First Episode

The Cost of Power is set in an alternative universe from the main Martiniere Legacy series. In this book, I take a closer look at the mind control technology and…the relationship between Gabe and his father Philip ends up being different.

Additionally, Gabe tells Ruby who he really is much, much earlier than in the main Martiniere Legacy series.

Most of all, I’m freeforming this story. I somewhat know where it’s going to go, but how it unfolds depend on what happens with Gabe, Philip, Ruby, and Justine once they get on a roll in this particular setting.

DING-DING-DING UPDATE NUMBER TWO, July 14, 2023

I’m at 88,000 words in the book and closing in on the final chapter. And…I think we have a trilogy here. More on this once I’ve wrapped up this book.

UPDATE, April 21, 2023 : Given where I am in this story drafting-wise (approximately 60,000 words), THERE WILL BE A SECOND BOOK. No way can I wrap up what I’m doing here in 40,000 more words. Things are gonna happen with Philip, Gabe, Ruby, and the Martiniere Multiverse, and I don’t want to cut the Multiverse elements that start coming into the story. This may be the series that resolves the entire Multiverse element of the Martiniere stories.

Now whether that book gets serialized here or not…we shall see.

Enjoy! This is part two of Chapter Seven. There will be five parts to this chapter.

July, 2033

GABE

Gerard raised his brows. “So it seems that Joseph is not the only man raised by Philip who appears to have been getting into fights on a regular basis.”

“Not that often,” Gabe protested. “And here, well, the situation is much like it was when I was at Northview. The difference is that Bonham and the Barkleys thought they were picking on someone they could afford to kick around, a broke Hispanic ranch hand who didn’t have money or power. Not a Martiniere. Not a Saldivar.”

“I see.” Gerard frowned. “Why does Bonham want the Double R?”

“His father tried to buy it off of me years ago,” Ron said. “The Bonhams are into buying land, then leasing it to ranchers for outrageous terms. If they can’t buy, they foreclose. If it hadn’t been for Ed Trask, Jim Reed, Mike Chandler, and Monty Montgomery, I’d have been in trouble a long time ago. Simon Bonham—Nathan’s father—or Nathan would have foreclosed, then leased it back at pretty nasty terms. The Double R’s one of the oldest family-held ranches in the County, and I’ve done my best—as have Ruby and Gabe—to manage it wisely.”

“Sounds like something out of an old Western movie,” Donald said.

“Lot of truth to those old Westerns,” Gabe said. He blew hard, forcing himself to relax, damn it, as they pulled into the Northwest Farmers’ Bank parking lot.

They waited to go inside until Remy and Ed Trask joined them. Ed, Gerard, and Ron led their procession, as they had planned. Gabe and Ruby, Justine and Donald, and Remy followed.

“We want to talk to Mr. Bonham,” Ron said to Marsha, the chief teller. She scanned them, her gaze briefly lingering on the Trasks, then Gabe. Gabe made himself breathe slowly and carefully as she disappeared down the adjacent hallway to Bonham’s private office.

No missteps now. He looked around. The other two tellers and Terry Baynes—another ranch owner, performing a transaction at one window—were staring at him, expressions of astonishment and recognition dawning on their faces.

They watched the show all right.

Perhaps Criminal Injustice would end up making things easier after all.

“What the hell?” Nathan Bonham’s voice, tones irritated, echoed down the hallway. “Ron Ryder and that Mexi are back? With the Trasks and others?” A pause. “I see. That troublemaking presumptuous beaner needs to learn a little respect.”

Gabe stifled a grin as both Gerard and Justine straightened up even more, matched scowls on their faces. Oh, this was going to be something to watch as well as participate in. Bonham was about to be schooled, Martiniere-style.

Nathan Bonham stormed into the lobby. “Just what the hell do you think you’re pulling, Ramirez?”

“You will not speak of my nephew in that manner!” Gerard snarled.

“And just who the hell are you?” Bonham hadn’t apparently watched Criminal Injustice last night—if so, then he must have been one of the few residents of Thunder County who hadn’t.

“My name is Gerard Martiniere, and my nephew Gabriel Martiniere happens to be the person you are calling a troublemaking presumptuous beaner.” Gerard glowered at Bonham.

Sharp intake of breath from Terry Baynes and the tellers. The chief teller leaned over to whisper something to Bonham. He glowered at Gabe. “Come on back. Marsha, you too, as a witness. Call Jesse Rivers.”

“I’d advise you not to get Rivers involved, Marsha,” Ed Trask said mildly. “Amongst other things, Mr. Gerard Martiniere is a French citizen as well as the chief financial officer of the Martiniere Group. There is a contingent of Vygotsky Security outside of the bank that might not look very kindly on Jesse Rivers showing up to harass any of the Martinieres present, which includes Gabriel.”

“What business do you have with this farce, Ed?” Bonham glowered at Ed Trask.

“Considering I just deposited a sizable retainer from Gabriel Martiniere to represent the interests of both himself and his fiancée Ruby Barkley, it’s definitely part of my business.”

“And the rest of you?” Bonham growled, face reddening.

Gabe glimpsed Terry Baynes with his phone out, recording the confrontation. Good job, Terry. He didn’t think Baynes was all that fond of Bonham, either. This could easily go viral…and would not reflect well on Bonham.

Plus it’s another means of protection.

“Donald Atwood, Atwood Investments. I’m Gabriel’s financial advisor,” Donald said.

“Justine Martiniere-Atwood, Martiniere-in-waiting along with Gabriel, as well as Gabriel’s sister, and First Secretary, External Affairs, of the Martiniere Group,” Justine said.

Bonham’s face paled as Justine and Donald spoke.

Gabe stifled a smirk. Oh, you have just fucked around and found out, Bonham. All that would be needed to put the cherry on top of this delicious justice sundae would be an appearance by Philip. Or Jorge Saldivar.

“Come on back,” Bonham finally spat out. “All of you.”

Once they were in the conference room, Bonham whirled, pointing at Gerard. “I want to see your identification. And yours—” indicating Justine, then Donald. “And most of all, yours.” He jabbed his index finger at Gabe. “I’m not gonna be taken in by someone playing games with a true crime show!”

Gabe shrugged. This time he didn’t hide his smirk as he extracted his passport from his right front jeans pocket, folded it open, and flashed it at Bonham.

“Forgive me, but I’m not inclined to trust you with handling my documents.” He put the proper degree of aristocratic Martiniere arrogance into his voice, noticing Gerard’s faint smile and Justine’s outright grin. Then he turned to Marsha. “You’re a notary, correct, Marsha?”

“Yes.” Marsha’s mouth twitched and Gabe was more than willing to bet she was doing her best to hide her amusement at her boss’s predicament.

“I am perfectly willing to sign a notarized statement attesting to my identity if you need it. I can understand a legitimate concern about the confusion. After all, I’ve needed to be in hiding for the last five years, operating under a pseudonym. I’m willing to entertain reasonable identity requests.”

“May I?” Marsha asked, extending her hand toward his passport.

Gabe nodded, and let her take it from his fingers. She held it up to compare the picture with him as he was now, then flipped through the passport—filled with entry and exit stamps for the European Union, Great Britain, Canada, and Mexico, primarily, along with Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and Morocco. Then she handed it back to him.

“From what I can see, plus the support of his relatives, it’s legitimate, Nathan. He is Gabriel Marcus Martiniere.”

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