"Tell him it can wait. I'll call him in the morning."
"That's the thing. It can't wait. Robert sent back all the money we gave him to be cleaned."
"What?!" Derrick stood up. "Wait there."
He covered the phone. "I need to take this somewhere private. I'm sorry, honey. I'll make it up to you."
"Oh, you will," said Mavis with a smile. "You definitely will."
Derrick stepped outside. "I'm free now. What's going on?"
"Robert sent all the money back. And a message, he said he's cutting ties. Thanked us, but said he's out."
"Should I tell... the boss?" asked Jenny.
"No! If you tell him, we'll all be on the chopping block. Don't. I'll handle it."
"Okay, boss," said Jenny, hanging up.
Robert made one call.
"Round up twelve men. Pick me up now."
"Yes, boss."
Derrick returned to the restaurant.
"Sorry, honey. Work calls."
"Do you really have to do?" She asked, and the sight of her wide eyes almost made him change his mind.
"Yes, I do. A foreign partner is threatening to stop doing business with us. I could lose a lot of money," he said.
"I thought so," said Mavis. "That's gonna be two diamond earrings."
"Of course, honey," said Derrick, kissing her forehead before walking out.
Derrick waited outside for five minutes until three unmarked black SUVs arrived. One stopped in front, the passenger door opening.
"Boss," said the mysterious figure, "we're going to Robert's."
***
"You guys ready?" shouted Robert.
"Nearly!" called Gabriel.
"I'll be down in a minute!" said Daniel.
"Jai, I've got to go," said Gabriel on the phone.
"You still haven't answered my question, Gabe. When are we sneaking into your dad's lab?" asked Jai-Lee.
"Well, tonight would've been perfect, but he's taking us to some celebratory meal with his science friends. We definitely have to be there, you do NOT want to see what he's like when he gets disappointed," Gabriel spoke in a disappointed tone. For a while, he and Jai-Lee had been searching for the perfect moment to sneak into the lab.
He had put a lot of effort into this attempt. First, he had watched his dad carefully and made a copy of his lab keys. Then he began trying to figure out the password. One day he followed his dad to the lab and realized that the thick metal door needed a key and password to be opened.
On the other end of the call Jai-Lee rolled her eyes.
"I got dressed up in my stealthiest black clothes for nothing?"
"Not for nothing, I'm sure you can still be stealthy while you stay in."
"Oh, he's got jokes. Well, enjoy. And when you're ready to stop being a chicken, give me a call. Bye," she said, hanging up.
Gabriel shook his head in amusement at his friend as he continued getting ready.
As the boys started downstairs, Derrick pulled up with the SUVs.
"Boys! You're taking your sweet time, at this rate, they'll be well into their entrees before we get there," Robert said.
"Sorry dad," they chorused. However, Robert and Nicole didn't see that Daniel had clenched fists.
Daniel found himself glaring at his father. Although his brother had warned him, he was still hurt when his father had broken his promise to take him out for his birthday. The fact that Robert returned without apologizing and just expected them to go along with his plans rubbed him the wrong way.
As Daniel's emotions bubbled within him, a different type of conversation was happening outside their home in one of the SUVs
"What's the play, boss?" asked one of the men.
"I'm going to bring him out here. Then we're going for a drive. If you catch my drift."
"I get you, boss."
As Robert opened the door, he found Derrick standing there just about to ring the bell.
"Derrick? I didn't know you were coming tonight, how's Mavis doing?" said Nicole.
"She's fine. I'm sorry to steal him away from you, but it's a work emergency."
"I'm sure it can wait, surely?"
"It can't, Nic. I wouldn't be here if it could. I need Robert to come to my office to sign off on some papers. It can't wait."
"I didn't know you were working with Robert."
"Come on, Nic. Who isn't working with Robert these days? Your husband's a hot commodity."
"Tell me about it," said Nicole, laughing.
Robert surveyed the SUVs, the men. He knew if he didn't go with Derrick, something worse could happen.
"Oh... how could I forget?" he said. "She did contact me. Must've slipped my mind. I'll go sort this out quickly."
As soon as Robert got in the car, Derrick's entire demeanor changed as they drove off into the night.
***
"Of course he bailed on us again!" Daniel exclaimed before stomping back upstairs.
"Daniel, he's just busy. It's work. He'll be back soon."
"He's always busy! I don't care if he comes back!"
"Daniel! Get back here!" Nicole's words were met with the sound of a slammed door.
Gabriel looked around at the empty house and thought about the lab again. He couldn't believe his luck.
"Mom, does that mean I can go to Jai-Lee's for a bit?"
"No, it doesn't, Gabriel," said Nicole firmly.
"It's just... I want to make sure we have everything ready for our group presentation, Mom. It'll be half an hour, tops."
"No!"
"Come on, Mom! This presentation is super important, it's like half our grade," he said. His words gave Nicole pause.
"Make sure it's half an hour, Gabriel. No longer. We still have to be at your father's dinner."
"Yes, Mom," Gabriel replied before running toward the garage.
He reached into his pocket and took out his phone, typing a message to Jai-Lee:
Green light.
Jai-Lee texted back almost instantly:Green light? Green light as in GREEN light?
Yes, that green light. Let's go. I'll meet you in the parking lot of the lab, he texted.
See you there, Jai-Lee replied.
Gabriel grabbed his bike and pedaled off toward the lab.