“Boss, maybe we give this one up,” said Terrance. “Those guys seem to know everyone and could be trouble for us.”
“I don’t give a damn. I have to get rid of that damn tree,” he snapped. “Leave. Find out what you can about who might be vulnerable on the council and get me everything we can find on those men. I want names, backgrounds, everything.”
“Yes, sir.”
As the men left, Snow stared out the window, watching the big men who’d tormented him walk down the street. He had no idea who they were and didn’t really care. He just needed them gone.
“Stop this madness. You will not succeed.”
“Go away!”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
“Code? Can you tell us anything good?” asked Ian. He and Ghost were working at Belle Fleur with the intelligence team to find information on Snow.
“I’ve found his real name,” said Code. “Bennett Hampton.”
Ghost and Ian looked at one another, then back at Code, shaking their heads.
“Is that name supposed to mean something to us?” asked Ghost.
“No. At least I don’t think so. Bennett Hampton is from an old southern family. Big, old, and influential southern.”
“What does that mean?” asked Ian.
“His seven times grandfather came over from England and immediately bought a large piece of property in Virginia. He planted cotton, tobacco, corn, anything and everything, and was quite successful. He also owned more than seventy slaves on his property.”
“Real nice guy,” frowned Ghost.
“That’s not all. By the time his son inherited the property, he bought two more homes. One in South Carolina and one in Alabama. By 1817, the family owned eleven plantations in Virginia, South Carolina, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
“When the war between the states broke out, the head of the family joined the Confederate Army, as did his three sons. The father and two of the sons were killed, leaving just one to manage what was left of the properties.”
“What was left of the properties?” asked Ghost.
“Most of the mansions were destroyed by the Union soldiers, but many continued to operate as farms long after the war. The last of the homes burned to the ground in the early 1900s. The family still had money and means, but never the wealth before the Civil War.”
“Okay,” nodded Ghost. “So, Bennett Hampton was born with a silver spoon and is bitter. Is that what’s happening here?”
“I’m not sure of that just yet,” said Code. “He has plenty of money from investments and business holdings. Prior to the incidences where he bought the properties and destroyed them, he worked as an investment broker for a major firm in North Carolina. Then, suddenly, after the death of his father, he was buying up these properties and left the firm.”
“Why? I mean, if he was making good money, why leave his investment firm to buy up property, destroy it, and then move on to another?” asked Ian.
“I think that’s what we need to find out,” said Code.
“Hi,” said Aislinn, smiling at the men at the table.
“Hey there, Aislinn. How are you, honey?” asked Ghost.
“I’m good. Has anyone seen my husband?” she smiled.
“No. I know that he was working out at the animal shelter with a few of the guys. Do you want me to take you out there?” asked Ian.
“No, I just wanted to go into the city for a bit. I have some things for Mama Irene, but they didn’t want me to drive in by myself.”
“I can take you,” said Ian. “I need a break from all of this anyway.”
“Awesome. I get a handsome driver, and my husband won’t be jealous.”
