Council Business

Copyright

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2016 - 2019 - This is an original work by Zeb Carter and is protected under copyright by U.S. copyright law. It is only submitted at Literotica.Com and any submission to any other site has not been authorized by the Author.

Author's Note

: This is a very long story and is the second in a series. There will be one more or maybe three more if I finish the last two. This installment is almost 62,000 words long, that's 17 pages. Please Enjoy.

Brotherhood of Janus 3: Council Business

Prologue

My mouth hung open in astonishment, as the gentleman across the table from me explained my inheritance. I knew my father had died, some years ago. What I didn't expect was anything from his estate. I knew he was wealthy, but I wanted nothing from him. For the past thirty years, I had been on my own with no contact, with him or the rest of my family for that matter. My children were grown and on their own, with children of their own. I do adore my grandchildren and would do anything in the world for them and saw them as often as I could.

As I listened to the lawyer, who had tracked me down, wonder at what he told me filled my mind. I wasn't to inherit my father's company or his investments. I was to inherit his membership in the Brotherhood of Janus, whatever the hell that was. That along with substantial amounts of cash, to allow me to do things to better my life, as the lawyer put it, hefting a box onto the tabletop.

"In here is all you will need to know about the Brotherhood. No, don't ask me any questions, I don't belong and am not privy to what or who they are. At the time of your father's death, his wife and several members of the Brotherhood sealed this, so I could deliver it to you unopened.

"You will find the numbers to the accounts and the amounts of each that are now yours in this," he told me handing an envelope to me.

I opened the envelope and took out the papers inside. As I unfolded the papers, another envelope dropped out. It was the size of a credit card and when I looked inside there were five debit cards. Looking at the paper I had unfolded, surprise was the only word I could use when I saw the amounts listed for the six accounts. My heart was racing as I stared at the numbers typed on the page.

"This is also yours," the lawyer says handing me a metal briefcase. "It contains enough cash to get you through the next month or so. You will have to visit each of those banks to activate the cards. You will need proof of who you are...well the papers explain everything.

"This is all that I know and all I can tell you about this transaction. Your brother turned all this down. The order of inheritance is through the eldest son, but we couldn't find you until recently. Offering your brother the membership in your stead is an alternative, he flatly refused and we were lucky enough to hear of an email to your cousin through which we tracked you down.

"Our business is now concluded, sir. Good luck to you."

"Ah...thank you, I think," I say stunned.

The lawyer, I never even got his name, although he did leave me his card, left. I sat there looking around the small room of a restaurant in which this meeting took place. I shook my head to clear my mind. Taking a deep breath, I gathered up the cards and papers, opened the briefcase and stuffed them in a pocket in the top. I sat for just a second as I marveled at the cash that filled the case. Slamming it closed I locked it, making sure it would not open accidentally.

A waiter appeared offering to carry the box out for me. I nodded my assent and followed him out of the restaurant to my car. I open the trunk and he placed the heavy cardboard box in closing the trunk lid. As he turned to go, I told him thank you and went to hand him a five for helping. He shook his head no.

"The gentleman you were with took care of that sir. Thank you anyway," the waiter says as he turned and walked away.

I drove home in a daze. When I got there, my wife was out, so I sat at the kitchen table and opened the box. On the very top of the papers, there had to be a couple of hundred file folders, there was a single booklet. It was about 50 pages, typed and bound. The title page inside the cover had printed across the middle, "Brotherhood of Janus - Bylaws and rules of Membership". There was a preface.

George J. Hood and Hyraim Janus founded the Brotherhood of Janus in 1865. The founding of the Brotherhood was for the advancement of members and their families. The Brotherhood required members to help other members in the areas of business and conservation of family fortunes. That was the primary reason for the formation of the Brotherhood. Only, later - 1920 - did the gifting of pleasure to each other in a monthly celebration come to be an additional aspect of the group. Although in the archives, there is mention of grand meetings of the Brotherhood council and once business concluded, refreshments and entertainment, provided by the member's wives, began.

Membership is either inherited or bestowed. Although there are instances, were short-term memberships were given for payment for the good of the Brotherhood. The first five hundred members are founding members. Even though the member currently holding one of the first five hundred memberships is only a descendant of the first member, they are always to be revered as one of the five hundred.

Looking at the number in the lower right-hand corner of the booklet I read my membership number. Zero-zero-zero-two-nine-three, I was a Five Hundred.

I read and reread the booklet. I read every scrap of paper in the box over the next month as I flew to Atlanta, Charleston, Nashville, Birmingham, and Miami to activate the check cards. For the sixth account, I just had to notify them that I was accepting the membership. That account held the projected dues for the membership for the next twenty-five years.

By the time, I returned home, I was conversant in the bylaws and rules of the Brotherhood and knew there would be a problem when I explained them to my wife, Jenny. Especially rule one-twenty-one. That rule says that the wife had to participate as a member of the Brotherhood in all aspects. This was the rule about Gatherings. It was long, involved, and never mentioned sex specifically.

I knew it meant divorce would be inevitable, so I had papers drawn up while I was out of town. When I returned, I explained the Brotherhood in as plain a language as I could. As I explained the purpose of the Brotherhood to her, she perked up at the mention of us now being financially independent. At the point of explaining the regional lodge's monthly meeting, she just shut down.

"So will you support me in this?" I ask her.

"What? You have to be kidding me. I'm sixty years old and I don't particularly like sex anymore, even with you. I love you, but I don't want to have sex with you. So why would I have sex with complete strangers in the setting you described?"

To tell what took two months to resolve as quickly as possible, we settled on divorce. I gave her one of the accounts. It had a substantial amount in it and we parted ways. It was a sad day, but the future appeared brighter, a little at least. I went about getting myself an apartment and started looking for some kind of business to invest in or buy. I also looked over the schedule of gatherings around the country and chose one to attend. It would be my first of many and would hold many surprises.

Chapter 1

Sarah was sitting next to me, a death grip on the armrests, as the plane hit turbulence. I chuckled. It had been two months since she joined the BID and became a Duchess of the Brotherhood. This was only the second time she needed to travel. That she was traveling with me, well that was a promise I made to her, even though we had made one trip together already. But that was to New York and was not a pleasant trip. We were now flying into Baltimore to investigate complaints made against the lodge there. Sarah was to be my partner at the gather for the weekend.

"Why didn't you tell me you were afraid of flying on our last trip?" I asked gently resting my hand on her arm.

"I didn't realize... oh hell," Sarah cried as the plane dropped out of the sky. It stopped about a hundred feet down. I was hoping that didn't happen on approach. "Anyway I was so mad I don't remember the flight going and I was so happy coming home, I don't remember it either."

"It's fine dear, really." I chuckled, kissing her cheek.

Sarah just looked at me, venom in her eyes. The plane again fell a few feet, then jumped back up. We would be descending into Baltimore within the next half hour. It would be a bumpy ride. Sarah cried out as the plane bounced again.

"How can you sit there so calm?" Sarah asked.

"I have spent my life flying. And this is almost the smoothest ride I have ever had. The worst was in a C130 flying into Korea. A downdraft hit the plane just as we were touching down. Landing gear collapsed and we hit the ground hard. Good thing a 130 is built to take something like that in stride. It never flew again, but everyone on board survived. One hundred and fifty souls lived that day."

"Oh my god, why are you telling me that?" Sarah said, shock on her face. Her fingernails now digging into my arm.

"There is nothing to worry about. The quicker you realize that the better you will be able to cope with flying."

"Aren't you afraid?"

"Of what? Dying? Of course. But if it's going to happen, there is absolutely nothing I can do about it."

Sarah looked at me. She nodded her head, she visibly calmed down. She released my arm and her seat arm. She moved her hands to her lap and she took a deep breath, which she slowly let out.

"What do you do to keep from screaming?" she asked calmly.

"I usually sleep. I found I can get to sleep much faster the more turbulent the flight."

Sarah laughed, looked at me and laughed again. I smiled at her nodding. From that point forward she was never visibly afraid of flying again. She took my hand in hers and held it without crushing the life out of it.

The pilot announced we were starting our descent to BWI. The plane turned to the left and slowed. Sarah looked at me, concern showing in her eyes. I nodded.

"Here we go," I told her.

"What do you mean, here we go?"

"There, we're through the cloud cover. Look out the window. We will be flying down the valley into BWI."

"Holy shit," Sarah whispered as she saw how close we were to the ground. But that dropped away as we flew on.

Then the plane started to waggle from side to side. Sarah's eyes were once again filled with fear. I just smiled and enjoyed the ride. At the very last minute, the pilot straightened the airplane out and touched down. Sarah sighed in relief.

"Holy shit," she whispered once more.

"Maybe next time we'll fly commercial into here... now there's a ride." I chuckled at her look.

We were in a Brotherhood Learjet. The Brotherhood had ten jets of various sizes. One had been allotted to me as a five hundred and the head of the BID. They had given me one of the medium-sized ones, seating ten. Feldman and seven of his best always flew with me. Feldman's force had grown as the BID investigators grew. There were six investigators, three men and three women not counting me and Sarah. When each went in the field, an eight-man Tac-Team would accompany them. We were still looking to add more, but that process would be long and arduous.

~~ Janus ~~

For the New York trip, we had twenty men and Feldman and two pairs of BID investigators. Myself, Sarah, Jimmy, and Lilly. The Council let us use its biggest jet. A 727-200. We filled less than half of the cabin, but it was the only plane big enough to take everyone all at once. The flight to New York was somber. Everyone on the plane knew Sally. She loved to talk to people. It didn't matter who they were. I think she knew everyone on the plane from her time living at the mansion.

The Chicago Lodge had become the de facto headquarters for the BID. There was an addition planned to increase the footprint of the mansion. The addition would be separate but connected via a walkway. It would be not only the new offices of the BID but the top floor was to be my living quarters. I did have a small apartment not twenty minutes from the mansion, but I was hardly ever there. By the time I finished with reports and so forth, from travel to other lodges, I was too exhausted to drive home.

The plane landed at LaGuardia. A small bus and four SUV's waited on the tarmac for us. Loading up, we drove to the lodge. It was a Monday afternoon. We figured any meetings they had about what the council would do were over and most of the members were at work or home. Feldman, in the lead SUV, drove through the gate knocking it down, not waiting for it to open. His SUV raced up onto the lawn, doors flying open and men jumping out. All the other vehicles stopped in front of the lodge.

There were three men with rifles out front on the lawn of the lodge. Feldman's men were out of their vehicles fast enough to get the drop on them. Feldman, with ten men, led the way into the lodge, kicking open the front doors. Jimmy, Lilly, Sarah and I followed.

"Majordomo," I yelled, as I walked through the doors, glass crunching under my boots.

Everyone was dressed the same. Black combat gear, combat boots, and a sidearm. It was Lilly's first time with a weapon, Jimmy showed her how to hold it and if she felt she needed to, how to fire it.

"Majordomo," I shouted again.

Feldman and his men spread out. The four of us waited in the lobby of the mansion.

"Majordomo," I yelled one more time hands on my hips.

A fairly large man calmly sauntered down the stairs.

"Can I help you?" he asked.

"Who are you?"

"Nobody you need to know. I have called the police."

Jimmy stepped forward with his badge displayed. "We're already here. Down on your knees now," he said pulling his sidearm and pointing at the man.

"Whoa," the guy said, but kept coming toward us.

Suddenly he was falling face first to the floor. Two very thin wires led from Sarah's Taser to the man.

"Asshole," she whispered.

Then Peter was standing at the top of the stairs.

"There's nothing you can do," he called.

"Jimmy, get him and drag his ass down here," I said.

Jimmy started up the stairs but Sarah beat him there. She had Peter in an arm lock and was bringing him down. He didn't resist at all. When he was standing in front of me, I pulled the executive orders out of my vest pocket.

"Boss, police are here," Feldman said, in my earwig.

"Jimmy, police are here."

"Right, I'll take care of it."

"What do you think you're going to do here?" Peter asked.

"As the lodge president, I must inform you that you and the council of this lodge have been dismissed. You are no longer members of the Brotherhood and you are now trespassing on Brotherhood property."

"You can't do that," he said defiantly.

"We can. And have. The Grand Council has voted. You are out. As are the council members of this lodge along with these men, who will be going to jail for sale and distribution of controlled substances."

"Bullshit."

"John, I found him," Jimmy called from the doorway. He was leading in a man with a black jacket on which yellow letters were emblazoned across the chest spelling DEA.

Peter choked when he saw that, along with the fact the police weren't busting in to arrest us.

"What the fuck is going on here?"

"You're being evicted. Not only evicted but when you walk out that door, you will be arrested by the police you called, for trespass on Brotherhood property. Now is that your Majordomo?" I asked pointing at the big man on the floor who was just starting to rouse.

"No, I got rid of that pest months ago."

"Get him out of here. And don't forget to get his ring."

It took the rest of the day to find the council members and get Brotherhood property from them. I found out pretty quickly that all the lodge accounts had been drained. Calling up the audit trail I followed where the money had gone. Using their own code I put the money back into the lodge accounts and cut the outside connection to the internet. I then erased all traces of what I had done.

We were there for four days. Four of the most miserable days I have ever experienced. The council investigators showed up on the fourth day. They would comb the archives and all the computer records. They would find out what happened here. I knew what had happened. Peter, I never did learn his last name, I don't think I wanted too, decided to take over. To become the king of his domain. He schmoozed the members into electing him president. He then appointed his buddies to the council.

He siphoned off who knows how much of the Brotherhood money for his own use. He allowed his buddies to sell drugs using the mansion as a safe haven. It disgusted me. It disgusted everyone who came with us. That they were all going to jail was little consolation. They had besmirched the good name of the Brotherhood. Well, at least we could report back to Sally and the Grand Council what little good news we had.

Chapter 2

The plane bumped the ground hard as we landed. Sarah jerked, squeezing her eyes shut. I gently squeezed her hand. She opened her eyes looking at me. I smiled at her.

"We made it," I said.

"Hell, you talk like you doubted it," she croaked.

"Of all the forms of transportation, flying is the safest."

"What about trains?" she asked. I laughed. She looked at me in astonishment.

"You don't want to know."

"But they are at least on the ground."

"Until they go over all those bridges that maybe haven't been maintained like they should have been... no, I'll take flying over all the other forms of transportation."

Her eyes got real wide. I smiled at her, squeezing her hand gently. She calmed down. The plane was rolling toward the private aircraft terminal and its parking space on the tarmac. The last time I was in Baltimore was a long, long time ago. Long before I was a member of the Brotherhood. I could see the SUV's parked off to the side of the terminal building, waiting for us. There was also a Lincoln town car for me and Sarah.

This wasn't a smash and grab. Sarah and I were here to investigate some irregularities report by two independent sources. The town car took us to a local hotel not too far from the lodge. Feldman and his people would be staying at a small motel down the road from us. Rank hath its privileges. It was Thursday evening. The gather didn't start until the next day at eight in the evening. It was time to relax and review what we would be looking for.

"So what's the problem here?" Sarah asked once we got settled in our room.

"Let's see... uh... hmmm... it was reported the president of this lodge felt it was his duty to vet each new wife at the lodge. We seem to have a lot of that happening. I wonder if there is a connection... impossible."

"Well, I guess I play the new wife," Sarah said.

"One of them. There are two others beside you. We'll see what happens."

"Do they know you, as a five hundred, are coming?"

"No, I'll be wearing an unused number over five hundred, but low enough to be the lowest number here. No authority rests with it."

"So, you'll just be one of the peons?"

"Kind of. I will still be the lowest number in the building when the president calls, if he calls, for numbers lower than his own."

"Ah, then you'll be in charge of the festivities."

"Yes."

Standing Sarah disrobed, smiled at me and headed for the bathroom. Smiling, I followed her, stripping my clothes as I went. She stood, the door to the shower open, waiting. When she saw that I had followed, she entered the shower, leaving the door open. Following her in, I closed the door as she started the water.