and she had a feeling things were about to get pretty interesting around here. Especially since Mr. Freeman, the VP, had been running around like a chicken with his head cut off all morning. He liked power and was fighting like hell to retain it.
“Yes, Mr. Granger, the meeting is about to begin.” She wondered if their timing was deliberate to make some sort of grand entrance, and she could certainly see them making one. “I’ll be happy to escort you in.”
* * *
Jace, Caden and Dalton walked into the huge conference room, and everyone seated at the table glanced their way. Seeing three empty seats, they took them. Jace saw the disappointed look that flashed in Freeman’s eyes and figured the man had been hoping they would be no-shows.
Once seated, Jace glanced around the room. Everyone who he figured would be here was, and since there were a few people he hadn’t expected, he could only assume they were voting by proxy. One in particular, he knew, was drawing Caden’s attention. Shiloh Timmons.
Jace glanced over at Freeman. His secretary had called to advise them of the meeting late yesterday, and Jace was certain it was a deliberate move on Freeman’s part. It would have been too late to form any type of strategic countermove. Freeman would be surprised to learn he didn’t have the upper hand he assumed he would.
At exactly ten o’clock, Freeman called the meeting to order. Since this was an unscheduled meeting, he asked for a motion that the secretary not read the minutes from the last meeting. His motion was seconded.
Freeman then addressed the meeting, once again offering his sympathies to the Granger family for their loss. He then, pretty elegantly Jace thought, indicated the reason for the meeting. Freeman stated that the company was about to change leadership and direction at the worst possible time. And that although he respected Richard’s decision in wanting a Granger to run the company, he had been vice president for two years and felt more than capable of taking the company where it needed to be. He offered to have the Grangers work under him for a while to learn the ins and outs of the company, after which time, he would gladly step down and let the brothers take things over. However, he stressed that now was not the time.
Jace glanced around the table. Everyone was listening attentively, a few were taking notes and some had nodded. He was glad they’d made the move to buy up stock yesterday. His keen sense of discernment allowed him to pinpoint the people Freeman already had in his pocket. So Freeman’s claim that he would only take over for a short while was a bunch of bullshit, and they all knew it.
After Freeman stopped talking, the secretary asked if anyone had anything to say before votes were cast. Jace knew it was his time to speak, and he stood up to do so. “This company was started by my great-grandfather over seventy years ago and was later run by my grandfather, father and then, in my father’s absence, my grandfather again. On his deathbed Richard Granger asked that my brothers and I take over the day-to-day operations of Granger Aeronautics. All of you know how much my grandfather loved this company, and he would not have made such a request had he not felt that we could succeed in what he was asking us to do and that it was in the best interest of this company. He had faith in us, and I’m hoping you do, as well. I am ready to take over as CEO and move this company in the right direction. I ask for your vote of confidence.”
Freeman then asked for a vote, indicating for his secretary to do a roll call. From the smile on his face, it was apparent he was fairly certain he would come out on top. However, Jace saw that smile turn to concern when, during the roll call, it was obvious that a number of stockholders had gotten rid of their stock yesterday.
The roll call had been done in alphabetical order, and Jace wasn’t surprised when Freeman had five times the number of votes Jace could cast due to proxy. He saw shock and then anger appear in the older man’s eyes when he saw how many voting shares Jace, Caden and Dalton had obtained.
It was a close vote, and the last person on the roll call was Sandra Timmons.