Arnie and Mr. Ken headed into the Operations building, while Jason took the Covers and the van and limo drivers over to the FFF Pass Booth to get them their Complimentary Fastest Passes.
"Mr. Thomas, this overnight package came for you this morning," said Mr. Arnolds, as he handed the package to Mr. Ken.
"Thanks, Arnie. I was hoping it would be here this morning. Let me call Wayne and have him come back with Jason. Then the four of us can talk about what"s in this package, and what I have planned for when we leave here tomorrow," explained Ken Thomas, to the park"s operations manager. The man then took out his cell phone and called Wayne.
Wayne told his boss he and Jason would head back as soon as all the boys, and the drivers, had their Passes and were split up evenly. The two hired drivers were surprised they too would receive Fastest Passes. They decided they"d stay together and enjoy the park. They told Mr. Mitchell and Collin they would be out in the park, and to call them if they were needed to come back and drive them somewhere.
Wayne then asked Collin and Billy to each take a few of their "brothers" with them, or to stay in a big group. Mr. Wayne then asked the boys if they had any money to play some games and get a drink or snack, later on. Collin told Mr. Wayne that he"d take care of it.
The Estate Master just smiled at what Collin meant and said that he and Jason would head back towards the operations building. But before they did, Mr. Wayne and Collin made sure they had their driver"s phone numbers, and then the groups went in different directions.
The Cover boys all wanted to go with Collin. So, they decided they would stay together and enjoy the rides as a group. Each Cover took a park map to plan where they would go. Of course, the older boys wanted to start with the roller coasters, while the younger boys wanted to ride what are called the "flat" rides that are installed in one place and move their passengers generally parallel to the ground.
The boys began to argue over which way they"d go. Billy whistled to get their attention and said they should start where they were and work their way around the park and ride the rides as they came. He reminded them they had all day tomorrow to ride them, all over again, and hopefully Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne would ride the rides with them.
Robert, Eric and Charles tried to appeal to Collin to change what Billy said, but Collin told his "brothers" he was a guest and that Billy"s suggestion was a good one, and that they needed to get a move on as they were wasting good riding time. So, that"s what they did.
When Wayne and Jason returned to the office, the four men got something to drink and they went into the office. Before Arnie closed the door, he told the secretary not to bother them unless there was a major incident in the park. The men seated themselves and then Mr. Ken told the men what was in the package.
"Arnie, Jason ... Wayne already knows what this package represents. When we leave here tomorrow, we are heading to Edgewood to visit the park. The boys ... they know about the accident and they know that I wouldn"t buy the park.
"They asked if we had the time in our schedule if I would take them there, so they could see how bad the park actually was, which was why I wouldn"t buy it. I actually think they wanted to see where the coaster fell off the track hoping it would still be there," laughed the man.
"Anyway, you probably heard about all the lawsuits that have been filed, not only by the riders who were injured ... but also by some of the people on the ground who were also injured by flying debris or ... or by those injured when they had to flee from the flying coaster train themselves.
"I am going to send Wayne, here, to go in as a potential buyer of the property, but not of the amusements themselves. This package has his credentials. What I want Wayne to try to find out is how bad off the owners are for money. Jason can tell you and you can read in his thorough report that the owners did the bare minimum to keep the park operational.
"What I didn"t understand was their insistence for such a high asking price, even after I told them what we found and what I would need to spend in order to bring the park up to the standards of my other three parks. They acted as if their park was worth far more than what I was willing to pay, and, from what I know, no one else has even looked at the park," explained Mr. Ken.
"So, what I am hearing is ... is that you are still trying to acquire Edgewood?" asked Arnie Arnolds, Crystal Lake Amusement Park"s operations manager.
Mr. Ken thought about the question for a few moments, to make sure in his mind that was what he wanted to do, and then said, "Yes, Arnie ... yes, I guess that is what I want to do. I see potential there, but it won"t be worth it ... UNLESS ... unless, I can get the entire park at a decent price. The price being what I offered before or lower, definitely lower.
"When these lawsuits are consolidated, I sure hope their insurance underwriters will cover them. But, if they don"t, the question I have is ... do the owners ... do the owners have the money to supplement the losses or ... or will they have to sell off the rides or ... or maybe sell the entire property. If that is the case ... I want to be ready to jump in and make an offer ... an offer "they can"t refuse,"" laughed Mr. Ken.
"That"s where Wayne Mitchell, the advance man for the company ... he will be representing comes in. He"ll go in there, explain that he is looking for relatively flat land to build a manufacturing plant on, and explain that after hearing about the accident was wondering if the property might be for sale. Wayne would then say he would sell off the rides, and then bulldoze what he can"t sell.
"I"ve created a backstory for him with people ready to confirm who he is. That story is he is also looking for property around here after hearing that this park was just sold, but that the divided highway might not be built and that this ... and that this park might go under as well. So ... be ready for a phone call from them to confirm the highway part of that story," finished Mr. Ken.
The Cover boys decided to start on the right and go on the rides as they came to them. Usually, at the front of amusement parks you"ll find many flat rides, but there at Crystal Lake the boys had to decide between a Boomerang type coaster or the Top Spin, which consists of a passenger platform suspended between two counterweighted arms were the arms twist and turn the platform while it travels over a long arc.
Both rides were considered intense, but the Boomerang didn"t look as bad as the Top Spin, so the younger boys voted to ride the roller coaster first. The group went through the Exit to get their return time and, while they waited, they watched the Top Spin go through its paces. After watching the Top Spin go through two cycles of riders, Matthew decided he would wait for his "brothers", while they rode it.
The Boomerang coaster wasn"t at any of their "dads" other parks, but they had ridden one at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, so they knew what to expect. Everyone but Billy, that is. Collin told the teen to ride with him and they would ride the back seat instead of the front, so it wouldn"t be so bad.
Little did Billy know that the back seat was the last seat at the top of the first lift hill and through the Cobra roll and the vertical loop before going up a second lift hill before riding in reverse. That seat was then the first seat backwards through the ride.
"You tricked me," said a laughing Billy to Collin, as they walked down the Exit. "But that was fun. I wonder what it would have been like seated up front." All the Covers laughed at the teen.
The Covers then headed over to Top Spin. Matthew didn"t go with his "brothers" to get a return time. He was adamant about not going on that ride, as he didn"t like the way the platform spun around as the arms also spun around in the arc. He said he"d stay right there and watch his "brothers" get sick.
Collin led his "brothers" through the Exit when their return time came up. When they took their seats, they made sure Kevin and Kyle were seated between Collin, Billy and Robert in case they got scared. That way they could help calm them down.
The ride started out tame, but as the ride turned on the large arms arc the platform began to spin on its own central point and rotated forwards and backwards and sometimes stopped in the middle of a spin, so the riders were looking down, or even straight up. The ride lasted about two minutes, but it was an intense two minutes.
When the twins came off the ride, Kyle went to Matthew and said, "You were smart not to ride that. I was getting a headache about the time it stopped. I don"t think I will be riding it again, while I"m here." Kevin heard what his brother said to Matthew and told him he was a wimp. The other Covers heard that exchange and some laughed while others just shook their heads.
The Covers continued to the right as they walked around the park. They came to other flat rides, like the Scrambler, the Swinging Boat and the Himalaya and rode all of them, before they came to their first roller coaster.
This coaster was unlike any of the other ones they had ridden at Mr. Ken"s other three parks or at SeaWorld or Fiesta Texas. It was called the Crazy Coaster, but its generic name was Wild Mouse. The boys saw the track had many tight turns at the top of the ride, and then it made lots of dips and quick turns as it made its way back to the station.
The boys eagerly wanted to ride this new type of coaster, so they used their Fastest Passes and waited for their time to return. They were to be loaded two at a time into the coaster cars, so Collin decided that he would ride with Matthew, Billy would ride with Kyle and Charles would ride with Kevin. Collin knew about Robert and Eric"s friendship and told them to ride together.
Once at the top of the ride, the car followed the track and made tight, flat turns that made it feel like there was some speed there. The cars also made the rider feel as if the car would go straight off the track before its wheels turned and the rider found himself looking at a different part of the track.
After the top section was completed, the coaster car continued to go down a steep hill, make a tight turn and then go up a hill only to make another tight turn and go back down again. It also had some bunny hills in-between and some slight leaning to one side, or the other, before arriving back at the starting point.
"I loved that ride," said Kevin, to no one in particular. "It was fast and it felt like we were going to fall right off the end before the car turned. I"ll want to ride that one again!"
The other boys agreed with their "brother", and asked if they wanted to get back in line. Billy spoke up and said he thought they should walk the whole park and see what that park was all about, before they decided on which rides they"d want to ride again tomorrow.
Collin agreed with his new "brother". He said he wanted to see what that park had to offer because they could find another roller coaster that was better than what they just rode. The boys had been walking as they talked and before they knew it, they came upon another flat ride and decided to ride it. This one was a drop tower that was 250 feet high. They quickly got their return time.
After Mr. Ken told Arnie and Jason what he had planned for Edgewood, he told them what he told Joe, Ben and Julia. And that was that when he couldn"t be reached Wayne could speak for him. Mr. Ken then told the two to make plans for the weekend after Labor Day to attend his Fall Meeting of all his amusement park operation managers at his Lakeside Hotel.
Mr. Ken explained at the meeting he would announce the formation of a Limited Liability Corporation that will be established to oversee all four parks. He told them he would also announce whom he"d chosen to be the President of Three Finger Entertainment.
Arnie Arnolds had loads of questions go through his mind upon hearing that. Jason wondered what that new organization would mean for him. Mr. Ken saw the puzzlement in the two men"s faces. So, he told them their jobs were safe, as he needed them where they were, for now.
Mr. Ken then asked Jason if he had hired any of those apprentices, he talked to him about when he was there last. Jason said he contacted the closest vocational schools about the openings and had interviews setup for next week. Mr. Ken told the Resident Administrator to hire at least one good candidate from the four main disciplines.
Mr. Arnolds was curious as to why they were hiring more people when he didn"t know of any openings. Mr. Ken explained Jason wanted to hire new graduates from the vocational schools who had no bad habits, so they could hopefully be trained to work in the amusement industry.
Mr. Ken added that when he adds new rides, they"d need more employees and he agreed with Jason to start training them from the beginning, so they understood how things were done at the park and would grow in depth and knowledge over the coming years. Arnie said he had no qualms with that reasoning.
The boys took a break from riding the rides. They decided to get a drink and a soft pretzel and talk to Collin. Robert and Eric started to pay for all their "brothers"" food, but Collin told them he"d treat them and pulled out his credit card. The boys all thanked him for doing that.
Kevin teased Collin by asking him if he got shot at this time when he visited his manufacturing plants. Collin laughed and figured his Big Bro had told them about that episode in their lives. Collin told them he has a good bunch of plant managers who are dedicated to producing and not trying to take over his companies.
Robert asked him how he liked living in his new house. Collin told his "brothers" that was the best thing his Big Bro had done for him. He told them it got him away from all the partying and had him now focused on his studies. He told them he has two great roommates, and they all get along very well.
Billy wanted to know why he was living in a house and not the dorm or in a fraternity. Collin told the new Cover that was what caused his grades to go down because he was partying and not studying and people were wanting him to pay for everything, because he had lots of money.
Collin told his "brothers" that his money didn"t buy him happiness at the college. He told them all it did was put a target on his back that said "sucker". He explained that, now that he lives away from all the hoopla, he isn"t tempted to party. The older teen said his roommates were a good influence on him, they were down to earth and have taught him when to study and when to have fun.
When the pretzels and the drinks were finished, and their trash was where it was supposed to be, the boys headed to their next conquest, an old ride called the Octopus. This was a simple ride where the ride cars rode on an arm attached to a central spindle that spun the arms around in a circle, and went up and down, while the cars themselves spun on their own axle.
Collin made sure he rode with a different "brother" every time there was the opportunity. He didn"t want to show any favoritism, as he knew they all wanted to be with him on the rides. The only exception was Billy.
Collin asked Billy why he wasn"t vying to sit with him on a ride. Billy told the teen that he got to ride with him all the way over to the park, and he knew how much his "brothers" looked up to him, and how badly they wanted his attention, even if for just a little while. Billy did tell Collin they did ride that first ride together and that he really appreciated their talk earlier, and he hoped they could do that again some time.
Collin liked that Billy was more interested in his "brothers" getting the chance to be with him than he was. Collin saw it as his newest "brother" wasn"t self-centered and really cared about his "brothers", before himself. He decided he needed to learn more about Billy.
After the Octopus, the boys rode a few other rides before coming to a steel coaster. It wasn"t big in comparison to what the boys rode at SeaWorld and Fiesta Texas, but it looked like fun and it was a roller coaster. They used their Fastest Passes to get a return time and then waited.
As the Covers waited for their time to ride the coaster, Collin stood with Robert and Eric and he asked them to tell him more about Billy. Since Robert lived with the newest Cover, he had more insight to the teen, and answered Collin"s question.
Robert told Collin he was initially concerned that bringing a much older teen into the house would cause problems, but he said that Billy stayed back and watched how things were done at The Cove. Robert told the teenager how Billy pitched in when asked, and had never tried to take over because he was older.
Robert did tell Collin how Billy did try to get them to tell him more about what happened when those men tried to kidnap them, but they sort of rebelled. He added that Eric told him to go read what was in the newspapers.
Eric spoke up then and told his "big brother" how Billy came to them later and apologized to each of them for being insensitive about what happened to them, and he was only wanting to be the BMOC with his friends. Both Cover teens said they were good with Billy"s apology and he hasn"t done anything like that again.
Collin did ride the steel coaster with a different "brother" and they all enjoyed the speed, tight turns and the two inversions and a corkscrew. After the ride they tried to compare it to the Wild Mouse type coaster they rode earlier, but realized they were two different types and there was no comparison.
The Cover boys enjoyed walking and talking, with one another, as they went from ride to ride. They enjoyed it even more that Mr. Wayne wasn"t there, as they felt they could talk to Collin and know that whatever they said wouldn"t get back to their "dad".
The day had moved on and the boys continued to go on the rides and one additional family style coaster. But around 6:30, Collin received a phone call asking him and the boys to try to be back at the operations building by 7 p.m. That was so they could leave and go out to dinner. The train station was nearby, so Matthew, who enjoyed riding the train, more so than his "brothers", asked if they could ride that at least over to that side of the park. So, that"s what the Covers did.
The van and limo drivers were already there when the boys arrived back at the operations building. Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne met up with the Covers and asked them to use the restroom before they loaded into the vehicles.
It was close to 8 p.m. when the group met at the restaurant. Collin did let Robert and Eric ride with him in the limousine, as they traveled back to the area where their hotel and the restaurant were located.
Mr. Wayne had called ahead for a reservation for ten people and when they arrived, their table was ready for them. Mr. Ken was pleased they were seated at a long table, but in a back corner. He knew the boys would get loud, as they talked over one another, so they could talk to Collin. Mr. Ken asked Collin to sit in the middle, so that way his "brothers" wouldn"t have to yell across the table to talk to him.
As the Covers ate, they talked about Crystal Lake and compared it to the other three amusement parks their "dad" and Big Bro owned. There were good points as well as some not so good points, but the glaring discrepancy was the shape the restrooms were in.
"Dad" Ken addressed that issue and told the boys that he was going to give Jason and Arnie that same amount of money to spruce up Crystal Lake, as he did the other three parks. He said Jason knew what was needed and would ramrod that project of new restrooms, landscaping, painting and general beautification of Crystal Lake.
As the group finished their meal, and ordered dessert, "dad" Ken told them about what he planned to do when they visited Edgewood, on Friday. He explained what Mr. Wayne"s role would be and that if they saw him in the park, with a bunch of men, they were not to call out to him and say, "Hi".
Mr. Ken explained that he would still like to buy the park, but only if it were at the right price. He did say that the park needed an infusion of money to bring it up to the other three parks" high quality. He added they would know what he meant when they saw it.
Mr. Ken also told them they would only be visiting Edgewood for one day. "Dad" Ken said they would fly back home on Saturday, and there would be no friends stopping by that night. He told them they had to unpack, go out for dinner, and then relax from their nine-day trip.
"Dad" Ken did tell his "boys" they could have their friends come over on Sunday, as usual, and he would call Mr. Chris to have the lifeguards there, as well. The boys all smiled at hearing that.
Once at the hotel, "dad" Ken sent the boys up to their rooms to settle down before going to bed. He told the boys he and Mr. Wayne would stop by the hotel tavern for a few adult liquid refreshments before heading up to their rooms.
Of course, the boys wanted to talk with Collin some more, so they all congregated in his suite. It had been quite some time since they were all together, and the boys took advantage of their being together now. Collin didn"t mind, but he told them they couldn"t stay long, as his Big Bro would get mad at him, and not them, if they weren"t in their rooms when they came up to their rooms.
The boys and the men met one another in the hallway as they were all heading to their rooms for the night. Mr. Ken just smiled knowing they were in Collin"s room talking to their older "brother". The man said his goodnights to all of the boys, right there in the hallway, and then gave them a big hug before going into his room to go to bed.
Once in their room, Billy talked to Robert and Eric and told them any other parent would have been furious that they weren"t in their rooms, when they came up from having a few drinks. Robert reminded Billy that his dad never got mad. The teen told his "brother" that if anything his dad would say something tomorrow about them not getting enough sleep, or rest. and let it go.
Billy had to agree with his "brothers" assessment. He said that Mr. Ken usually said something to make a point, but he didn"t know how his foster dad could make an, "and let that be a lesson to you" point, after the fact. All three boys laughed, got ready for bed, and then they went to bed.
Mr. Ken and Mr. Wayne met in the hotel lobby, the next morning, as they had the previous second day portions of their amusement parks trip. They got their cups of coffee and a breakfast roll or sweet cake and waited for the boys to come down to meet them.
Mr. Wayne always scanned the local newspapers to see if there was any more information on the lawsuits over the Rocket"s accident at Edgewood. If there wasn"t anything there, he checked the national newspaper that the majority of the major hotels carried for its guests.
The two men talked some more about what Wayne would do tomorrow, when he arrived at Edgewood. Mr. Ken had a rental car ready for him and a separate hotel room just for him in case the men called there looking for him later that night.
Collin had come into the lobby and joined the two Cover men as they talked. He listened to their conversation about what Wayne would do tomorrow, and then asked if the men might be waiting, or watching, for him at the business airport. Mr. Ken said he never thought about that. Collin offered to have Wayne fly with him.
Collin figured, if anyone was at the airport, they would see this young man and a college kid deplane. Mr. Wayne could then get his rental, register at the hotel and then head out to the park.
Mr. Ken asked what they would think about the teenager if he didn"t arrive with Wayne, but then saw him walking around the park with a bunch of boys and the guy who wanted to buy the park a couple of months ago.
That threw a monkey wrench into that plan. After a few minutes of thinking through the subterfuge, Collin said, "Hey ... why don"t I have Mr. Wayne ... let him use my plane? Then, I could fly with you guys."
The Cover boys came down to the lobby a little later than they had on their other second day at the parks. Mr. Ken didn"t mind. He told them they were headed out to a fast food restaurant for a late breakfast, and then they would ride out to Crystal Lake for their second day of fun.
After the Covers ate, Mr. Ken, Mr. Wayne and Collin rode to the amusement park in the limo. "Dad" Ken told the boys that the three of them needed to talk about tomorrow"s plan at Edgewood, and the ride out to Crystal Lake would give them the time they needed. The boys moaned, but said they understood.
When the Covers arrived at the park, Mr. Ken asked Arnie where Jason was. The operations manager laughed and told the man that Jason was already out in the park showing painting contractors what he wanted done and to give him their best estimates.
Arnie told the owner that Jason was going to tell the contractors that there could very well be more contracts in the future, so for them to be fair when they submitted their bid. Mr. Ken had to laugh right along with Mr. Arnolds at the way Jason was going to stretch the money they were getting, as the other three parks had gotten.
Arnie had one of the secretaries take the Covers, and the drivers, over to the FFF Pass Booth to get their Comp Fastest Passes for the day. The boys already had their day of fun planned out and they couldn"t wait to get their wristbands and start riding the rides, again.
Mr. Ken took some time to call his lawyer, Amy Ozarker, to ask if she had anything for him about the divided highway and the people who were going up against the incumbent commissioners, and to tell her he was in town for the day.
Amy was happy to hear from the man and, and since he was in town, asked him if he could come over to her office to talk about those things and more. Mr. Ken quickly called Collin and asked if he could use his driver and car, and then asked if he wasn"t back, if he could ride back to the hotel with Mr. Wayne and the boys.
Collin called his driver and told him what he needed him to do. The boys heard the call and wondered what their "dad" was going to do back in town. Mr. Wayne told them their "dad" probably needed to talk to his lawyer here and take care of some issues dealing with the divided highway, and the commissioners.
The boys were disappointed they wouldn"t get the chance to ride any of the rides with their "dad", but Mr. Wayne was with them and he could ride some with them. The older boys asked the Estate Master if they could head off on their own to ride the bigger rides. But Mr. Wayne asked them to stay together, but they"d head to the bigger rides first and their "brothers" could decide to ride, or go on a different one nearby. That"s what they decided to do.
Of course, the older boys wanted to ride the roller coasters first, so they all headed to the steel coaster. The younger boys liked that coaster, as well, so, when it came time to get their ride time, they all went up the Exit to get one. There were nine Covers so one person would, unfortunately, have to ride alone.
The steel coaster, called Steel Attack, had two trains with four cars each that could carry eighteen riders. The Covers told the operator they wanted to all ride on the same train, and would wait so they could do so. The ride operator had them wait outside the Exit door for the next train.
The people in line got a bit miffed that nine people all got on the same train and took up half of the coaster seats. The ride operator, for his part, called out that they all had Fastest Passes and waited the last train, so they could all ride together. He added to the people in line that either way they would still have had to wait.
Mr. Wayne wound up riding alone, until one teen in line asked if he could ride with him. Wayne motioned for the boy to get into the vacant seat. When the train was full and the safety restraints were inspected, by the other two ride attendants, the train was dispatched.
Wayne"s seatmate hooped and hollered throughout the ride. He also laughed the entire time. When the ride was over the boy thanked Wayne for letting him ride with him. He told Wayne he was at the park by himself that day, and it was fun riding with someone.
The other boys got to talking to the lone rider. They told him who they were and why they were there and the boy, of about thirteen, couldn"t believe them. Mr. Wayne told the young teen that it was true that their "dad" did own the park, and three others.
The boys asked Ron if he wanted to pal along with them, and they"d try to see if they could use their Fastest Passes to get him on the rides, too. Ron figured he had nothing to lose, so he decided to walk and talk with the boys, since he was there until his mom picked him up later.
The boys hurried to ride the rest of the coasters. When they arrived at Loud Thunder, the 80-foot high family wooden coaster, Ron walked with the group up the Exit to get their return time. The ride attendant saw there were ten people and only looked at a few of the Passes and told them all to return in ten minutes.
Ron would ride with the Covers when their return time arrived. Charles decided he would ride with Ron, so they talked some while they waited. Ron was surprised to learn that his seatmate was just recently adopted. Ron learned more about the Covers and couldn"t believe their "dad" just built them a Skate Park, until he saw the pictures the boys had on their cell phones.
The Cover"s new found friend, Ron, was able to ride the rides with them the rest of the day, because of the size of their group. Plus, when the ride operators saw them coming, they remembered them from the previous day, and just told them when to return, not bothering to check-in their Fastest Passes.
The boys not only rode all of the coasters, but they rode all of the flat rides, such as The Scrambler, Himalaya, Swinging Boat, Octopus and the Tower of Terror and the rest of the rides that were meant for older riders such as themselves.
They did stop for a drink and soft pretzel twice, and Ron asked them why that combination. Matthew told him that the other foods were heavy on the stomach, or were greasy and could upset your stomach. Charles added that the drink helps them with their thirst and the pretzel will absorb some of the drink to help keep them from getting sick, when they are on the rides.
Mr. Wayne watched the time and when it was close to 6:30, he told the boys they needed to head back to the operations building by 7 p.m. That was so they could take the van and go to dinner. Kevin asked if their "dad" would be there and the Estate Master said he probably wouldn"t be.
The Covers said goodbye to Ron, just before they headed back to the ops building. Ron thanked them for letting him ride with them and not having to wait in line. He told them he had a story to tell his friends that they wouldn"t believe. Charles made sure he had Ron"s cell phone number just in case they came back in August. Ron asked for and got a quick cell phone picture to show his friends.
When the Covers returned to the operations building by 7 p.m., they learned that "dad" Ken was attending a Commissioners" Court Meeting that evening, and would catch up with them at the hotel later. The boys were disappointed he wouldn"t be at dinner with them.
Mr. Wayne told them it was easier for their "dad" to take care of business while he was there, than to try to do it over the phone, long distance. The boys reluctantly said they understood.
After dinner, the boys asked their driver if there was an ice cream store nearby. Mr. Wayne smiled at the request, but knew they hadn"t had their favorite treat in days, and was surprised that was the first time they had asked for it.
It was almost 10 p.m. when Mr. Ken caught up with the rest of the Covers. The boys asked him what happened at the meeting and their "dad" told them he"d tell them all about it during the plane ride to Edgewood, but that it was now time for them to get to bed. The man told the boys he"d catch up with them down in the lobby at 8 a.m. when they"d catch their ride to the airport.
Mr. Ken and Wayne talked some about the meeting, but the owner of Crystal Lake was more interested in fine-tuning how Wayne would act at Edgewood tomorrow. Mr. Ken made sure Wayne had his business cards and appropriate phone numbers in his phone in case he had to call the "office". The two men made it up to their rooms at about 11:30. where they found all the boys fast asleep.
The next morning, the Covers met in the lobby. A few of the boys took a muffin to eat and got a carton of milk, or a glass of OJ, to wash it down along the way to the airport. The boys knew to place their bags on the TSA cart and to wait for them to be returned before they could load up the airplane, and head to their next and last stop on their trip.
Collin, Mr. Ken, and Mr. Wayne walked over to the C.W.E. private jet where Collin explained to the pilots why they were changing places. The pilots knew who Mr. Ken was and they were intrigued by what he was trying to do to get a better understanding of the amusement park. The senior pilot told the trio a story about how James Wilkinson, Collin"s dad, sometimes did the same to get a 'leg up' on the competition, before he tried to acquire a company.
Before long the luggage was loaded on both planes, the group said Goodbye to one another, and then the Covers loaded onto the correct business jet. Once the pilots received clearance the two Gulfstream jets departed the airport within five minutes of one another.
As promised, "dad" Ken told the boys how the Commissioners were still not convinced about selling the Highway Bonds, but during the Public To Be Heard portion at the end, they got an ear full from their constituents. Mr. Ken explained how the citizens told the seven men that they wanted the divided highway built, and they wanted it now.
Dad Ken also told the boys that he met with the people who are challenging the incumbent commissioners in the fall election. He told them he had donated to their election campaigns to the maximum allowed by law, in the hopes they would win at least one of the seats. He added, if that happened, there would be four people on the new Commissioners Court, and they could push to get the divided highway built. The boys smiled at hearing that.
The business jets made their way to the airport nearest to Edgewood, where they would land. Upon landing, within five minutes of one another, the people on those jets didn't let on they knew one another. And that was good for Wayne Mitchell, as there were men from Edgewood Amusement Park waiting there for him to arrive.
Mr. Ken saw the men go out and meet Wayne as he deplaned and the introductions were made. It appeared they wanted him to ride with them, but he told them he had to pick up his rental and then register at the hotel.
Mr. Wayne told them he needed to get settled and have something to eat, and then he reminded them their appointment was set up for 1 p.m. and he would be out there at that time, and then meet with the owners.
The men weren't happy with the direct nature of the young man. They didn't like the way he talked, as if he was commanding them, and telling them what he would do, and not following along with what they wanted him to do. They figured, with the responsibility he had, he needed to be quite a commanding figure and, if they pushed back, he could very well just get back onto his jet and head off.
Wayne Mitchell inwardly smiled, all the way to his hotel, at the way he handled those men.
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