The Time Harvester by D.A.Sanford - HTML preview

The break in

That’s why we panicked when we heard someone in the middle of the night trying to break into the carriage house. I came down to find one of the guards trying to get in.

I have those revolvers that Emmily kept in good condition. I found them and cleaned them. New ammunition. I turned on the light as his foot hit the floor. I shot him in the knee and he fell to the floor. His partners and the other guards, ran into the night.

“Shela, call Carmine and Martha. Tell them that I want them here now. I don’t want any excuses. Tell them that I just shot the guard that broke into the carriage house. His buddies ran.”

I threw a rag and told him to put pressure on it. Within a matter of a few minutes, the two are here and Shela let them in. They were shocked at the sight.

“I’m very mad right now. That security company. What are both of you going to do? I do not want that company anywhere around this property. I never had any problems until these ones showed. Trust is fragile. I want to know, are these connected to any mob?”

I stop talking and the two get on their phones and are yelling. All of a sudden there are more cars her than I can count. People are in the woods looking for the ones that were supposed to be on the gate and the one that ran.

Evidently the top boss comes over to the one that was shot. Motions to some of the others. The shot one is gone and a cleanup crew is cleaning up any trace. He comes up to us.

“It is my most humble apology for these ones action. The contract with this company is terminated.” He turns to Carmine and apologizes to him also. Then Martha. He says to her.

“Get a top of the line independent company, one not connected with us or any other. The bill comes to me.”

He looks at his watch and I know where he got it. Carmine does something and I know why. He points to me and then the watch. The boss nods then left.

“I thank both of you for coming so soon. I know that you did not know about this so let’s call it on those four. I would appreciate it if you both dig into the construction manager’s background and bring them up to speed on this situation. We need to know if anything like this has happened on jobs they have handled. Just let them know that these revolvers are the real thing. They belonged to a western era gunslinger. I shot that guard in the knee on purpose.”

They both know that I am not letting them totally off. They hired that firm.

Carmine tells us, “We will perform a total investigation on the construction company but know this. These four have crossed the wrong people. This was a business deal not a mob deal. The Boss did not know that the watch came from you. Now that he knows, he won’t let is sit. He is the one that offered a bonus to have me show him first. He knows that I now will be wary of him. He will not like that.”

They leave and we end up not sleeping. In the morning there was a glass company that got an order to replace the glass. The Renault was covered after we showed the two yesterday. The trunks were also covered.

The repair man was nervous because one of the ones that came to pick up the shot man was here to oversee the repair man. He nodded and continued to watch until he finished.

Then he escorted the repair man out.

A new company came for the security cameras. Very efficient with multiple cameras facing both ways. Each having its own wifi that sent constant feed to a twenty four hour monitoring service. It records and stores for as long as we require them to keep them. Very professional.

The 3d crew showed up and actually stopped to show us what was going to take place. They walked around the whole outside and in moments there was the house in wire form. On the inside was the same from the basement to the attic. All dimensions are known down to an incredible tenth of an inch accuracy.

When they finished, we were told that they were putting a rush on the renderings. I stopped them there.

“What happened was not your fault. We just needed to know that you weren’t connected. I want you to do your best. No rush job. Rush and you miss things. Believe me, as an inventor, a major component will fry to protect a ten cent fuse if there is a rush job. We do not want to see you any time before the two weeks unless there is a need to remeasure.”

They thank us. The Boss is back. “I personally will take responsibility for these guards but I need you to come to your company building. Something has happened.”

We follow him and we are shocked. He tells us that the three were mad that you shot that one and they burnt down the building. He is asking if there was anything important in there. I told him that we were going to start buying the things for the building but the whole meetings with the contractor and security wore us out.”

I remembered something. “When we got to our home, they already had those guards there. They were there before we came. I would bet that they saw the double locks on everything and started to case the building.”

He did not like what I told him. “I have a better building that I have deeded to you as compensation. More modern. I ask you to accept it without any reciprocal obligation. I’m sure that you know what that means. I have a reputation to uphold. That business was started, as with others, for me to start transitioning to a completely legitimate life”

We could see it in his eyes. I stick out my hand “I believe you. Thank you. I will remember this.”

He started to smile. He showed us the building and handed me the keys. Two story with store fronts. It was larger than the one I had. He tells me that the same new security firm will be the ones to secure this one. There will be key card entry on all doors.

We parted and went back to the house. There was already a crew there doing the work under the supervision of the new guards. They see us and nod as we unlock the door and are ready to go in. The crew foreman came over to us and had a box of smaller boxes.

“I was told that you did not want anyone inside so I have these wifi self installable window and door sensors. Can I show you how to install them?”

Looking at the guard, I tell the foreman that he can show me on the main floor windows and the carriage doors. Before he does that, I need to ask how do I disarm them when I want to open the doors or windows.

I am told that when they are installed the carriage house will have masters and remotes to arm and disarm. Those will be password sensitive. That will be set by you. Each master will also program the remotes. We will show you how to input the remote serial numbers.

He is allowed to install them on all but the windows on the top floor and the up stairs door. The guard watches him after he shows me how to install them. He marks the one for the door and which window each sensor goes on.

“That way we know and you know exactly which sensor is if it is tripped.”

The carriage house was all set in less than an hour. He tested each door and window on the main floor. He had me open the door then each window from the one near the door to the other end in sequence.

I went down and he told me that I was all set. He gave me the one master for our living area. “All the remotes and this main walk in entrance key pad are tied to his master.” He shows me how to put in the pass word with the standard warning not to make it something that someone could figure out.

He turns away and I enter the password. He shows me that the door keypad shows active. I thank him. He says that they will have the cameras by the end of the day.

“When they have the house buttoned up we will install a temporary key pad on the front door. Each trade will have a given password.”

The guard now tells me that he did not lift any of the covers or wander while in the carriage house. Then he ushered the man out. For some strange reason, I get the impression that the world has been told, don’t fuck with us.