The Wolf of Los Angeles

[Chapter 308: Tiger Woods]

Musk wasn't hurting for cash -- his track record could pull Silicon Valley money easy. What he wanted from Tesla investors wasn't just dollars, but platforms -- ways to turbocharge Tesla's growth on the business and tech fronts.

He leaned in, all sincerity. "Hawke, Mary, it's time to jump on Tesla -- this rising star in a rising game!"

Mary shot Hawke a look. "We haven't seen Tesla's rundown -- products, market outlook, plans, the works."

Hawke wasn't in a rush and kept his mouth shut. He figured Musk wanted to milk Twitter for all it was worth, but the guy's name didn't carry enough weight yet. Musk needed Twitter more than Twitter needed him.

Hawke leaned over to Peter. "You in on this?"

Peter nodded. "Already locked in."

Musk made a quick call. Minutes later, a sharp-looking blonde assistant rolled up in a cart, handing over two sets of detailed paperwork -- one for Hawke, one for Mary.

Hawke took his and passed it to Edward, sitting nearby.

The four of them went back to their half-finished game. Afterward, Mary walked with Hawke as they stowed their clubs and headed out of the club.

Mary spoke as they went. "Pacific Investment Group's mostly stuck to old-school industries. Only since the turn of the century have we peeked at new stuff. What's your take on this electric car thing?"

Hawke thought it over. "At our board meeting in January, I pushed AI, internet, smart devices, cybersecurity -- how they'll tie into other industries. Smart tech can slot right into electric cars. Self-driving's on the horizon too."

He paused. "But turning a profit? That's five, maybe six years out -- could be longer."

Mary got the picture and let it drop.

...

Their cars pulled up to the club entrance one after the other. Just as they were about to leave, a black Hyundai Equus rolled in, blocking the exit lane.

The back doors swung open. Two guys stepped out -- one Black, one white.

Hawke clocked the Black guy instantly: Tiger Woods, the golf legend. The white guy was a stranger.

Tiger breezed past into the club. The white guy's eyes lingered on Mary for a second -- no greeting, though -- before he followed Tiger inside.

Hawke raised an eyebrow at Mary.

"Johnny Edwards," she said. "Federal senator. Announced last year he's running for the Democratic nomination this election. Heard he's been in California lately, probably drumming up support." ɌάŊꝊ𝐁È𝓢

Hawke glanced back. "Looks cozy with Tiger."

"Maybe he's picking up golf," Mary said, sliding into her car and pulling away.

...

Hawke climbed into his, telling Edward to drive. They rolled out onto Santa Monica Boulevard.

Hawke turned to Edward. "Butterfly Consulting still tailing Tiger Woods?"

Edward thought for a sec. "Pretty sure they've got eyes on him nonstop, fishing for a big scoop."

"Has Tiger tied the knot yet?" Hawke asked.

"Not yet," Edward said. Tiger was one of Hawke's top three sports targets, so he'd kept tabs. "He got engaged to that Swedish model, Elin Nordegren, last year -- big fancy ceremony. Wedding's set for this year, maybe September."

Hawke nodded. "Call Campos later. Tell whoever's on Tiger to play it safe -- especially when he's with Johnny Edwards."@@novelbin@@

If Johnny clinched the nomination, Secret Service would be all over him -- presidential-level protection. For now, he was still in the primary grind.

...

Back at the office, Hawke tackled some work, then dug into Musk's Tesla docs and pitch. The company was tiny -- under 30 people -- building off a British Lotus Elise frame. Musk's plan was bold: ditch the bland tweaks and go for a full redesign to make a splash.

Hawke didn't know cars, but he agreed -- rushing out a forgettable model was a flop waiting to happen. At minimum, it needed flash -- big screens, cushy seats, the works.

Investing in Tesla was a no-brainer, though his slot was capped at $5 million. Musk had shelled out $6.3 million in February to snag control.

Hawke knew Musk was after Twitter's reach more than its cash. The guy had turned online hype into an art form, building a cult following that practically deified him.

The shares and terms? That'd come down to haggling later.

...

Next day, Mary called. Pacific Investment was in -- $5 million wasn't a big swing for them. Hawke shared his decision too.

By afternoon, Musk was on the line. Hawke greenlit the investment, and talks kicked off fast. Musk even signed up for Twitter, hyping his electric car and rocket dreams.

In one meeting, Musk half-joked about taking Hawke to Mars someday. Hawke figured the moon was a safer bet.

Funny thing -- back in the day, America's tech and military stats had a knack for fudging numbers. Made you wonder about that moon landing.

...

Covina, Main Street.

Inside a makeshift campaign office, Brian paced back and forth, grilling his campaign manager, Beacon. "You sure about this?"

"Dead certain," Beacon said, all business. "Our guy at city hall saw the contract signed with his own eyes -- snapped the pics too."

Brian grinned. "Perfect. Stewart Resnick's so desperate to water his farms, he'll bleed LA dry to do it."

Beacon nodded. "The Wonderful Company's ramped up planting this year -- pistachios, almonds, the lot."

Brian checked his watch. "Hawke not here yet?"

Beacon did the math. "Called Edward twenty minutes ago -- he should be close."

...

Less than ten minutes later, a Mercedes pulled up outside. Hawke stepped out and strode into the meeting room.

Beacon greeted him, and Hawke shook his hand, noting the guy's ear-to-ear grin. "Good news, I take it?"

Brian handed over a stack of printed photos. "Take a look."

Hawke skimmed the tiny text and set them aside. "Just tell me."

Brian laid it out. "Ever since the Smelt Fish Protection Act hit, the Resnick family and The Wonderful Company have been sweating. Their plantations are down in South California -- if drought hits, they can't pull water from the north anymore."

Hawke nodded. "That bill's all about stopping the north-to-south water grab."

Brian kept going. "Weather folks are predicting dry times, and with the bill in play, Stewart Resnick's been working the room hard. He just wrapped a new deal with LA City Hall."

His voice ticked up. "Few days back, Resnick's rep, Stuttgart, and LA's Antonio Villaraigosa hashed it out. They re-upped agreements on the LA Canal, Las Virgenes Reservoir, and Santa Ynez Reservoir. The Wonderful Company's priority share jumped to 78%."

Hawke smirked. "City Hall's still got their priorities straight -- left 22% on the table."

"That's for the ultra-rich zones," Brian said flatly. "Everything else gets squeezed."

"City Council signed off?" Hawke asked.

"Yesterday," Brian confirmed. "Goes live April 1st."

Hawke's earlier moves -- pushing drought forecasts and the Smelt protection plan -- were paying off, tightening LA's water chokehold. Brian's team was also prepping firefighter stories to pile on the pressure.

Post-9/11, the way firefighters got treated had flipped the industry upside down -- plenty of ammo there.

Hawke stepped over to an LA map on the wall, studying it. "Let's hope the experts don't botch this drought call."

If LA turned into a rainy mess, the whole plan would sink.

Brian shrugged. "LA's got over 300 sunny days a year. That's not changing."

He'd gone from LA rich guy to political player, ready for the worst. If the plan hit a snag, he'd just pick the right moment and pay someone to start a few fires. With thousands of homeless folks in Skid Row and Hollywood, $10,000 could buy hundreds of arsonists. Some would jump at jail time just for the roof and meals.

...

Pasadena, outdoor shooting range.

Campos drilled his team, gunfire popping as human-shaped targets toppled.

They'd never stopped training -- tracking, shooting -- dreaming of heading back to Mexico to settle scores for friends and families killed by their former colleagues or or cartel goons.

At the safety gate, Juan rushed in, waving at Campos.

Campos spotted him, thanks to Garcia's nudge, and stashed his gun before jogging over.

The range was loud, so they ducked into a soundproof lounge.

Juan cut to it. "Guys tailing Tiger Woods just checked in. He met up with Sean Ackerman from the Ackerman family."

Campos perked up. "Both are on the boss's watchlist. Up the manpower -- keep it tight, but careful."

*****

/Sayonara816.