Monday, September 3, 2012

K Street, Chapter 15

Jeff finds himself in Washington DC on business trying to close a big deal for his company where he meets up with Nancy again, the FBI agent he had fallen in love with in Atlanta nearly two years ago. Jeff is separated from his wife because of Nancy’s letter. Jeff continues to attract women without trying, some of them with deadly intentions. Jeff and Nancy soon find themselves in the center of intrigue with Israelis and Iranians feeling threatened by the impending deal, determined to kill the deal at any cost―even at the cost of Jeff’s life! The surprising twists will make the reader gasp, the love scenes will make the reader sigh.





Chapter 15 of K Street... Jeff's wife gets naked! Then Kathy gets naked!

Sunday 8:36 PM: A Web Unravels
Quit a night! First the ugly woman from the mixer tries to pick up Jeff. Then Jeff's wife shows up and gets naked, but she sees Nancy's note and storms out! Then Kathy shows up and gets naked only to have Nancy burst in on them!
 

If you enjoy this, please take time to LIKE this on Facebook!




Thanks for taking time, and enjoy!
- Chris Lamela

------------------------------------------------------------------

Author contact: Chris Lamela, chris@chrislamela.com, 707-566-8790 PST

---------------------------------------------------------------------

               K Street, Chapter 15

Sunday 8:36 PM: A Web Unravels

     The men seemed relieved. The only words that crossed Jeff’s mind were you greedy bastards.
     “Well then, thanks for coming to see us,” three hands were offered to Jeff who shook them unenthusiastically, scooping up his coat, turning for the door.
     Stepping outside darkness looming, he arrived to the curb. A cab drove up, Jeff opened the door seeing the same driver as before.
     “Where am I going now?” he climbed in.
     “Back to the Hilton.” In a few minutes they were pulling up in front of the hotel. Jeff tried to give the driver money again but the driver refused, it occurring to Jeff that this man was no taxi driver, that he was an FBI agent in a cab driver’s hat. He smiled at the driver, getting out.
    “Wait!” the cab driver got out of the car coming around the other side to Jeff, “I was told to give you this,” he handed Jeff the Colt Cobra.
     Jeff took it nodding in thanks sliding the small gun into his right coat pocket. He walked into the lobby trying to decide if he was hungry or not, decided that if anything he needed a drink. He looked down at his watch surprised to see it was a little after six thirty. He turned toward the bar, heard his name called from behind him. Ted walked up to him, “Hey, you made it back!”
     “Yeah, long day.” Jeff motioned toward the bar, “I could really use a drink, can I?”
     “Sure. I’ll be over in the corner there.”
     Jeff shrugged walking up to the bar which had nobody sitting at it. He pulled out a stool, sat down. The bartender came up, Jeff ordered a Cuba Libre, “And can you make it a double?” The bartender nodded turning away, a minute later producing a drink. “Can I get another?”
     “Double?” Jeff nodded. “You’re staying at the hotel right, not gonna be driving?”
     “Nope, staying here, it’s too damned confusing out there!” Jeff laughed, the bartender gave a small smile turning away.
     Jeff sat quietly watching the TV over the bar that had a hockey game on, but the teams didn’t interest Jeff so he didn’t pay much attention. He heard the bar stool next to him being pulled out but didn’t pay any attention, kept watching the hockey game without watching it.
     “Hi.”
     Jeff turned, instantly recognizing the little bitch with the dirty hair from the singles mixer. Jeff looked around to make sure she was even talking to him, glanced at her, “Hi.”
     The bartender walked up, she asked for whatever Jeff was having, the bartender responded that it was a Cuba Libre, she said that would be fine.
     “Cuba Libre, huh?” she cooed.
     Jeff turned to her but was really not interested in speaking to her. He nodded turning back to the TV.
     “We met the other night right? The mixer?”
     Jeff took a sip of his drink nodding without looking at her.
     “I don’t remember your name, though.”
     “Jeff,” he replied, eyes on the TV.
     “I’m Denise, do you remember me?”
     He glanced at her nodding, turning back to the TV.
     “You look pretty interested in that game.” He sat still watching the tube above the wall lined with bottles. “You are from Seattle, right? Those teams are not Seattle. Seattle Seahawks, right?” He picked up his drink taking a long swallow wishing this woman would go away.
     They sat silently for a few minutes. Jeff finished his first drink picking up the second.
     “Wow, two drinks! Rough day?”
     He turned to her with squinched eyes. The light coming from behind the bar illuminated her face from below, it made her look even more unattractive than the other light he had seen her in. “Yeah, busy day.”
     “You know, I don’t think I was very polite when we first met. I was pretty distracted.” He glanced at her. She had turned facing him squarely. “I’d like to correct that now if I could. I had a long day and I was expecting somebody.” She took a long drink from her glass setting it down. “Who didn’t show up.”
     The buzz of the rum was starting to seriously kick in, yet Jeff was definitely not warming up to this ugly woman’s company. He turned to her noticing that at least she had washed her hair and it was brushed neatly. The dark roots still framed her face, he guessed that must be some look that the early thirty-somethings were wearing these days. In this light her little pin eyes and pinched apple face looked more pronounced.
     She finished her drink motioning to the bartender when Jeff spun his stool to look at her. “So who was it that didn’t show up?”
     The bartender handed her the second drink, “Wow, these are strong, are these doubles? I’m feeling a buzz!” She leaned into Jeff with her best sexy look, “And let me tell you what happens when I get a buzz on!” She grasped Jeff’s shoulder like she was holding on to keep from falling off her stool.
     “Whoa there,” Jeff laughed, he reached to steady her.
     “That’s the first time I’ve heard you laugh!” she pronounced loudly.
     “Well then, I’m one ahead of you.”
     She laughed slapped his shoulder, reaching for her drink gulping it down in one swallow.
     “Jesus, slow down there, you’re not driving tonight are you?”
     “Nope, not that!” she laughed again.
     “So you’re staying here at the hotel?”
     “Yes! Yes to that, and guess whose room I’m staying in? Yours!”
     Jeff turned to her seeing that this woman was truly drunk. She must have been drinking before he came in because he couldn’t see how two doubles could have knocked her for such a loop. But god she was an unsightly woman, there was definitely no attraction especially after their first meeting on Thursday.
     He came back to the here-and-now realizing that this woman was literally pawing at him. He also realized that he really needed to get back to his room to get the hell away from this woman. So that he could be there when Nancy arrived. He signaled to the bartender to get his check, took out his pen, wrote down his room number, noted the tip and total, signed the slip, waved it to the bartender to put the tab into his hands. He remembered the experience he had in Huntsville when a woman followed him up to his room by getting his room number from his bar tab. He definitely didn’t want this ugly drunk thing following him up tonight.
     Jeff started to stand, pulling her hands from him gently, “Look, it’s been a long day. I am expecting someone still tonight so I’ve really got to go now.”
     She got an exaggerated pout, “What leave me? I’m drunk you know and when I get drunk I get horny so why would you want to go and leave me?”
     “I told you, I’ve got to meet somebody. Really, it’s been nice talking to you and all, but I really do have to go.” Jeff glanced at his watch, it was seven fifteen.
     Her face became angry, “Well mister smart ass from Walla Walla, you are passing up some of the best pussy in DC!” She started to paw him again reaching down to grab his crotch, he pushed her hand away stepping back.
     “Look, I’ve got to go,” he turned stepping away, joined by Ted at the bar’s door.
     “You stupid man! You’re going to pass up free pussy!” The few people in the bar turned to look at the drunken woman nearly falling off the bar stool.
     “Wow man, you have a hell of an effect on some women, I’ll say that!” Ted laughed.
     “Yeah, but sometimes I don’t really want them, then what?”
     “All I can say is I wish I had that problem,” they both laughed stepping into the elevator.
     Soon they were standing at Jeff’s hotel door. “Are you sleeping inside?” Jeff asked opening the door.
     “No, we are on code red which means that your door has to be guarded from the outside.”
     “Wow, that’s tough,” Jeff started to push through the door, turning back to Ted. “Say Ted, I may be expecting a female visitor tonight. Will that be okay with you?”
     Ted laughed, “Like I said, you have some kind of woman magnet in you. Yeah, that will be fine. Assuming they look like reasonable people I won’t strip search her.” He smiled bigger chuckling, “I’ll let you do that!” They both laughed.
     Saying goodnight, Jeff closed the door, thought for a second, opened the door again, “Say Ted, would you like the desk chair out there?”
     Ted smiled big, “That would be great. I would only be allowed to sit when there’s nobody in the hall, but it sure would make the night go easier.” Jeff went back into the room coming out holding the chair saying goodnight again.
     Jeff looked around the room, both end-table lamps on, smiling that he didn’t have to come back to a dark room. Reaching down he picked up the cookie from his pillow top pulling it from the wrapper, taking a bite. Nice touch. Nice hotel.
     He pulled off his sport coat, reaching into the inside pocket pulling out a piece of paper folded in quarters. He sat on the bed unfolding it, laying it on his lap. He read it softly out loud, “Dear Jeff, I know that it has been three months since Atlanta…” This letter had been read a hundred times by him. Only once by his wife. “…that night in Norcross was magical…” He smiled, “…to live with me in Georgetown…” Yeah, he could see how this would have made his wife go ballistic.
     He looked at his phone, saw the message light flashing. He spread out the letter on the night stand thinking that it would be nice to read with Nancy when she comes. That will certainly set the right mood!
     Reaching for the phone, he pressed the code to listen, “You have one new message.” Jeff listened, it continued, “Hi, Jeff, it’s Kathy. It’s after dinner on Sunday night. I just got back to my room. Thanks for your message this morning, it made me feel better that we both overslept. Anyway, give me a call when you get this and maybe we can find a time to try again.” There was a pause, he could hear her breathing lightly into the phone, “I just wanted to let you know that I have been thinking about you all day and I hope you’ll call.”
     Jeff looked down at the napkin with the 922 written on it. Impulsively he picked up the phone putting the receiver to his ear, thought again putting it back down. He was trying to think what to do. What to do. If he called her he couldn’t go up because he would miss Nancy. If she came down she might be here when Nancy came.
     Damn damn damn.
     He picked up the phone again dialing 922, in one ring there was, “Hello.”
     “Hi.”
     “Jeff! Oh, Jeff, you called!”
     Laughing he replied, “Yes it’s me.”
     Sighing, “Of course it’s you, what am I saying.” She paused, sneezed.
     “Bless you.”
     She sniffled, “Thanks, yes, thank you.”
     “So I’m sorry we missed each other this morning. That’s kind of funny that we both overslept, huh?”
     She sniffled from her sneeze, “Yeah, that’s funny. I was really looking forward to hanging out with you today.”
     “Well, it wouldn’t have worked out, I had meetings all afternoon until almost six thirty.”
     “Man, you are a workaholic, huh?”
     “It’s not exactly the way I like it, but this trip has been pretty intense.”
     “So what are you doing right now, do you want to meet for a drink? I can meet you down at the bar.”
     “I don’t know, it’s been a really long day. I’d like to but…”
     “How about you come up here? We could…I don’t know…yeah, well, you know. Want to come up here?”
     Jeff paused trying to imagine how it was that in the last ten minutes he had two women invite him to have sex. But he was focused on Nancy. He looked at the clock, it said seven thirty-five.
     “Man, that is a heck of an invitation, but can I get a rain check? Tomorrow night maybe? I am whipped. I think I would come up there to fall asleep on your floor.”
     “That would be okay with me!”
     “No really, I need to get some Z’s. I hope you don’t mind. What were your words in your message this morning? Oh, yeah, I don’t want to be a flake.”
     There was a long pause on Kathy’s end, a soft sigh. “Jeff can I ask you something?”
     “Sure.”
     “I mean, are you attracted to me? I know that our chemistry didn’t seem that great when we met at the mixer, but last night at the bar was pretty special. I felt like we connected. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I really like you.”
     Jeff laughed thinking damn right we connected all right, you invited me to your room! “Yeah, at the bar was pretty nice. I’m glad you like me, I like you, too.”
     “I mean, do you find me attractive?”
     “Are you fishing for compliments? I mean we don’t know each other at all, but yes you are a very attractive woman,” he meant it.
     “I mean if I were to come down there would you want to be with me?” It was obvious where this was going, he was trying to figure out how to balance it so that he could see Nancy tonight, maybe her tomorrow night. “This sounds pretty pathetic, doesn’t it? I’m really not this needy.” He could hear a little sniffle. “I mean I’m not usually this needy. It’s just like it feels like something’s going on here and I’m not sure what it is.”
     Kathy, calm down. There’s nothing going on here. We’ve only met twice. The first time doesn’t even count.” He could sense the tears in her eyes. He tried to remember what color they were, but he couldn’t see them in the darkness of the bar last night. “And yes you are very attractive, and yes if we were together I would want you.” Come on, more punch here! “I would want you very much.” Oh, Jesus, not that much punch!
     “Thank you, you are a very special man.” He could hear a sniff. “Look, it’s getting late. I know you’re tired, so we’ll see each other tomorrow night, okay? Will that work?”
     “Sure, that will be fine. I’m looking forward to it,” he sighed that he was giving up a chance to be with this woman, but he really wanted Nancy tonight.
     “But only if you do like you said, that you will want me?”
     Jeff couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “Are you telling me that you are demanding sex from me?”
     “Demanding is a strong word,” she paused, “but yes.”
     “Okay then, it’s a date!”
     “What if I can’t wait that long?”
     Jeff felt like he needed to pinch himself, I must be dreaming!
     “Well it seems like what I’ve been hearing lately in these circumstances is to make best friends with your right hand!” they both laughed at their little joke on the phone last night.
     “Okay then tomorrow night unless I can’t wait.”
     “Okay then, let’s talk in the morning. Goodnight.”
     “Goodnight.”
     Jeff hung up flopping himself onto his pillow. He stared at the ceiling looking for the kissing faces but they weren’t to be found.
     Time passed, his mind went through all that had happened since he arrived Thursday night. Apple-face lady who they both disliked each other. This woman Kathy who neither had a drop of chemistry between them when they first met, then having a few playful minutes at the bar to now her demanding sex! His wife threatening to reconcile after he had his hopes up that he and Nancy could somehow finally make a go of it. The craziness at the strip club, being machine-gunned in a men’s room stall at the Smithsonian. He laughed to himself wondering what Saint Peter would say to entrance through the Kingdom’s door after dying like that! The crazy meeting just now with the congressmen. And don’t forget the wacky apple-face crazy woman in the bar! Where the heck will this crazy weekend end?
     Suddenly there was the four rapid knocks at the door, Jeff flew out of the bed racing to the door in a panic pulling the door open knowing that it would be Nancy! Ted was standing at the door, Jeff panting, “What is it, is everything okay?”
     Ted smiled, “You said that I should let you know if you had any visitors,” he stepped aside.
     Jeff tried to focus on the woman standing in the hallway when suddenly, “Donna!”
     “She says she’s your wife.”
     “Yes, she is!” in their excitement they embraced with a huge passionate kiss, Ted stepped back smiling. Jeff pulled back, “Yes, thank you, she is! And she’s here!” He paused, “What are you doing here? I mean this is great, but what a surprise!”
     His jaw was still dropped when she smiled, “After that phone call on Friday I knew I had to do something really special. I told you that I was going to make it up to you for the things I did, the things I said.” She kissed him again, “So I thought I’d surprise you, come spend a few days with you. I mean I know you’re working and everything, but we could have the evenings, maybe I could go up to Boston with you on Friday.”
     “What about the kids?”
     “Mom’s got them, they’re fine.”
     Jeff turned to Ted, “Thanks Ted…really…thank you,” Jeff couldn’t help but notice the big smile on Ted’s face. Jeff pulled her into the room pulling her small roller luggage behind her. The door closed behind them, turning to each other in a long passionate kiss.
     “Baby, I have to pee so bad,” she turned to the bathroom. Jeff sat on the bed hearing her pissing with the door open. Ah, yes, the lucky sign! He waited. A minute later his wife appeared naked at the bathroom door. “And baby I need you so bad.” She stepped to him pushing his shoulders, he flopped back onto the bed. She bent down pulling off his shoes with a ceremonious toss over her shoulder, the same with his socks. She reached up unsnapping his pants, frantically tugging at his pant legs pulling them off tossing them onto the corner stuffed chair doing the same with his underwear.
     Jeff marveled, who is this woman? Her big bright blue eyes as he scanned her short blond hair coming up just under her ears, her thin figure with her medium-sized breasts, her nipples at attention, her dark honey-colored pubes shaped so nicely. But the look on her face, her ravenous smile.
     His wife!
     Who is this woman?
     She stood before him, leaning over him smiling at his hardness, leaning to take him into her mouth slow and deep, he watched his hardness disappearing into her mouth, coming into view again and again, looking up at him.
     “Jesus, that feels good, but come up here!” he skooched himself up the bed on his elbows, twisting around pulling off his shirt. She climbed up his body leaning over him, they kissed deeply. She started to reach down to guide him into her, Jeff watching her expression go from passion to―SHOCK!
     “WHAT THE HELL!” she screamed jumping off the bed onto the floor stepping to the nightstand picking up Nancy’s letter. “What the hell! She’s here! You’ve seen her!” She threw the letter with wrath at Jeff storming around the room, “I can’t believe I fell for this! I can’t believe that I came all the way out here to surprise you! To find you! WITH THAT SLUT!”
     She burst into angry tears washing down her face leering at Jeff laying naked on the bed. “OH, GOD, I AM SO STUPID!” Her arms flailing, “HOW COULD I BE SO GODDAM STUPID!”
     She ran to the bathroom, in a minute emerging dressed again. “THIS IS IT! NO MORE!” storming through the door.
     Jeff picked up Nancy’s letter laying on the bed, holding it, “…and you have taught me to love…you are the best lover I have ever had…” he laid it on the nightstand flopping back down onto the bed. “Oh, Jesus!”
     He laid there for what felt like an hour. He rolled over to look at the clock, it said only eight twenty two. “This damn day just will not end!”
     Suddenly there were four rapid knocks at the door. Jeff climbed out of the bed without thinking as he went to the door this has GOT to be Nancy! pulling the door open to look around it. Ted was standing there with a big grin, “This woman says she knows you.”
     Ted stood back.
     There stood Kathy. “Oh Jesus, Kathy, I’m not sure this is the right―”
     “You said if I couldn’t wait,” she stepped past Ted to the door pushing it open, turning to close the door, turning back to Jeff who was standing in front of her naked, his hardness on glorious display.
     “So were you having a date with your right hand?”
     Jeff looked down at himself feeling a flush, “Look, it’s not what you think―”
     “And how many ways is there to think about this?” pulling at her clothing, in ten seconds standing naked in front of Jeff.
     She walked up to him kissing him with a light peck on his lips. “I thought this would be a good thing. I thought you would like this surprise.”
     “There’s been a lot of surprises tonight.”
     “Well then let’s lay down, see if we can make some surprises together,” she crawled onto the bed rolling over onto her back, her legs spread slightly toward Jeff. Her trim body and smallish breasts lay there waiting for him, her dark pubes were trimmed but faint, not like the bush he is used to seeing, such a scant covering of short hairs that her sweet alcove lay exposed, her sweet crevice calling to him. Exactly like he imagined. She curled her fingers to him, “Come on, lay down with me, we can take a minute if you need.”
     He was so exhausted by all this that he nearly collapsed onto the bed, she rolled laying on her left side. Her fingers swirling in his hair, he could smell her sweet fragrance, not perfume, her natural aroma, sweet like honey suckle. He could feel his thighs tingle realizing that he really wanted her and that she really wanted him―all he had to do was take her now!
     She turned her head to him, their lips met, tongues touched, he felt himself rise until his stiffness was touching her thigh. She rolled onto her back, he propped himself up on his elbow lowering his face to her left breast taking it into his mouth, dreamy like her breasts were keys to a magic door that he could step through to forget what just happened with another naked woman only minutes ago, swirling around the nipple in his mouth, his tongue swirling around her nipple, she sighed deeply, he gave the slightest nibble, she squeaked, he drew his tongue across her chest taking her right nipple into his mouth repeating the treatment to another squeak.
     He drew his tongue slowly down her chest, circling her navel, down down down until his mouth cupped around her sweet alcove, his tongue pushed up cupping her sweet button of flesh with his tongue, sliding it up and down with a little flick each time. She arched her back, “Oh, Jeff, that feels so good.” Her breathing quickened, her legs stiffened, she moaned softly, “Yes, yes, yes,” arching her back gave a quick, “Yes!” reached to push on his shoulders, “Stop, come up here, that really feels good but I want you in me,” she pulled him up onto her, he could feel his hardness laying against her pubes, they kissed deeply, warmly, passionately. She spread her legs wide, he could feel his hardness against her sweet secret lips just as he started to push into her―
     Four rapid knocks, the door burst open, Nancy strutting in followed by Ted, Jeff jumped up to the left side of the bed, standing naked. Nancy’s intense expression froze the room caught in her fierce spell. Nancy’s golden eyes in a severe scowl looking at the naked woman on the bed scanning Jeff up and down standing naked in front of her.
     They stood frozen, Kathy looked back and forth between them, to Ted, back to Jeff.
     Suddenly Nancy and Jeff both burst out laughing!
     Nancy howled, Jeff laughed big enormous guffaws, they fell into each other’s arms laughing until tears were rolling down their faces nearly doubled-over in laughter.
     Nancy signaled to Kathy, “Get your clothes on, he’s got to go.” She stood back trying to contain herself, Kathy sneaked around her to the bathroom, Nancy looked at Jeff standing naked, laughing all over again.
     “Jesus Christ, Jeff, but can’t I leave you alone for a minute without finding you on top of some naked woman?” She stepped over to the stuffed chair, pulled off Jeff’s pants and underwear, tossing them to him, flopping onto the large corner chair, he tossed the clothes onto the bed turning back to the bathroom door. It took her a couple more minutes before she could speak. Kathy came back out dressed. Jeff followed her out to the hallway, Ted stood at the door.
     “What the hell was that!Kathy growled.
     “I will need to explain it to you. It’s not what you think.” He started to chortle, snuffling with restrained laughter, “Although I can’t imagine what you’re thinking!” he laughed again.
     “Well, I never! This is humiliating!” Kathy turned away, charging down the hallway.
     “I’ll call you in the morning!” Jeff called after her.
     “DON’T BOTHER!”
     She soon disappeared through the elevator doors, Jeff stood at the door watching her disappear looking down at himself standing naked in the corridor. He sighed turning back to the room. He stood for a second looking to the ceiling no kissing faces here! Reaching for his clothes he got dressed.
     “So what’s going on?”
     Nancy was trying to contain herself. “Okay, let’s forget about this for now,” smirking, standing up. “Listen you need to pack up, there’s been more trouble and we’re moving you.”
     “What happened?”
     “Come on, we need to hurry.”
     Jeff turned, grabbing clothes, throwing them into his luggage, Ted pulled clothes out of the closet. Ted stepped forward handing them to Jeff, Ted pointed to his wife’s roller luggage, “Yeah, she left it behind,” Ted reached for it, pulling it to the door.
     Jeff turned to Nancy, “So why all this urgency? What happened?”
     Jeff turned, saw Nancy standing at the nightstand holding her letter. “My letter. You kept my letter!” She turned to him, she stood agape holding the letter, he could see tears welling in her eyes.
     He stepped to her, “Yeah, your letter. It seems to have a life of its own.” She looked confused, he took it from her folding it again.
     He reached for his coat opening it noticing the wire with a frown, pulling it from the pocket ripping the cloth tape from the fabric handing it to Nancy. He put the coat on tucking the note back into the left inside pocket.
     Ted was signaling to them from the door that everything was packed, Jeff turned to Nancy, “So what is so urgent?”    
     “The congressmen you met with this evening?” Jeff shrugged.
     “One of them has been murdered.”

-----------------------------------------------

NOW READ THE NEXT CHAPTER IN
K STREET!



 
Also, if you enjoyed this, please give me a LIKE on Facebook to help spread the word! And thank you!



K Street, Chapter 14

Jeff finds himself in Washington DC on business trying to close a big deal for his company where he meets up with Nancy again, the FBI agent he had fallen in love with in Atlanta nearly two years ago. Jeff is separated from his wife because of Nancy’s letter. Jeff continues to attract women without trying, some of them with deadly intentions. Jeff and Nancy soon find themselves in the center of intrigue with Israelis and Iranians feeling threatened by the impending deal, determined to kill the deal at any cost―even at the cost of Jeff’s life! The surprising twists will make the reader gasp, the love scenes will make the reader sigh.





Chapter 14 of K Street... They try to bribe Jeff!

Sunday 5:06 PM: Wired

They fit Jeff with a wire, then take him to a meeting with the three congressman. Jeff meets with them to find out if they are playing crooked in the arms deal, and then they offer Jeff hush money!


If you enjoy this, please take time to LIKE this on Facebook!




Thanks for taking time, and enjoy!
- Chris Lamela

------------------------------------------------------------------

Author contact: Chris Lamela, chris@chrislamela.com, 707-566-8790 PST

---------------------------------------------------------------------

               K Street, Chapter 14

Sunday 5:06 PM: Wired   

     A moment later a man pushed through the curtain, introduced himself telling Jeff to take off his coat. Jeff pulled it off handing it to the man. The man weighed the coat in his hand, reaching down to the heavy bulge in a pocket.
     “Gun?” he asked Jeff.
     Jeff glanced at Nancy, nodding.
     “Yeah, well, we can’t have it in the coat,” he reached into the pocket pulling out the little snub-nosed gun handing it to Jeff, “it’ll interfere with the signal.” Nancy reached across taking it, leaning over to set it gingerly into her purse.
     “We’re going to wire your coat in case they are smart asses and try to scan you.” He dropped the black box into an inside pocket, pulled out a roll of black cloth tape. Laying the jacket down on the table he stretched the wire from the box across the inside of the coat laying cloth tape along the wire, pressing it firmly as he went.
     “Okay, look here,” Jeff leaned to look, the man pulled the little box back out of the pocket. “This little switch here,” fingering it with his forefinger, “turns it on. You are to flick this switch before you go in, then you are to carry your coat over your arm as you enter.” He draped the coat onto the table, sitting down in a chair next to it. “Make sure the coat is next to you like when you are sitting. If they want to scan you, step away from the coat―give it at least three feet from you―just to make sure it’s not picked up by their scanner.”
     “Couldn’t I just carry a recorder?”
     The man looked to Arnie and Nancy, Arnie spoke up, “We don’t expect anything to go wrong, but just in case, we will want to come in there.” He looked toward Nancy who nodded, “And this is the safest way. Carrying this in the coat should be safer than you wearing it, so I think we are good to go.
     “Hold on, let me get the receiver,” the man stepped through the curtain, coming back a moment later with a box that looked like small boom box in black plastic. He reached into a pouch attached to the back pulling out two pairs of small headphones like Jeff had for his Walkman, plugged them into the box. He handed one pair to Nancy while he put the other set around his head, pointed to a switch for Nancy, she flipped the switch on the front of the box.
     “Okay,” he said pointing to the coat laying on the table, “talk for us.”
     Jeff smiled to himself, “Gettysburg Address?” nodding to Nancy who gave him a big smile remembering his test speeches from Atlanta when he would talk about his little slut.
     “Anything,” the man said.
     “Four score and seven years ago, I had a little slut,” Nancy burst out laughing.
     The man flipped a dial on the front of the box, “Keep talking.”
     Jeff laughed, “And Abraham Lincoln said that all free men should have a little sl―”
     “Good, got it!” the man said pulling off his ear phones. Turning to Arnie, “This has about a three hundred foot range maybe a little more depending on the materials in the building.”
     “It’s brick and mortar,” Arnie said looking to Nancy for confirmation, she nodded.
     “Then you should be good for at least two hundred feet to be safe.” He looked around to everyone, “Anything else?”
     “No, we’re good to go, thanks,” Arnie gave an appreciative grin. The man turned pushing through the curtain.
     “Okay then,” Arnie leaned over scribbling an address on a piece of paper, handing it to Jeff, “there’s a cab outside that will take you to this address, we’ll be right behind you.” Arnie looked at the pen in his hand, Jeff nodded reaching for it.
     “So what am I supposed to be talking about with these guys?”
     Arnie glanced to Nancy, “These guys are the other side of arrogant, so my guess is,” he looked to Nancy in thought, “play really stupid. Ask lots of stupid questions, but most of all, you got to get these guys to really trust you.”
     Nancy leaned forward, “You’ve got to make it look like you really want this deal, you just want to know how these guys are involved. Do lots of gratuitous thanking for helping to put together this deal to see if you can get them to boast about it. These guys eat that stuff up, we’re hoping they’ll tell you all sorts of things that we only suspect. Make sure they speak their answers. Clearly. Okay?”
     Jeff nodded, “What do you suspect?”
     Arnie put his hand up to interject, “We suspect that these guys don’t really have the congressional mandate. That they are outside their authority. We suspect that they are doing this deal getting paid a lot of money directly for doing it.”
     “That would be bad, right?” Jeff said almost to himself.
     “That would be prison. We already told you that the President’s office has told us we can’t touch these guys, so the only way we can go back is to have something really solid on these cats. If they are as bad like we think, then we can get the go-ahead from the President, after that go to Gingrich to figure out what he wants to do.”
     Jeff shook his head wondering that he had somehow gotten this close to that wacky character Newt Gingrich who was Speaker of the House.
     “So you want me to draw them out.”
     “Exactly.”
     “Is there any danger here?”
     “These are respected congressional leaders, there won’t be any guns if that’s what you mean,” Nancy answered.
     “Okay, then, lead on!”
     Arnie stepped to the curtain tying it back again, soon Jeff was sitting in a cab, in only ten minutes pulling up in front of another big brownstone in Georgetown. Jeff reached into his pocket to pull out money but the driver told him everything was taken care of, even refusing the five dollar bill Jeff offered as a tip.
     Stepping out of the car Jeff looked around seeing no sign of Arnie or Nancy. He decided they must be on the case, walking up the steps to the door pushing the doorbell button he heard a loud chiming ring inside. He reached inside his coat flicking the little switch on the box in his pocket. A few seconds later the door was opened by a man wearing a tux.
     “Jeff, I assume?”
     “Yes, I have a meeting here?”
     “Certainly, sir, come in,” the man stepped aside, Jeff went through door hearing the door closing behind him, “follow me, sir.”
     The decorating was thoroughly modern, a super contrast to the surroundings in Nancy’s house. They walked through the front room into what looked like a library with tall bookshelves brimming with lines of books along three walls. The room was all in a light mahogany except for the ceilings which were done in a light yellow plaster. There were three men sitting in chairs, two of them smoking cigarettes.
     Roger Clement, the congressman that Jeff had met yesterday stood up walking over, shaking Jeff’s hand warmly, “Good evening, thank you for taking time to meet with us.” The other two men stood to introduce themselves, Jeff immediately forgot their names except for their first names of Phil and Henry.
     Henry was a congressman from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. That stuck in Jeff’s mind because he had been through there so much on his way to visit his parents in Montana. Jeff thought to say something like what a beautiful place Coeur d'Alene is, Henry agreed.
     Jeff took off his jacket, casually laying it on the end table thinking how perfect a placement, sitting down in the chair with the coat to his right.
     Roger stood up, “I’m sorry, but we have a little formality here, if you don’t mind,” signaling to the butler who started to approach Jeff holding a scanning wand. Expecting this, Jeff stood up walking toward the man away from his coat on the end table with his arms held out graciously like he was perfectly okay with the ritual without glancing back at his coat which he figured was a good ten feet away.
     “Not to worry, scan away,” the butler waving the wand around Jeff, the butler smiled when he was done, backing away.
     “Good then, we can get down to business.” Jeff was offered a cigarette which he turned down, asked if he wanted something to drink which was followed by the delivery of an opened Sam Adams. He took a sip setting his bottle down on a coaster that was efficiently slid under the bottle by the butler as it descended to the table.
     “So again, Jeff, thank you for coming to meet us.” Roger glanced at Phil and Henry to see their subtle signs of approval. “We are sure that you know all of the little details about the deal with your avionics and surveillance gear and UAV airplanes. I assume that you know the destination of your gear and the UAV airplanes?” Jeff nodded picking up his beer taking a drink. “We have only a few questions just to make sure that everyone is on the same page. Do you mind if we ask a few questions?”
     Jeff nodded again, “Ask away.”
     “First, you know that under normal circumstances this kind of export would be illegal.” Jeff nodded. “And that the three of us are in a unique position because of our committee affiliations in Congress to allow such deals to happen.” Jeff didn’t answer, he studied Roger, noticing the slightest discomfort. “Okay, maybe this deal is kind of borderline, actually past the borderline, but we have been asked by the President to push the envelope to make this deal happen.”
     Jeff put his bottle down, “Honestly, I don’t get why we are so anxious to put this stuff in Saddam’s hands.”
     Roger almost jerked at the name Saddam putting his hands up, “Please, let’s not mention any names here. But yes,” he looked to the other two, back to Jeff, “we are much less concerned with him than we are the Ayatollahs.”
     “You mean Iran.”
     With hands up Roger admonished again, “Like I said, let’s not mention names. The point is that we have been asked to do something that some may find illegal, or at least very borderline at best. In fact,” he looked to the other two again, “we were never exactly asked to okay this deal. We are, how would you say, taking high signs from the administration.”
     “So you’re overstepping your bounds.”
     At this point Henry spoke up, “Overstepping is such a harsh word. We would like to think of it as more like extending the administration’s wishes.”
     “Does Gingrich know about this?”
     Now Phil spoke up, “Gingrich is not in our little circle. He has no affiliation with ODS.”
     “He doesn’t know about your involvement in ODS. It’s not approved?”
     Agitation instantly poured into the room, Henry stood up with firmness, “Look, you don’t know how we work, you have no business speculating about any of this.”
     Jeff felt like he needed to firm up the ground beneath him, “Well this is what I do know. If I think this deal is not authorized then I will cancel the deal.”
     “Look, Jeff,” Roger stood up with a disdainful air, “all you care about is that you have an export permit. Anything more than that is not in your need to know.”
     Jeff looked sternly from man to man, back to Roger, “Well this is what I do know, the delivery contracts haven’t been signed and I’ll be damned if I will betray my country!”
     Phil signaled the two men to sit down, “Okay, gentlemen, let’s be calm here. Roger, Henry, sit down. We’re getting too excited here.”
     The other two sat down, Roger fidgeting in his chair, the room gaining composure again.
     “I need to know what’s going on.” Jeff frowned at Roger, “And if you pull that need-to-know crap one more time I’m out of here and you guys can go find other avionics! And just so you know, there are no other avionics!
     “Again,” Phil’s soothing voice filled the room, “we are all on the same side here.” He sighed, “Look Jeff, you know that we are enemies with Saddam and Iran, that we are supposedly friends with Israel, right?” Jeff nodded. “But sometimes even our friends need watching over.”
     “You mean, in spying on them?”
     “Spying is a harsh term. Let’s just say that good information helps good friends stay good friends.”
     “And so my gear is going to be used to spy on Israel?” Jeff’s voice had an incredulous tone that even he could hear.
     “There are six systems, right?”
     “Six, yes, with an option for six more.”
     “Well, Jeff, that’s a lot of spying. Assuming the assets are well used―that is that they don’t get shot down―then there are lots of things they could be used for.”
     Jeff picked up his beer cogitating this information. “The range of the UAV’s is not enough to reach Israel. Not from Iraq or Iran anyway.” He looked to the ceiling trying to remember a map of the region. “Egypt is the only friendly place you could launch these from. They only have a two-hundred mile range.”
     “See,” Phil smiled looking around to the other two, “this gentleman has all sorts of insights!”
     “But Jesus, the Jewish lobby would kill you guys,” Jeff frowned looking back-and-forth between the three.
     “There are all sorts of possible things that can go wrong with everything, so you just have to play the odds hoping that you can keep things to yourself long enough so that there won’t be any steam when people do find out.”
     Roger shook his head, “And they will find out eventually, guaranteed.”
     “So let me see if I have this straight. This deal is not completely legit even by your guys’ standards.”
     There were nods, Jeff knew he needed words. “So is that right Roger?”
     “Yes, there could be a lot of trouble if this gets outside of our little circle.”
     “So there is overstepping or there wouldn’t be this concern, right?” Nods again. “Phil, is that right?”
     “Like you’ve heard already,” Phil looked to the others for support, “overstepping is in the eye of the beholder, some beholders may call it that.”
     “Beholders like Gingrich?” Jeff asked wryly.
     “Please don’t use that name again, okay? None of us like that guy.”
     “Well I don’t see a whole lot of holy cause here, so the only reason why you guys would be sticking your necks out like this is for money. I assume you get your compensation as advisors for ODS, right?” There was a sustained silence.
     Jeff knew there was more to the story.
     He hit a nerve.
     “Or is there a bonus for this particular deal outside of your ODS pay?”
     “Can you keep a secret?” Phil looked anxiously to the others, Jeff nodded. “We are getting paid a special fee, just the three of us for making this deal happen.”
     “This is way more than I wanted to know, than I needed to know,” Jeff said slowly shaking his head. “I am not any more encouraged that allowing this to happen is going to be a good thing.”
     Roger sat up leaning forward toward Jeff, looking back and forth to the others, “What if there was a special fee for you?
     “You mean like payola for me?”
     “There you go using loaded words again,” Roger frowned, “It’s not payola, it’s a facilitation fee.
     “How much are we talking about?”
     Roger looked to the others, Jeff could see a rapid exchange of silent communication. Roger looked back to Jeff, “Say five hundred thousand. Would that work?”
     “So let me get this right, you’re offering me five hundred thousand dollars to do nothing but just let this deal go through?”
     “That’s right,” Roger said with a satisfied sigh, “all that money for doing exactly what you’ve been doing, just doing your part to make sure the deal happens. And not telling anyone, of course.”
     “I can only control what I can control.”
     Phil spoke up, “Yes, but a positive attitude on your part will make a world of difference for the other players. So in a way we are paying you to have a positive attitude. That’s pretty simple, right?”
     “I don’t know. The way I see this is that I can walk out of here, go do what I was going to do anyway before I even came here and either take your money or refuse it and it would have the same outcome.”
     “Refusing it would be your choice, but is that what you want to do?” Phil replied in an encouraging voice.
     “Okay,” Jeff stood, the other three rose on his cue, “this is enough for me tonight, I need to think about this.”
     “But you are going to let the deal happen no matter what, right?” Roger’s expression showed concern.
     “All I know is what I knew before I came in here, and I am going to ignore everything I’ve heard since.”
     “So you don’t want the money?” Phil asked.
     Jeff paused thinking what it would be like to get five hundred thousand dollars but realized that he would be haunted by the money wondering where it came from, what trouble it could get him into. It would feel like blood money.
     “I’ll think about it.”


-----------------------------------------------

NOW READ THE NEXT CHAPTER IN
K STREET!

http://chrislamela.blogspot.com/2012/09/k-street-chapter-15.html
Also, if you enjoyed this, please give me a LIKE on Facebook to help spread the word! And thank you!