章 987: Ch 987 - Only In Baltimore
The atmosphere in Lincoln's bunker was a far cry from that of the restaurant in Paris.
Tensions were high. Much to Justin's dismay, Lincoln's tirades became more frequent, as did Dangles' brown-nosing.
The three sat around a huge dining table, bickering with each other.
A map of Baltimore was sprawled out in front of Lincoln. He stared at it with hungry eyes. "This should be our kingdom, Justin."
Irritated, Justin held his head in his hands. "I don't get your unhealthy obsession with Baltimore, Gramps. Just pick another city and move on."
The remark outraged Lincoln. He slammed his fist on the table, causing the whole room to shake. "There is no other city! The Ambroses have ruled over Baltimore for decades! This is our territory."
With his eyes squeezed shut, Justin rubbed his temples. "Alex has dominion over Baltimore, so the Ambroses still rule it, technically. What if we took over Miami and make it better than Baltimore? That way, we can rule two different cities."
Enraged, Lincoln threw the map off the table. "Florida is the armpit of America! Miami will never be Baltimore! Nothing will be Baltimore except Baltimore. Baltimore is the most powerful city in the world. I'll be damned if I sit back and watch Alex destroy it!"
Justin gripped the sides of his head. "But why? What's the reason?"
Lincoln stood up and paced in short spurts around the dining room. "When I grew up on these city streets, I had nothing. My father was a poor man, and he died when I was a little boy. My mother could barely raise me on her own. You know how they say it takes a village to raise a child? Well, it took a city to raise me."
Dangles raised his eyebrows. "Wow."
Lincoln drew in a deep breath. He shut his eyes as if he were being transported into his past. "The people of Baltimore took me under their wing. I learned how to run a business from the local butcher. The tailor taught me how to dress. The fishermen showed me the value of persistence and hard work. Baltimore made me who I am. The city changed my life. It's the only reason a man like me, who grew up with nothing, could turn into something."
Dangles watched Lincoln with wide eyes. "Wow, sir. I had no idea you had such a troubled past."
Lincoln pointed at the one-eyed man. "But, Dangles, that's the point. I wasn't troubled because I lived in Baltimore. My story isn't a sad one. It's an inspirational one. I went from rags to riches."
Justin couldn't control himself. He dramatically rolled his eyes. "Don't fall for his stories, Dangles. None of this really happened."
Lincoln clenched his fists. "Stories? You think that I'm telling tall tales? Maybe you'll have a different opinion when I take you to see my father's grave. Then we'll see who's telling stories." He scoffed. "I worked my ass off so that my family, my legacy, would never have to suffer."
He narrowed his eyes, glaring at his grandson. "I suffered and worked every day of my life so that your father, brother and you would have a better life, and look at how you all treat me."
Justin threw up his hands. "Gramps, what more do you want? I'm here. I'm listening. I'm just trying to do what's best."
Lincoln gritted his teeth. "Do you even listen, boy? I want my city back, and I want it back now."
Justin pressed his palm to his forehead. "Do you listen? How many times do I need to tell you? Baltimore has changed. It isn't the same city you used to know, Gramps. You're never going to get it back to the way it was."
Lincoln's cheeks reddened. "And I won't accept that!"
Not intimidated by his grandfather's outburst, Justin stood up and shrugged his shoulders. "I just don't get the point."
Lincoln jabbed his finger in his grandson's face. "The point is, we're going to take down Alex." He growled as he spoke. "And we're going to return this city to its former glory."
With a sigh, Justin strolled out of the room. "Fine. Whatever. Tell me when you have a plan. I'll do whatever you want. I just don't care at this point."
Lincoln stomped his foot. "You get back here right now!"
With turning around, Justin left. "Nope. I'm leaving."
After Justin left, Lincoln fell back into his chair. His lips pulled back, baring his teeth. "What's wrong with him, Dangles?"
Todrick stood up, shaking his head. "I don't know, sir." He sat in the seat next to Lincoln. "You're providing him with an excellent opportunity. One many men would be very grateful to have."
Dangles gently put his hand on the old man's shoulder, but Lincoln jerked away at his touch. A groan bellowed from deep in Lincoln's gut. "Alex soiled the good Ambrose name. I can't bear to witness another failure." He paused. "Speaking of failures, have you heard from Naysmith?"
Dangles pulled out his phone and frantically scrolled through it. "Uh, no. Nothing."
Shocked to hear that Riley went missing in action, Lincoln raised a concerned eyebrow. "When was the last time he contacted you?"
Dangles checked through his messages. "Looks like the last time was the day that he left to go spy on Louis at the dojo."
Lincoln's nostrils flared. "It's been days. He's got a lot of gall. Where is he?"
Dangles shrugged. "I can call him if you want."
Lincoln offered Dangles a curt nod, and with that, he dialed Riley's number.
The call went straight to voicemail, serving only to further irritate Lincoln.
Riley voicemail greeting echoed through the room. "You reached Riley Naysmith. Right now, I'm out attending to some very important business. Please leave your name and number, and I'll get back to you shortly."
A flash of temper lighted Lincoln's eyes at the sound of Riley's voice. "That little punk."
He ripped the phone out of Dangles' hands. Spit flew out of his mouth as he spoke. "Naysmith, if you don't get back to me by the end of the day, there are going to be big consequences. You better take down that stupid karate kid and the atrocious reporter."
When he was done, Lincoln smashed Dangles' phone on the ground. It shattered into a pile of broken glass. Dangles rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "Oh, that's, uh, that's fine. I hated my phone anyway." He bent down, attempting to pick up the broken pieces. "Oh, yeah. That's definitely not going to be put back together."
Lincoln stood up and began to pace. "I give so much, and what do I get in return? Nothing."
Dangles glanced up at Lincoln. "I appreciate you, sir."
The old man stopped. Tears formed in his eyes. "I'm dying, Dangles, of an incurable disease."
Dangles shot up out of his chair. "What?"
Lincoln sniffled, wiping his nose with his handkerchief. "My lungs are deteriorating at a rapid speed. Every time I breathe, I worry it will be my last breath."
Dangles covered his mouth with his hands. "What can you do to stop it?"
Tears fell down Lincoln's cheeks. "Nothing. I've been trying everything I could to slow the process, but it hasn't worked."
Dangles frowned. "Oh, sir. I'm so sorry."
Lincoln solemnly nodded. "I don't know how long I have left. That's why I have to train Justin to take my place. I need to ensure my legacy will stay intact."
Dangles nodded slowly. "That makes sense. That's why you've been so hard on him."
A sob arose in Lincoln's throat. "I have to be. I have to be sure he's ready when I'm gone."
Dangles stuttered. "Oh, uh, sir, I'm so sorry."
The old man wrapped his arms around the assistant. "I don't know what else to do."
Lincoln squeezed Dangles tighter, knocking the air out of the one-eyed man.
"Uh, sir?" Dangles squeaked out. "I can't breathe."
Lincoln let go.
Before the two could say anything else, HALLE's voice rang through the bunker. "Mr. Ambrose, I have received confirmation that Alex Ambrose and Debbie Clifton have left the country."
Dangles and Lincoln whipped their heads around to look at each other.
"What? To where?" Lincoln asked.
"They are in Paris, sir," HALLE replied.
Lincoln's eyes lit up. "Paris?"
In an instant, Lincoln wrapped Dangles up in a hug. "Oh! This is great news! Do you know what this means? This is our time to strike. I can push Justin in front of the eyes of the people of Baltimore! This is our time to destroy Alex Ambrose."
Lincoln's smile twisted into a menacing grin as he clutched Dangles tighter. "And no one can stop us."
***
In the city of Baltimore, Christopher and Yvonne walked hand and hand through the scenic Canton Waterfront Park.
"This is one of my favorite places in the city," Christopher admitted as he gazed out into the ocean.
Yvonne's face donned an affectionate grin. "I can see why. It's beautiful."
The two strolled along the water. Their steps were light and bouncing.
Christopher looked down at Yvonne, admiring her curly locks and olive colored skin. "You look gorgeous today, Yvonne."
A blush rose to her cheeks. "Oh, gosh. Stop it. I probably look like a tomato now."
Christopher chuckled. "You do, but at least you look like a very pretty tomato."
Yvonne squeezed her boyfriend's hand. "So, how does it feel to be back at the hospital now?"
Christopher shrugged half-heartedly. "It feels good. It's a little strange after everything that happened. Now that I have all my memories back, it's much easier. Yesterday I was able to replace someone's kneecap."
As she pictured the image of what Christopher described in her head, Yvonne almost gagged. "You mean you performed knee replacement surgery."
Christopher shook his head no. "No, I replaced their missing kneecap."
Yvonne scrunched up her face. "How did someone lose a kneecap?"
Christopher laughed as he leaned against Yvonne. "Trust me, you don't want to know. But, three of the nurses threw up at the sight."
Yvonne stuck her tongue out jokingly. "Gross. I think that's a new record."
Christopher chuckled. "It is."
After a serene moment of silence, Yvonne glanced up at her boyfriend. "Hey, I was thinking the other day. You and I haven't ever been on an official date."
Christopher furrowed his brow as he considered what Yvonne said. He realized she was right.
"Well, can this count as a date?" he asked.
Yvonne playfully shoved him. "No! I'm being serious. I think we should go on a real date. We could do something romantic and sweet. I would really enjoy it."
Christopher smiled at her. "A real first date, huh? I think I have a perfect idea."
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