Emily was brilliant which is why I didn’t enforce a dress code on her. She wore short shorts and a tank top that kept slipping off one shoulder, on her feet were clunky motorcycle boots.
Stefan reached for Emily and hauled her up on to Diana’s vehicle. With a small smile, I watched as half of my insane staff began belting out the famous chorus of Boeheim Rhapsody. Kyle looked on in horror, his expression mirrored by Stuart. I began to chuckle, and they looked up at me. The singers began waving their arms above their heads and weaving side to side.
The looks on the two men’s faces undid me and my laughter peeled out over the music, reaching those across the forecourt watching from the clubhouse. A man straightened and his gaze came to me. I didn’t see it as I was so busy holding on to my railings and laughing so hard, I began crying.
Stuart deftly reached over and turned the jeeps music off, and got a chorus of boos and hisses. The singers finished without music, remaining badly out of tune, to my giggles. With a grin at me Stefan reached his arms above his head and yelled at me, in a voice I was sure could be heard across the country.
“Hi babe! Totally awesome idea, a street party, gonna get my cute butt onto it and my delicious man can sort out the catering. What do you think, Tudthumping as our song of the year? It’s so us! Need to get Public Relations on it. Phoe you gonna let us in or stand there laughing all day?”
“You’re freaking insane!” I called to him.
“Yeah, but you’re madly in love with me so let us in Phoe.” Stefan yelled back at the top of his lungs. I looked into his eyes, recognising his feverish delight and the wheels turning the idea of a street party in his head. I walked to my desk, hit the buzzer, heard the door open and voices over talking each other.
“We’re on the third floor.” I yelled. They stampeded the stairs and Emily, Stefan and Diana burst in swiftly followed by Bernard. The others were staidly making their way up. This was their first-time seeing HQ, which added to the excitement. Only Sally and I had seen the finished product. Stefan saw the white walls of his office and burst in. He gave a wordless yell and threw open his doors to his balcony and walked out.
“Hey Phoe?” Stefan yelled from his balcony. I looked out on mine. “Cool babe. I don’t have to get off my ass to talk to you, I can shout.” I grinned at him, Stuart’s doors opened and he shoved his own head out. A stern finger pointed at Stefan.
“Don’t you dare screech across my office!” He yelled at Stefan who cheerfully flipped him the bird and strolled back into his office.
“Oh dear.” I whispered.
“You sort Stefan out, he’s your responsibility. I’m not having him yelling across my office.” Stuart ordered.
“Cups and wires Phoe!” Stefan bellowed from his office the sound carrying in the relative silence.
“We soundproofed your office.” I whispered. Stuart narrowed his eyes at me and then grinned and slammed his doors. Music blasted from Stefan’s office and I closed my eyes. Lost in my happiness at my guys arriving I didn’t see I was being watched with intent interest from Rage MC.
The day unfolded as we unpacked and sorted through everything. I dealt with my office while Emily went crackers in hers. Stefan was scribbling on his walls and I raised my eyes to heaven. Emily had given him a blank pad, but he was too caught up, drawing diagrams and scribbling stuff as his mind went into overdrive. Bernard sat nodding and helping him.
Stuart was checking his law books and legal stuff had been delivered precisely as he ordered, basically the same layout as his old office. Emily got her office right and strolled upstairs where she began a vigorous game of air hockey with Susan. Kyle was sorting through his stuff that like me, he liked to place.
Around five we had pizzas delivered and then I sent them home. I sat in my office for a while and thanked my blessings. I gazed across the dark office’s that for now was peaceful. Tomorrow, at eight in the morning, all hell would break loose, in a good way.
◆◆◆
I was first in at half past-six that morning, checking things for a second time when I heard the buzzer go half an hour after I arrived. Staff weren’t due to arrive for another hour but I could hear voices in the street and lots of calls and welcome and yo’s and hi’s! This group was early, bless them.
The staff parked under the building and walked up to the front security door. Not having security cards meant they’d not be able to use the car park barriers. Today the barriers had been left open until everyone got their security passes. I opened the main door and got pounced on by several people carrying boxes with personal belongings and stuff, and happy to see their new places at last.
For the last week, we’d covered with temps and Property Managers while the HQ staff had a week off and moved into their new homes. HQ ran with three hundred staff and I made sure I knew each one personally. It was gratifying to receive the cheerful greetings I got. The receptionist hadn’t relocated, the new girl obviously hadn’t learnt who was who yet. To help, Emily and Susan had both agreed to man the desk with her but for today I was on that task.
I handed out security passes as the first bunch came in, far earlier than their eight o’clock start. I’d finished handing them out and Emily (who’d arrived with them) took them around the building. Emily was showing them their desks when the next bunch arrived twenty minutes later. I looked up at open balcony doors, with people leaning over the balconies and heads peering over the roof shouting greetings at those on the street.
Shouts, cheers and hollers sounded as I opened the door and I missed seeing Rage MC come out of the clubhouse, put asses to bikes and watch. There was an air of excitement surrounding the staff and building, it was catching! I ended up in the street handing out passes and stuff as my guys came on a roll.
Excitement thundered through the air with good-natured insults being hollered, slaps on backs given, delighted squeals from Directors who hadn’t yet seen their offices. Stefan and Stuart going at it on their balcony’s delighting arriving staff.
Stuart stormed back into his office, seconds later Pink’s So What blasted out of Stefan’s windows to the laughter of those on the street. Stefan appeared in his doorway dancing wildly. Stuart slammed his balcony doors back open and shouted a few inventive insults. To everyone’s glee he slammed his doors shut while me and sixty odd staff laughed hard on the pavement.
The staff were even happier at getting their decorating grants, again paid for personally by me. Admin staff were cruising around and checking their desks that each had a bronzed name plaque.
I ended up getting everyone in and getting them to thei
r floors. Then doing a walk round of each member of staff, handing them security passes for the doors and one for the underground parking.
Emily made sure they each knew what facilities was available, and they had everything they needed. By two o’clock I’d spoken to everyone. I sank into my comfortable chair that swallowed me and swung to my French doors as I heard bike pipes in the road.
I knew those pipes, I rose and walked to the opening watching Hellfire pull in, I counted bikes and knew most of the MC had arrived. Chance in front on his Dyna Glide with Bear at his right on his Fat Boy, Diesel at his left riding a second Fat Boy.
A wolf whistle caught my attention, and I saw Chatter wave up at me. I waved back at him and then my attention was caught by a large flat-bed truck and crane arriving.
“It’s here!” I squealed loudly, people hearing me in the street and offices. I flew out of the office with Emily at my heels. It had finally arrived! A day late but it was here. The staff caught on and the street ended up jammed with over two hundred staff. People spilled onto Rage’s side of the street, while I directed where the symbol of the Trusts was to go.
The huge work of art had been built by two of the women who’d used the Rebirth Trust. One was a welder, and she’d crafted a stunning Phoenix. The Phoenix’s claws latched onto the wall, the wings spanned half the width of the building, its neck arched gracefully to the sky. Elegantly the head titled downwards looking at us in the street.
A woman who worked miracles and sheer beauty with stained glass had done the second part. She’d filled in the spaces left by the welder and rounded out the design. Different oranges, reds and yellows glinted in the sun and its wings alone were serious works of art. I hopped around terrified they’d drop it but within two hours they secured it in place, and we gasped as the sun hit and lit it up.
Hanging from one wing was a small sign saying Phoenix Trust, under the other was another sign saying Rebirth Trust. Above the Phoenix’s head was a sign saying Headquarters and under its feet gripped by claws was Eternal Trust.
Rage of the Phoenix Page 5