Numeric ID: 17
Date Received: 25 JUL 2000
Idea From: Seafox
Written By: Seafox
Email To: Seafox@mailandnews.com


Steve stood there, with 4 men in suits. Mentally, I labeled them Thor,
Mulder, Matrix Guy, and Dom Delouise. They looked official, but not from
the school -- more official than that.

Steve spoke. "Brad, we don't have much time, so let us in and we'll talk
fast."

The Mulder looking man snorted humorously and muttered under his breath.
"Brad. Sure looks like a 'Brad' to me."

The Dom Delouise looking guy glanced at him. "Hold your tongue,
Pederson. We don't have time for your antics today."

I surveyed the men quickly. "Steve, who are these men?"

It was like there was a bonus for which one could get his badge out
fastest. Thor won. "Mr..." He paused briefly. "Drover, we're with the
FBI. I am Agent Redding, this (Mulder) is Agent Pederson, Agent Cooper
(Matrix Guy) and Special Agent Fiore. We need to speak with you."

I stepped back, slightly stunned, and let the men inside. Steve sat down
and looked at me.

"Mr Macdonald's plane has been intentionally delayed with a bad fuel
line. He will be stuck at the airport for about an hour. I called Jim to
see how it was going, and right at that time they announced it over the
intercom -- right on schedule. I suggested that he wait with his dad to
help keep the evil old bastard calm."

I leaned back on the couch, my nightgown and robe drawing his attention.
Sitting in a room with Steve and four feds while in drag and getting
over mono was not my Idea of a good time.

I locked eyes with Steve, ignoring the rest of the group. "Out with it,
Steve. I'm still sick and I want to get this damned nail polish and
other girl crap off of me and out of my life."

Matrix guy leaned forward. "I bet we can change your mind." He reached
into his attache and pulled out a manila folder. He dropped it on the
table right in front of me. My eyes got wide when I saw the label --
Midland Drover Petroleum Inc. I picked it up and looked through quickly.

Everything was there. How Grandpaw and his dad started the company, how
it grew, info on Dad's hiring to the company, and lots of information on
stockholders and stock transactions right up to the end, when the crash
took the company out. Even the minutes and role calls of the final
stockholder's meeting were included. I looked up. "Yeah? So? My family's
company went under during the oil crash. Is there a reason you're
dredging up this painful memory?"

Matrix guy looked at me intensely. This guy was creepy. "Look at line 12
on the stockholder list and note the number and percentage of shares."
The fed actually tossed a calculator on the table in front of me.

"Ohshit." Staring me in the face was the name James Edward MacDonald Sr.
Jim's dad. "I-- I don't really understand this."

The Dom Delouise guy -- Fiore? Leaned back. "J. E. Macdonald has a long
string of companies he has liquidated or assisted in liquidating in his
stock portfolio. In every case, he has reduced his competition,
increased his fortune, and stabilized his place in the market. What
happened to your family's company is repeated in dozens of files we
have. The man is a barracuda. And he is the sole reason MDPI failed."

I thought of Grandpaw. I never knew the dynamic man everyone told me
about. The man who would jog three miles each morning before going into
the office, and then work for ten to twelve hours and still have enough
energy and time to play board games with his family in the evening. The
man who had a force of personality so strong that his employees would
vote to take pay reductions if the company was in trouble because they
knew he would pull it out of trouble. All I saw was a man who looked
like a whipped dog, sitting in the chair at the old folk's home,
watching TV and never smiling.

Matrix guy steepled his fingers and looked at me. "Our analysis is that
MDPI was strong enough to weather the oil crash. J.E. Macdonald forced a
stockholder vote after a mysterious accident at a well in northern
Oklahoma. The shaky oil industry had the investors scared. Many of them
sold out to him. From there, he had the votes to force a breakup. He
killed your family's company."

They let the words sink in. I looked at Steve. "What is your involvement
in all of this?" He looked down, so Fiore spoke. "Mr West is assisting
our investigation as an undercover operative." Something in that
statement didn't seem right. My illness addled brain tried to process
it. Suddenly it hit me. "Steve, is this all just a set up? You and Jim?
Are you even really gay? I don't believe this."

Steve's head snapped up. "Brad, you gotta believe me. They approached me
after Jim and I started dating, on the chance that I might be able to go
as a buddy and get into the house. I LOVE JIM!"

"Ah. What is in the house? What are you trying to get to in there?"

The Mulder looking guy spoke. "We have reason to believe that he has a
secret ledger and notebook detailing his plan. We know he is not doing
this alone. Someone with serious talent in finance is building his plan.
We want the ledger."

I thought for a second, and suddenly the panic rose. "OHSHIT, No fucking
way! You have got to be fucking kidding! You want me to, t-to..." My
head swam from the exertion.

Fiore finished what I couldn't say. "Keep being Stephanie. Get invited
to the ranch. Find the ledger. Stop this man, and vindicate your
family."

I shook my head. "I'm good enough for a deception when I'm sick, but I
can't really pull it off around others. I'm sure Jim's mom and little
sister would see through me instantly. I can't do this."

Thor cleared his throat. "If you aid us, you stand to gain a lot. Like
free tuition, books, room and board plus a salary and the promise of a
good paying job. Compensation for your family if we manage to indite. A
security clearance. And we will train you on what you need to know.
We're offering you a chance to get back what he took from you and your
family, plus some. All you have to do is keep acting. Is it worth it?"

I thought of Grandpaw again. I hated my own mouth as I said, "Okay. I
guess it won't be so hard."