| �What do you mean it didn�t work?� Colin Fitzgerald�s steel gray eyes glared at the men as anger rose like bile in his belly. �He was waiting for us boss.� The smaller man said as he took two steps towards the door. Knowing his employer they could suffer his wrath as a result of their thwarted efforts. �Waiting? You could have taken him.� �Boss, he had two men with him.� The other, taller man hurriedly said. �So?� He was exasperated. His adversary was not a big man and these two fools could have easily overtaken him. �You�ve never been opposed to force before.� �He had a shotgun boss.� �Well, well,� Colin rubbed his chin as he walked around his desk and sat down. He motioned for the men to take a seat. They looked at leach other warily before settling in the two chairs in front of Fitzgerald. �Do you think he would have used it?� This shed a whole new light on the situation. Maybe there was another side to Mr. Holier Than Thou. �I don�t know boss. But it sure looked liked he knew what to do with it. He had it pointed at our heads the entire time.� The smaller man took a breath. �You said no violence. So we didn�t argue with him especially with that shotgun pointing at us.� Fitzgerald nodded in agreement but the wheels were spinning. Littrell had always preached fair racing practices, no violence, and defender of the little guy and here he was toting a shotgun. �Tell me, do you ever see him around town and I don�t mean at the library either. I mean at the clubs, gentlemen clubs.� Both men shook their heads. �Hmm,� Colin tapped his chin and wondered if maybe female companionship wasn�t his preference. �But we have seen him coming out of the movie theater with a young lady on occasion and at a couple of the local restaurants too.� Both men looked at each other and nodded in agreement. �Of course it was always a different girl.� Colin pondered their comments. �Boss what are you getting at?� �I�m looking for his weakness. Our choirboy isn�t so righteous after all if he�s waving a shotgun at you boys. He has to have an Achilles heel somewhere.� Both men shrugged not sure what he meant. �He�s squeaky clean boss. Goes to church, sings in the choir, a devoted son and has continued to run the farm in the same tradition as his father and grandfather. You�re not going to find anything.� �Maybe not, but I have to find a way to bring him down.� The edge in his voice, made them grateful to be working for him and not against him. �Boss, it�s 100 acres.� Sims, the taller man argued. It seemed to him that too much time was being spent on such a small parcel of land. �Yes,� Colin got up and went to the map on the wall, �but if he caves in the other four will too,� he pointed to the area on the map, �and I�ll own all of the acreage surrounding the creek and its tributaries. I�ll have the largest farm in the county.� At that moment something caught his eye out the window. He walked closer to see Moire ride by on her favorite mare and he snapped his fingers and spun back around to his desk. �Okay boys that�s all.� His head already spinning with his idea. �Boss, we�re sorry.� Sims apologized hoping they wouldn�t suffer at their employer�s hand. He waved them off preoccupied with hatching his new scheme. The two men made a hasty retreat and Colin went to the window again. Moire had ridden into the corral. He left the office with a grin on his face. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Once the dust had settled with the departure of Fitzgerald�s goons, Brian and his two men continued to repair the fence along the northwest section of the farm. He really needed to consider some kind of security. Fitzgerald was getting bolder and bolder. First it was phone calls and letters in the mail. Then he was accosted in town a few times and lately fences were being destroyed. Luckily he hadn�t touched the horses or the barns but Brian had a feeling he was working his way up to more drastic measures. As he moved to the next section of the rail fence he knocked over the shotgun that had been resting against it. He picked the weapon up and made sure the safety was on. It wasn�t loaded but Brian still took the precaution. God if his father saw him now he would be very disappointed. This small horse farm had been in his family for three generations. There had never been a Derby winner but Brian felt their time could be at hand. But lately all his energy was being used to stop Colin Fitzgerald from swallowing him and the other small owners up. Brian was no fool. Raising thoroughbred racehorses was a cutthroat business and a lucrative one if you were lucky enough to breed a winner. But people like Fitzgerald didn�t seem to have his heart in it. Money seemed to be his primary goal, with winning at any cost. Claddagh Farms was already the biggest in the county but it didn�t seem to be enough. The few hundred acres that Brian and the other small owners held wouldn�t make that much difference. �Can you two finish up here.� Brian picked up the shotgun as he walked over to his two part-time hands. �Sure Brian.� Jake and Matt were friends of his father�s. They had worked this farm for nearly 20 years staying on after Brian�s dad died. Brian was grateful to them, because as much as he had grown up on this place and been around horses all his life, there was much he had to learn with his father gone. �There won�t be any more trouble today. We�ll have this fence done in an hour and be down to help with the horses,� Jake said as he took down the broken section and replaced it with new wood. �Thanks,� he patted Jake on the back. �See you both back at the stables.� With that Brian walked towards his jeep, climbed in and started back towards the house. It was late June and already you could feel the heat of summer pressing down. The humidity was high and Brian could feel his shirt clinging to his body. As he drove along the dirt road he took in the beauty of the pristine surroundings. The only thing that dotted the landscape was the split rail fence marking off the pastures. The grass, a deep green thanks to the warm spring rains, waved in the sultry breeze and when it did you could see hints of the trademark blue only known to this part of the country. He couldn�t see being anywhere else in the world. It was a little bit of heaven right here on earth. And he was determined that no one would take his heritage away from him. With only a handful of horses Brian knew he was no contender against the bigger, more prestigious farms in the community. His entries faired well in some of the smaller, local races, even winning a couple but his dream was to have a Derby entry. His mares and colts had good bloodlines, but they never seemed to measure up to Kentucky Derby standards. But two years ago that all changed. LyricsDream�s lineage could be traced back to the great Secretariat and Brian just knew that if ever he had a chance at the Derby this would be it. The colt was born right before Christmas and had a rough few months but by spring he showed promise and Brian was determined to raise this colt and enter him as a three-year-old. He rounded the bend and came upon the house and the stables. He pulled up in front of the house and taking the shotgun he went inside. The house was a typical farmhouse with a large eat in kitchen, dining room, living room and office downstairs and four bedrooms upstairs. He put the gun in the closet off the office and went upstairs to change into a dry shirt. It was only mid afternoon and there was still plenty of work to be done. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Colin stood in the doorway and watched as his daughter lovingly brushed down the chestnut mare. �We had a good ride didn�t we Giselle,� Moire cooed as she took long strokes along the mare�s back and flanks. The horse responded with a neigh and Moire offered her a carrot, which she gladly accepted. �She loves when you brush her,� Colin interrupted as he walked down the aisle. Moire looked up and a large grin spread across her face. �Daddy, I didn�t hear you.� Moire continued her strokes. �Yes, and I gave her a good workout today too.� She finished up and led the mare back into her stall giving her an additional carrot or two before closing the door. Colin put his arm around his daughter�s shoulders as they walked through the stable. �Sims and Walker looked very relieved when I just saw them, like they had escaped unscathed from your ire.� She looked up at her father, his face set. She couldn�t read his expression. �What�s going on daddy?� They stopped at the entrance and she looked at him. �It�s just business, princess, that�s all. Just business.� He ran his hand along her cheek. She looked just like her mother, God rest her soul. �Daddy, you still aren�t trying to get those owners to sell, are you?� She couldn�t understand her father�s obsession with having it all. They were so big already. They owned some of the best thoroughbred stock and had made many trips to the winner�s circle over the years, but it never seemed to be enough for him. �Princess how well do you know Littrell?� Her father�s question only confirmed that he was still bent on forcing those few farms to cave in. �Not well daddy. I mean he knows I�m your daughter and well,� she bent her head wondering what he was thinking. �Why?� She looked up and his face had changed. He was in control again and Moire just knew he was plotting something. �Daddy? What are you thinking?� They had cleared the stables and were on their way back towards the house. Moire stopped causing her father to do the same. �Daddy!� �Why don�t you pay him a visit? Being neighbors and all, it would be a friendly gesture to drop by and say hello.� Moire looked bewildered. Drop by, friendly gesture? Was he mad? �You are kidding right?� She said still not quite sure where this was all leading. But the look on her father�s face confirmed what her gut was telling her. He wanted her to spy on him. �No! Daddy you can�t expect me to�� �Why not? Look princess all I�m asking is that you get to know him. Spend some time with him.� Colin could see she wasn�t happy with his idea. He hated to use her like this but all his other tactics weren�t producing any results. She was his only hope right now. It was worth a shot. He could still apply some pressure in other ways as well, but Moire might be able to get inside and give him some information he could use. �I can�t! I won�t! You can�t make me.� She stormed off towards the house then stopped and turned. �What is it with you? When will it be enough? Look at us daddy. We�ve got more than grandpa ever had. You have taken this farm and made it one of the biggest and most competitive in the area. He would be so proud of you, but he wouldn�t agree with your penchant to push out the little guy for the sake of profit.� Tears began to well in her eyes. She loved her father but to ask her to do this, she wasn�t so sure about his love. �Just think about it, princess. I�m not asking you to go snooping around his house or anything, just spend some time with him and let me know what you find out.� She shook her head in dismay and looked up at him pleading through her tears. �Moire, you are all I have sweetheart. I�m doing this for you and your children. You understand, don�t you?� She nodded her head. �You�ve given me so much already daddy.� She sniffed back the tears. He smiled at her and even though he seemed to understand Moire knew that he would still expect her to agree to his proposal. They walked up the steps to the house and her father kissed her forehead. �It�s all for you princess, all for you.� |