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“ It’ s all show. They know I’ m not going to walk into some company and start beating up executives. Frank could teach you enough to fake it.” Rodney explained the fact that if he had not agreed to the drink Frank offered, he most likely would have lost the gun, a trigger finger and a perfectly functioning wind pipe.“ About four years ago, some punk tried to car jack Frank in the parking lot. It happened so fast we had to play the surveillance tape in slow motion to catch the action. All you see is this guy run up to the car and stick a gun through the window. Then he’ s laying on the ground flopping around for a minute. Frank steps from the car holding the gun barrel and talking on his phone. The cops arrive with an ambulance. They load the guy on a gurney and cover him with a sheet. That punk never saw it coming and I wouldn’ t have either. That was the day George’ s words hit me right between the eyes. I was able to use Frank’ s phone because I could talk. I still had breath. Frank’ s choice from the moment I stuck the gun in his side.”“ Frank is into karate?”“ He told me he has been studying since junior high school. A confidence booster for a nerdy kid. I also wouldn’ t play chess against him,” Rodney said, as another truck pulled in.
The crane arm affixed to the frame and the huge steel double doors strapped to the bed, announced the doors they were expecting had arrived.“ Tell me exactly where you want these. Once I set them down, you are not going to move them without the use of heavy equipment,”“ Centered in the openings at each end of the building,” Eddie said as Rodney asked the masons for a chalk line. Eddie grabbed a tape measure from the tool box he kept behind his seat. They chalked a line and marked center as the driver began to unload the massive, steel gray, doors. The remote in the driver’ s hand allowed him to single handedly maneuver the doors into position. A magnetic level attached to the frame told him when the doors were plumb. Steel supports bolted to the frame kept the doors vertical and the frame square, while waiting for the walls to lock them in place.“ Don’ t remove any of the hardware for a week if you want the doors to open and close. Both locks are identically keyed but you get two keys with each door,” he said handing Eddie four keys. Eddie added another key to the ring and gave the other three to Rodney. The space between the columns was beginning to fill quickly. Rodney had other work to check and drove away after handing Eddie the used computer.“ Thanks for everything,” Eddie said, and put the case in his truck.
Trying to use the laptop computer as the name implied proved futile. Eddie needed a work space. He packed up and went in search of an inexpensive table and chair. What he found was inexpensive meant wobbly surface and uncomfortable chair. He wandered into a wholesale club and found a large folding, steel legged, table and two sturdy, fairly comfortable, stacking chairs. He purchased a small microwave oven, disposable plates, cups and some bottled water. He loaded his purchases and headed back to the job site. Eddie set the table near the front door where an electrical box was close at hand. He arranged the computer and other items on the long rectangular surface. His limited knowledge of computers became frustrating. Eddie remembered Tanya tutoring him, telling him it was easier if you could picture the computer as a huge filing cabinet. Picturing it was easy, opening it was problematic. Then he had to figure out how to put stuff in it. Searching his own memory he remembered files you create are“ Save as.” The existing files you need to fix, you just“ Save”. The notebook page began to fill with questions for Tanya as he fumbled his way around enough to not feel like a total moron. His stomach reminded him when lunchtime was near. Eddie left his makeshift office and saw the cinder-blocks on either side of the door were waist high. Locking the inner, glass door he made a note to set aside space for his own office. He unlocked the huge steel door and snapped a few pictures of the progress. The phone in his pocket chimed that he had a message. He read the text from Tracy.“ Meeting @ 10. Be here by 9.” The scaffolds were being moved. Empty wooden pallets that were once filled with the gray blocks were being neatly stacked by one of the younger men. The building was becoming an impenetrable fortress. He had transformed what was almost pretty into something almost hideous. It was perfect. Soon the driveway gate would no longer be necessary. The two beer lunch at Hooters was his reward to himself for a job well done. His return to the“ Fear Factory” yielded the surprise of near completion. He took a few more pictures. The crew had divided into two four man crews as they neared opposite ends of the building and now it seemed like a race to the finish. At three-thirty the masons were packing up. After loading his computer, he put the key in the door. Two huge deadbolts slammed home. He locked the other set of doors. Eddie called Tanya.“ I’ m on my way shortly.”“ They finished?”“ Yes.”“ How does it look?” Tanya asked excitedly.