Jeff finds himself in Silicon Valley where he is asked to investigate claims by a gregarious Frenchman that his neural network electronic technology actually works. He meets up again with the enchanting Nancy, the FBI agent he had worked with in Atlanta where they fell in love while he was still married, and again in Washington DC Kathy puts romance back into Jeff’s life as he finds himself hounded by financially-desperate Europeans so determined to push their questionable technology―men so desperate that they will stop at nothing, even Jeff’s murder. The excitement will make the reader gasp, tragedy will make the reader cry, romance will make the reader sigh.
Chapter 25 of Silicon Gulch … Ted is murdered!
Friday 3:14 AM: Your goddam crazy―
Jeff leaves promising to call tomorrow afternoon. As he goes outside he swears he sees someone in the shadows. Suddenly Ted's car drives up, he demands Jeff get inside, then takes off saying, "It's your goddam crazy―" when Ted is shot!
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- Chris Lamela
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Author contact: chris@chrislamela.com, 707-566-8790 PST---------------------------------------------------------------------
Friday
3:14 AM: Your goddam crazy―
She pulled back taking him by the hand, "Come on, we need to get
you dressed to let you go get some sleep. It sounds like you have a big day
ahead of you."
Soon Jeff was back downstairs pulling his pants back on, leaning over to
put on his socks, looking around to find his shoes in the corner, putting on
his shirt, Kathy walking up to him
with his coat. He took it, putting it on, she glanced down to the pocket with
the gun.
"Promise me you'll be safe. I intend to see you again, and without
any new holes, okay?"
"I promise. I'm really busy tomorrow morning, I will call you in
the afternoon. Will that be okay, is there a particular time?"
She started pushing him toward the door, tickling him as she pushed him
along, "Go, you need to get up tomorrow!"
He turned to her at the door, they kissed one last passionate kiss, she
reached around him to the door knob pushing him back playfully, "Go!"
opening the door.
"I'll call you tomorrow after two, I promise," he backed away
smiling.
She stood at the door silently watching him walk away.
Her silhouette framed in the doorway, the outline of her sweet body through
her nightgown.
He felt one last great swell in his chest, finally turning away he
walked past her garage looking up and down the long driveway that he had walked
up from his car.
He looked to his wrist realizing that he left his watch on Kathy's
nightstand. He started to turn around when suddenly he saw a shadow, looked
like a person three garages down, a man that quickly stepped back behind a
building when Jeff turned toward the figure.
Jeff felt a shudder go through him.
Better forget about the watch.
He looked to his left seeing headlights turn on with the sound of an
engine starting. He looked to see Ted's car parked at the dead-end driveway
facing him, suddenly lurching forward, roaring up to Jeff, the passenger window
rolling down.
"GET IN!" Ted leaned toward the open window looking up at Jeff
peering back down the driveway squinting not seeing the figure he had seen
before. "JEFF, GET IN!"
Jeff pulled the door open
sliding down into the seat, reaching under him pulling up what looked liked a
one-eyed binocular. "What is this?"
"NVG, there's somebody out there, down the driveway."
The car lurched forward quickly, "Night Vision Goggles? Did you see
the guy?"
Jeff reached to his right pulling at the seat belt, his right arm into
the loop, "Get down!" Ted's strong right arm reached out grabbing
Jeff by the back of his neck doubling him over on his seat pressing him down so
hard Jeff couldn't breathe.
The car quickly accelerated, "Yes I saw him. I called for backup
they should be here in a minute. You won't believe who it is! It's him! It's
your stupid goddamed crazy―"
PAP! TSH! little splinters of
glass spattered onto Jeff, he looked to the left from his hunched over position
seeing Ted slump forward onto the wheel the car's horn starting blaring HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK! with the pressure
of Ted's body against the wheel, the firm grip on Jeff's neck going limp.
"TED! TED!" Jeff screamed the car careening forward Jeff
looking up to see the light post that he'd been under just a few hours ago CRASH! the car smashing into the light
post coming to a dead stop Jeff's body flopping forward pushing his whole body
forward head banging on the dashboard HOOOOOOOOOOOOOONK!
the car's horn screaming "TED! TED!" Jeff pulling at him Ted flopping
toward Jeff, the car's horn stopped.
Jeff looked down in the yellow light seeing Ted's face covered in blood.
OH GOD OH GOD OH GOD Jeff
flashed opening his door flopping out onto the ground on his butt feet still up
in the car caught in the seat belt looking back seeing a man a few houses down rounding
his garage peering at the car smashed into the lamp post, bent pole leaning over
the car casting an eerie bright yellow light over them.
"What's going on out here!" the man yelled.
Suddenly two other men appeared, one leaned down to Jeff, he saw the
other man lean forward scanning the scene running back into the darkness.
The man leaned over Jeff starting to pull him up, "Are you all
right? What happened?"
Jeff pointed into the car at Ted's limp figure leaning to the right, the
seat belt holding his body tilted toward the passenger door. The man jumped up,
"Oh, christ, Ted!"
The man let Jeff flop back down onto the ground leaping into the car nearly
stepping on Jeff, over him diving into the car.
The man pulled himself back out of the car, leaning over Jeff pulling at
the seat belt around his legs to free him, pulling him up to a wobbly stand, "Come
on, we need to get you out of here, this is a mess."
A few seconds later a black Crown Vic roared up, a man jumped out. He
quickly ran up speaking urgently with the man who had just found Jeff laying on
the ground, stepping forward, "Are you all right? Are you hurt?"
Jeff shook his head slowly, the man continued, "Come on, you're at
the Merdian right?"
The man stood back pulling out his cell phone pushing buttons. Jeff
heard Kathy's voice behind him, he turned to see her still in her night gown, "Jeff?"
she ran into his arms, "I knew it! I knew it!" she started beating on
his chest, "I knew you were in trouble! I am not letting you leave me!" bursting into tears.
The agent on the phone pushed a button turning back to Jeff, "Instructions
are to get you to your hotel, code red."
"I'm not leaving without her."
"That's not my instructions."
"SCREW YOUR INSTRUCTIONS! I'M NOT LEAVING WITHOUT HER!"
"Wait," the agent turned back around, the two clutching each
other tightly. A minute later the man turned back to Jeff, "Agent White
wants to talk to you," handing Jeff the phone.
"Jesus Jeff, what happened?"
"They murdered Ted," tears burst from Jeff's face, "they murdered him!"
"Yes, Jeff, I know. But are you okay, are you shot?"
"No."
"Listen, where are you?"
"I'm at Kathy's house, down the street."
"Is she there?"
"Yes."
"Let me talk to her."
Jeff handed Kathy the phone, reluctant
to take it, "It's Nancy
"This is Kathy …yes…he
looks okay, really shaken…car is wrecked…I heard a shot, at least I think it
was…yes…yes I can…tomorrow morning, but it's not that important, I can change
it…okay…yes, I'll tell him." She handed the phone back to the agent who
took it turning away from them.
"That was Nancy Kathy said softly. "She said
that she wants me to get some clothes, come stay with you at your hotel."
She looked to him, "That would be good, right?"
He nodded, sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his hand.
The agent stepped up to them, "Ma'am, I've been instructed to ask
if you would like to accompany this man back to his hotel." She nodded. "Then
I will escort you to your house so you can get some items."
She pointed down the drive, the
three of them walking slowly until they reached Kathy's door which was still
wide open.
Turning to them she asked for a couple minutes, five minutes later she appeared
in Jeans and a sweatshirt holding a sports bag.
They left the townhouse, Kathy locked the door, they walked past the
corner around Kathy's garage, a black Crown Vic was already turned around
facing toward the wreck down the driveway. The car's back door was being held
open, Kathy climbed in. Jeff turned, peering down the driveway at the smashed
car, light pole dangling, angled casting bright yellow light over three men
pulling Ted's body from the car, a gurney next to them, an ambulance backed up
the scene. Jeff shook his head, climbed in next to Kathy. The car drove toward
the scene, having to turn right from the cars blocking the shorter exit to Chrome Drive
Ten minutes later found them at the entry of Jeff's room at the Merdian.
Jeff turned to thank the agent, recognizing Frederick, his body guard from
before, "Hey, hi, didn't recognize you. Thanks."
"Jeff, you are code red, so you are safe. Get some sleep. They want
to see you at nine, so go get some rest, okay?" He tipped his fingers to
his brow, "And goodnight to you too, ma'am."
They turned to the dark room with the curtains still open. Jeff
navigated his way to the bedside lamp turning it on. Kathy
was standing with a helpless face by the bed.
He pulled off his coat, mechanically reaching into the pocket pulling his
cell phone out, plugging it in, she set her bag down.
She came around the bed with her arms out, "You look like hell,
baby, come here," he fell into her arms bursting into tears, she navigated
them to sitting on the bed.
"They murdered him. He just found out that he is a father. He was
going to meet his daughter for the very first time on Saturday. Oh god," tears
streaming down his face, she held him in a tender there-there embrace.
"Dashboard."
"Oh poor baby, come here,"
she held him, rocking him back and forth.
She leaned over, pulled off his shoes, pulled down his socks, unbuttoned
his pants pulling them off, "Your black underwear is still sexy," she
smiled softly. He admired her beautiful smile, starting to flop onto the bed
but she pulled him up, "You need to go pee, then get into bed."
He got up wordlessly floating to the bathroom, pulled down his black
underwear preparing himself to sleep for seventy-nine hours. He heard her
laugh, turned his head to her calling to him, "Door open, that's good luck
you know!"
He came out, "Stop trying to cheer me up!" half smiling
flopping onto the bed.
A few seconds later he heard her pissing with the door open but was too
tired to make accolades. She came out, "I left the door open for good luck
for you, too!"
He couldn't help but chuckle, she
pulled the covers back wrestling with the bedspread to get him covered up. She stood
up, pulling the drapes closed, crawling into bed next to him.
She whispered to him, "Remember that spending the night means
commitment!"
He smiled at these words.
"So mister Jeff, just so you know, we are committed."
But he scarcely heard her words.
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NOW READ THE NEXT EXCITING CHAPTER OFSILICON GULCH!
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