Silicon Gulch, Chapter 35

NEWLY RE-EDITED CHAPTER!

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 Atlantawhere they fell in love while he was still married, and again in Washington DCwhere fortune kept them apart. A surprise meeting with Kathyputs 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 35 of Silicon Gulch … They try to murder Jeff again! The women are friends!

Friday 7:24 PM: Revenge!

Jeff is followed to Seattle by a man who wants to kill him! Then Jeff discovers that Kathy spent the night with his wife and kids Wednesday night! And his wife is dating another man and she wants Jeff's permission!

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Thanks for taking time, and enjoy!
- Chris Lamela

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Author contact: chris@chrislamela.com, 707-566-8790 PST
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Friday 7:24 PM: Revenge!

     The two-hour flight was coming to an end, everyone put their seatbacks up and their tray tables upright and in the locked position.

     Twenty minutes later they were walking down the jetway turning toward baggage claim.

     Managing to find the right luggage carrousel, a few minutes later they were dragging bags behind them.

     "Jesus, I forgot," Jeff fretted, "I didn't drive my car here, I took the shuttle from downtown. Do you mind? It's pretty quick and I'll pay!"

     Kathy smiled, "I don't think we'll have to worry about it."

     "Why do you want a cab instead?"

     "I said, we don't have to worry about it."

     "But―"

     He heard a voice behind them, "Hi you two!"

     Jeff turned around.

     Donna was standing before them.

     "Whaaaaaaaa…" Jeff stammered.

     Kathy stepped around him, Donna smiled to Kathy, "Kathy! Great, right on time just like you said. Hey, you got your hair cut!"

     Kathy did a showy little spin, "It was your haircutter! Didn't she do great?"

     "Yes, Carmen is really good, isn't she? Hot Cuts, inexpensive and nice."

     "She's wonderful and said to say hi to you!"

     The two women hugged turning to Jeff with expectant expressions.

     They hugged!

     He stood speechless.

     Jaw dropped.

     Kathy turned to Donna, "I think we better help him to the car."

     "Wait!" Jeff held up his hands. "What's going on here?"

     Kathy walked up to him taking his hands, "I told you have another surprise for you." She turned motioning to Donna. "This is the surprise!" the two women grinned.

     "Come on, let's go find the car then we'll tell you." Donna showed mock impatience reaching around pulling at his luggage.

     Just as her hand touched the luggage handle Jeff looked over her shoulder at a man standing on the other side of the hallway. An instantaneous exchange of glances sent a chill down Jeff's spine as he recognized the man's expression from his experiences in Washington DC, my god, he's here after me!

     The man turned around but the warning had been sent!

     "Uh―uh―" Jeff stuttered watching the man who glanced over his shoulder again at him.

     Kathy stepped up, "Jeff, what is it? My god are you alright? You're as white as a sheet!"

     Snapping to he turned to Kathy, "Yeah, fine, sorry maybe the flight―I don't know. Restroom! Yeah, that's it, I really need to pee."

     Kathy pointed back up the hallway they had come from, "Well honey, if you have to pee the men's room is back there."

     "Yeah, good, yeah, that's what I'll do―"

     Kathy stepped up to him putting her hands around his face, "Babe, you feel warm. Why don't you throw some water on your face when you're in there? Look, we'll go get the car, meet us under the Alaska Airlines sign. Donna said she did valet parking so it'll just be a few minutes."

     "Water, yeah," now watching the man glance over his shoulder once more at Jeff as he peered down the hall toward the men's room.

     I've got to get him away from the women!

     "Yeah, that's a great idea, you guys go ahead and I'll meet you out front," looking back seeing the man had disappeared. As Kathy and Donna turned away, Jeff made a quick walk away from them toward the men's room.

     Coming into the men's room there was nobody to be seen. He went to the first stall in the row of six doors along the right, closing the door behind him locking it. His heartbeat pounding in his ears he paused, suddenly remembering his frightful experience in Washington DC in the Smithsonian men's room and how he had saved his own life, crouching down sliding into the next stall, setting the lock, then into the next stall, latching it locked.

     As he crouched down to go into the next stall he saw a pair of legs with pants down around the ankles, but without a thought he slid into that stall. The man attached to the legs sitting on the toilet pulled back astounded, "What the hell?" Jeff frowned at the man with the terrified expression putting his fingers to his lips, "Shhhhhhhh!" crouching down sliding into the next stall, set the lock, then the next, locking it, then the next until he came to the wall, standing up setting the lock. He flipped up the toilet seat quietly. Then climbed onto the toilet, straining to peer over the wall. He could see the row of stall doors clearly reflected in the long mirror over the sinks on the opposite wall.

     He watched as the man following him walked into the room, stood looking around, reached his right hand behind him pulling out a gun!

     Oh jesus! He IS here to kill me!

     He remembered the experience in the Smithsonian men's room when the shooters shot through the first door and then went down the row blasting holes through doors. If he did that he would kill the poor guy sitting on the toilet!

     Oh my god, that's a hell of a way to die! But I can't warn him!

     PAP! PAP! The sound of the door kicked open BANG!

     "What the hell's going on out there!" The stranger two stalls down yelled.

     Then a different sharp voice, "What are you doing here you stupid old fart? Why did you follow me―"

     PAP! PAP! PAP! PAP!

     The man in the in the stall screamed. Even with the sound of ringing WEEEEEEEEE from the gunshots Jeff heard a loud grunt and the sound of a body crumple to the ground.

     What's going on?

     "Jeff? JEFF! You in here?"

     Jeff couldn't believe the voice he was hearing. This couldn't be right! He called out, "Uncle Mondo?"

     "Who else?" came the reply.

     Jeff climbed down from the toilet, unlatching the door, timidly pulling it open, peering out. There stood Uncle Mondo holding a gun at his side, smoke still curling from the barrel. The man who was following him lay in a heap on the ground, blood flowing around him.

     He smiled at Jeff with his big grin, "Sorry, but my nephew here had some wrong ideas I think. He thinks you killed his brother, he wanted revenge. But I promised you that you would not be murdered by an Apocolopsa. Period." Jeff half-smiled remembering his words before.

     Just then the sound of a toilet flushing echoed in the room, a second later the man in the stall emerged ashen. Without a word he slid sideways around the scene at the first stall, then nearly tripping over his own feet stumbling out the door.

     Uncle Mondo nodded after him, "It's not healthy to not wash your hands after you poop, don't you think?"

     Jeff stood astonished at this scene. Uncle Mondo smiled nodding toward the door, "Come on Jeff, we made a lot of racket here, I'm surprised the police haven't come already, we better go," turning walking out the door with Jeff nearly floating behind him. As Jeff got to the door he suddenly realized he was in no shape to walk outside.

     Pulling on Uncle Mondo's sleeve, Jeff panted, "Wait a minute...I need to collect myself."

     Uncle Mondo hooked Jeff's right arm, "If we don't move we may both collect ten-to-life," tugging Jeff into the hallway, pulling him away from the entry.

     Jeff looked over his shoulder to see a man, rolling luggage in tow, walking into the men's room. "Yeah, you're right," pointing to the bar across the hallway, "maybe in there."

     "Yeah, good idea, I'll be you could use a beer."

      They both walked across the hall to the bar, taking seats at the long counter. Uncle Mondo signaled the bartender, "This man needs one of your foo-foo beers, I need a Bud." The bartender pointed to a row of bottles behind him, Uncle Mondo pointed to the Sierra Nevada bottle. A second later two beers were placed in front of them as Jeff sat with elbows on the bar, head in hands.

     Uncle Mondo turned back to the direction of the men's room as the man who had walked into the men's room suddenly emerged, "POLICE! POLICE!" sprinting down the hallway screaming to find someone dressed in blue.

     Shaking his head Uncle Mondo poked Jeff, "You know, maybe now's not a good time for a drink come to think of it," tossing a ten-dollar bill onto the counter. "We both have places we need to be."

     Uncle Mondo tugged at Jeff's arm, they both stood, walked turning toward baggage claim as two police ran down the hallway with guns drawn.

     Jeff looked to Uncle Mondo, "How did you..."

     "Amazing the people you meet in airports, huh? There I am getting ready to board my flight to Chicago when I spy my nephew. I knew there would be only one reason why he would be out here."

     "So you followed him?"

     "Wasn't hard, I followed him onto your plane."

     "You were on the same plane?"

     "Yeah, and with my nephew sitting right behind you!"

     Jeff's head spun at the idea of the killer behind him as he was so ga-ga with Kathy.

     "Where are you supposed to meet the girls?"

     "Out front, under the Alaska Airlines sign."

     "Good, I'll walk with you to make sure nobody tries to kill you again. You mind?"

     Jeff shrugged as they sauntered down the hallway, soon standing outside under the Alaska Airlines sign.

     Uncle Mondo turned to Jeff, "Okay, my boy. Time for me to be somewhere." He reached out pulling Jeff to him giving a big hug that startled Jeff. Stepping back, "Now there my friend, you go have a good life. And try not to get murdered, okay?"

     Smiling Jeff looked to the dark sky then back to Uncle Mondo, "Yeah, I guess if I made it through this then chances are pretty good I won't."

     Without another word Uncle Mondo turned, a few seconds later lost in the crowd.

     Soon he was standing at Donna's mini-van with the big back door open stuffing the two suitcases inside, Jeff laying his computer bag on top.

     "Jeff, honey," Donna motioned to him, "sit in the front seat, it'll be easier to talk."

     A couple minutes later they were clear of the airport heading up Highway Five toward Seattle. "I hope you don't mind, Jeff, I know you're tired, but I need to pick up the kids, it's not too far out of the way."

    He nodded speechless.

    "And so Jeff," Kathy leaned forward from the back seat, "this is the second surprise. On Tuesday I went to the senior partners in my firm, I spent all night Monday night, worked the whole night, I presented a business case for why I should be allowed to open an office in Seattle. It was kind of a whim, really, because…well…" glancing at Donna, "we hadn't really had a chance to know for sure if we…well, you know." Donna glanced between Kathy and Jeff smiling. "So when I was here on Wednesday I called Donna and told her who I was. But then she kind of already knew who I was, right? My note? I knew I was taking a huge chance. I was soooooo nervous. But we met for coffee when I first got in and well, we just hit it off!"

     Donna smiled, "Honey, we've all been worried about you. I mean me, Nancy. When Kathy called me, well I just thought that this was my chance to finally get to know people―I mean women―that are important to you."

     Kathy laughed looking over Jeff's shoulder, "And Donna saw my note!" she punched him in the arm, the two women laughing.

     The punch woke Jeff up, he suddenly realized that he was sitting in the middle of his absolute worst nightmare of two of his lovers talking to each other. Even worse, three of them were! Worse yet, not only were these women talking to each other, THEY WERE FRIENDS!

      "Okay," he finally spoke, "let me get this straight. You, Donna," he pointed toward her, "have talked to Nancy. You know about me and Nancy."

     "I saw the note, duh. Plus, I knew it was her when I saw her in Washington."

     Shaking his head, "And even with that note, she told me that you and she have become friends."

     "Yes, but we've never met. We talked lots of times on the phone."

     "And you, Kathy," Jeff turning toward her, she leaned forward between them, "you sought out Donna. To do what?"

     "I told you last night. To get her permission."

     "To get her permission," Jeff repeated.

     "Yes." She looked to Donna, "If you and I are going to have a relationship and you are going to be involved with your kids, that means that Donna and I will have a relationship. It was important to me―and important to you―that she and I at least get along. Don't you think?"

     "And you two get along?"

     "Get along!" Donna laughed, "We've become friends! And let me tell you mister Jeff, you have done a wonderful job of picking out this woman! I approve!" the women burst out laughing.

     "Wonderful job?"

     "I mean, I've been terrified for you," Donna continued. "I have been so worried that some little slut would worm her way into your heart," looking back to Kathy, "sorry, but I have been worried," Kathy nodding with a no, okay, keep going! "And she would be part of the family." She held her right hand up, Kathy reached forward shaking hands, "But look at her, she's a doll!"

     Jeff looked to Donna, watching her expression change.

     She glanced away from the road toward Jeff, "I know that you've already had an evening of surprises. There is something else I want to tell you."

     Words flowed from Jeff's mouth. He could see them floating from his mouth swirling into the close quarters of the mini-van as it passed along the road. It surprised him that he didn't want to desperately gather them back but his mouth moved…

     "You're seeing someone," he said calmly looking to her.

     He glanced between the two women, even in this dim light he could see their huge disbelieving eyes that he said this.

     "Yes, but how did you―"

     He reached his hand out touching her arm, "I figured it out. That is a friend helped me to figure it out. I think it's great." She glanced at him uncertain, "No, I mean it. I think it's really great. He must be pretty special."

     She looked away from the road again to him, "Yes. Yes he is. He is divorced. He has a nine-year-old son. We've been seeing each other for almost three months."

     Jeff glanced back at Kathy's admiring smile, looking lovingly to Jeff.

     "Has he met the kids?"

     "No. No he hasn't. I wanted to wait." She glanced to him again, "Jeff, I want to thank you. You have been so patient with me. Nancy and Kathy," glancing back to Kathy, "really helped me. Seeing you here with her. Seeing you like this. Seeing you. It has given me courage."

     Jeff sat back at this word, courage. How many times had he heard that word this week? How was it that he went around giving all these women courage?

     Looking back to her he smiled, "So when does he get to meet the kids?"

     "Sunday. I planned it for Sunday." She looked to him again, "I want you to meet him first."

     "Me? Why me?"

     "I want your permission."

     "Donna, you don't need my permission. You don't need my approval."

     "But I do. What Kathy did, coming to me like she did to show me how much she loves you. She didn't ask for my permission. Like you just said, she doesn't need it. But look at our friendship."

     "Look, I don't guarantee that―what's his name?"

     "Gary."

     "I don't guarantee that Gary and I will become friends."

     "No, of course not. But I want you two to come to dinner tomorrow night to meet him. Then he can meet the kids on Sunday. I will get to meet his son."

     Jeff looked back to Kathy who was nodding her head reassuringly.

     "Yes, of course. We will be there. But won't the kids be there?"

     "We'll find somewhere to meet. That'll work, right?"

     "Yes. That'll be fine, let's talk about it in the morning. I've had a very long week. I am too exhausted. Let's talk in the morning if that's okay."

     She nodded, the car soon pulled to a curb. Donna opened her door, turning to them. "Hold on, let me go get the kids," she jumped out of the car closing her door.

     Kathy leaned forward to him in the darkness with her hands on Jeff's shoulders, "You're okay with this, right? I mean I did want to tell you so that it wouldn't be such a surprise."

     "Tonight sure is full of surprises. It's been a whole week of them, trust me."

     "But I told you that she was nice, didn't I?"

     He smiled turning to her. "You did, didn't you? You told me all this. Well not about Gary. But you did tell me about him, hinted anyway. I just wasn't listening." He leaned to her, their tongues met for just a second. "You did. I'm sorry I'm acting so numb here. There's just so much to take in all at once."

     "There is one more little surprise that you should―"

     Suddenly the side door flew open, happy sounds of children's laughter flowing into the car, young bodies diving in, Jeff turned to see Nicole and Scott climbing into the back of the mini-van. Suddenly the words, "Hi daddy! Oh hi Kathy! We didn't expect to see you!" floated in on those happy voices.

     Kathy turned to Jeff, "Yeah, about that other little surprise, I had dinner and spent the night with your family on Wednesday night."

     He shook his head with a bewildered smile trying to be a sport in front of his kids, "Yes, met my family, spent the night…"

     There were happy screams and giggles and all sorts of babble about school and ferry rides to an island and all the fun things in the lives of eight and twelve year-old kids.

     "Okay then," Donna climbed back in behind the wheel. "You've probably had a long week, so let's get you downtown."

     The next twenty minutes were filled with voices and laughter, Jeff sitting back watching the lights pass by. He reflected on this dizzying week, how only a few minutes ago he escaped death again.

     He smiled.

     Yes.

     His life was about to change. For the better.

     Yes.

     He liked these surprises.

 

 

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NOW READ THE NEXT EXCITING CHAPTER OF
SILICON GULCH!

http://chrislamela.blogspot.com/2012/10/silicon-gulch-final-chapter_23.html

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