Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Silicon Gulch, Chatper 24

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 24 of Silicon GulchJeff and Kathy make love!

Thursday Midnight: Kathy
Jeff and Kathy have long and wonderful love-making. They say I love you to each other once more as they share stories of their love lives, making promises to be together.


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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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Thursday Midnight: Kathy
 
     Jeff turned onto the bed laying on his back, his manhood rising in excited anticipation.
     She looked down smiling climbing onto him, straddling him, leaning over their mouths meeting with swirling tongues hot breaths lips covering faces in kisses her warm breath swaddling his head her fingers curling through his hair.
    He could feel her sweet bottom against his hardness, "Oh Kathy Kathy Kathy! I want you!" gasped from his mouth, she reached under her guiding him into her, the head barely in her pulling it back out trying to guide him in slowly, leaning back, pulling it out again, trying again, pulling it back out again, he tried to push into her, "You are so tight!" he marveled.
     "It has been too long," her voice with a soft complaint, "you were the last, be patient," as he felt himself slide into her, "oh yes. Yes. Yes yes yes yes," sitting slowly back, his hardness gently invading her sweet space, his hardness soon surrounded by her sweet warm darkness her eyes closed head back with soft moans.
    "Oh Jeff, it was so sweet last time, but now it is so much sweeter, just you and me, I knew it would be so sweet…knew when I saw you…when you came to my room…that night so long ago…so long ago…knew we would…"
    Jeff pulled her down to him, his mouth capturing her left nipple, she twisted her body so gently to yield up her delicious dark circle surround by soft breast to his sucking lips, succoring the dark circlet of flesh in his mouth, his tongue swirling, the tiniest little nip of his teeth that she squeaked to, he could feel the muscles of her glorious insides constrict on him, the gentle subtle female sign of two bodies joined in carnal harmony his mouth finding her right breast she squeaked again with delight at his love's soft nibble.
     She leaned down, they kissed, breaths quickened, she began her marvelous wonderful sweep with her bottom back and forth his hardness flipping in and out in and out in and out Oh god yes Jeff, on my clit on my sweet clit…rubbing on your… the slow sweep rubbing her bottom across his hips back and forth back and forth back and forth sliding in and out in and out in and out two breaths finding synchronized form inhaling her fragrant breath he exhaled she catching every molecule of his panting sighs.
     "Oh Jeff, tell me you love me."
     "Oh god Kathy I love you I love you I love you…"
     "We said those words before…oh Jeff...we said them in DC…but now, oh Jeff I love you, I have loved you from the moment our eyes met."
     "Oh you beautiful liar but…lie to me, lie to me."
     "I loved you before I ever saw you, I have waited my whole life for you. You're here…with me…oh now my sweet man."
     "Kathy oh my sweet Kathy tell me now that I will never be away from you that you will never be…away from…"
     Her sweep, hips back and forth, reaching up pulling her down pushing deep inside of her feeling her inner muscles hasten their contractions like ripples rolling up and down through her sugary space as he pushed harder, deeper into her each time their hips were thrust together.
     "Oh Jeff oh Jeff oh Jeff oh Jeff! Jeff! Jeff!" feeling her body suddenly take hold of his hardness with a grip so tight he could barely thrust more deeply into her that secret passage so taught around him, "Jeff! Jeff! Oh, Jeff keep doing that! Keep doing that!"
     She tossed her head back so that only her chin showed to him, he looked up at her, perfect forms part of her perfect body. He couldn't believe that this woman loved him, that this sweet angel had come to him, that their bodies were joined this minute, minds swirling, soft shapes that emerged from his head encircling these two lovers like soft wisps of light hugging these two bodies that moved in such perfect harmony.
     "Oh Jeff I'm going to…keep doing that…oh my Jeff my Jeff my Jeff…keep―"
     Suddenly she arched her back feeling her insides' firm grip on him, "OH JEFF!" her body flopped forward his lips finding hers, her wonderful warm breath cascading onto his face, her lips reaching frantically to his, their lips bonded together.
     "Jeff I'm…" she arched back again, "Jeff I'm…" her body stiffened, her rock hard muscles contracting on Jeff he suddenly feeling the tickle of his orgasm…coming…so slow…
     "Kathy, please wait, wait, wait, I'm…" he pushed his hips raising her from the bed.
     "Jeff cum with me! Cum…oh Jeff…Jeff!"
     "Kathy!"
     "Jeff I knew…OH JEFF!"
     Their bodies thrashed together in one great heave, she arched back one last time, collapsing onto him kissing feverishly, staying inside her.
     She lay on top of him, her arms tucked under his, her face to his shoulder, breaths heaving reaching his arms around her pulling her down to him wishing he could pull her into him, pull her very flesh into his, to meld their bodies into one. They lay like that until he could feel the soft pop as he came out of her.
     With an enormous gentle smile she pouted, "You're mean!" she rolled over onto his right side. They lay until their breathing finally subsided.
     Speechless they lay, in the quiet Jeff could feel the true fusion of their spirits beginning.
     "That was amazing," she whispered into his ear. He nodded. "I've never had that until we were together in DC, but that was so…I don't know."
     "You mean with guards at the door and only an hour?"
     "Yeah, it kind of killed the mood. But I did get it then, and now…" she snuggled him, "yeah, now was much better than DC. I had never had an orgasm until I met you."
     He turned to her with a jerk, "Never?"
     "Never. My ex-husband would just jump on and jump off." She swirled a finger around his scant chest hairs. "I don't think I ever had an orgasm." She laughed gently, "No, I know I didn't. Then you come along and all I can say is so that's what my girlfriends were always talking about!"
     "I can't believe that. What about with other lovers?" He couldn't believe he said that.
     "I've never had another."
     He pulled up his head turned to her, "You're kidding me."
     She put her hand on his head pushing it back down, he looked to her.
     "It was a bad relationship. He had no respect for me."
     "So you mean you never…"
     She shook her head. "I was never interested. Plus I came out of that feeling pretty defeated. He was such a pig. I didn't know that when we met."
     "Pig is a strong word."
     "Maybe not a pig, but he was never gentle. Not in any way. Not with me, not with my friends, not with my family. He hated my sister."
     "What's there to hate about your sister?"
     "It was nothing, he just slowly came to hate everybody. We didn't have sex at all the last two years."
     "Wow, that's a long time."
     "You know, that's probably why I was so…so bashful…you know, when we first met."
     He laughed, "Oh yes. Well let me tell you, I thought you were beautiful, intimidating beautiful if I really thought about it."
     "You didn't act like that."
     He laughed, "I didn't say I was intimidated!"
     "Well I was intimidated by you. I told you that."
     "Yes you did. So am I intimidating now?"
     "No. No you're not. You're the most open man I have ever met."
     She twirled her fingers on his chest, her breath soft on his shoulder.
     "I don't know what it is about you mister Jeff. I feel…I mean…"
     "What?"
     "I don't want you to feel like I'm rushing you."
     He rolled to his side, she moved onto her back, he took a very long second to survey the perfect body before him.
     "Kathy, there is nothing you can tell me, nothing that will make me feel like you are rushing me," touching her nose playfully. "But I am afraid."
     "Afraid? Afraid of what?"
     "No. I can't."
     A determined expression suddenly appeared, "Listen mister Jeff, we have been through a lot together. You owe it to me to tell me what's really on your mind."
     "But what about my heart?"
     She smiled, "And especially your heart."
     "It's just…I'm afraid. I realized last night when I was talking with a friend," he paused, "yes, he's a friend. He and I have been talking about all sorts of things. Last night we are sitting in a car together just chatting, you know about things, all the sudden he asks me about my wife." Jeff could not believe he said wife.
     "We forgot our food!" she suddenly remembered, Jeff thankful that he got a chance to change the subject.
     They both jumped up naked going downstairs. She picked up the cartons, "The food is pretty cold, let me put it on a plate and we can microwave it."
     Five minutes later a huge heaping plate with all sorts of Chinese food piled high was being carried up held by a towel, Jeff carrying a six-pack of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale retrieved from her refrigerator, holding a bottle opener.
     She set the food on the bed, whipped out two set of chopsticks while Jeff opened four of the beers. He pulled two out, "This is great that you have Sierra Nevada."
     "It's my favorite brand, I love this stuff!" they clinked their bottles together.
     They sat on each side of the plate on the bed Indian style, soon chopsticks were flying.
     "Okay, so what did your friend say?" Jeff looked at her uncertain, "What did he say about your wife?"
     "I don't remember exactly, but suddenly…I don't know…it was like a rush in me that I was suddenly ready to let go of my wife!" He took a long drink of his beer, kept eating.
     He saw her squirm with these words, looking to her. "Suddenly I realized that I was in love with you. I even said it to him."
     "You told someone else you love me?" setting her chopsticks aside in wonder.
     "Yes."
     "Last night? Before I ever said it?"
     "Yes! But you said those words in DC to me, I said them to you."
     "Oh Jeff, I love you," she looked at the half-empty plate, "and I don't know about you, but I'm done with Chinese food!" she pulled the plate up setting it on the nightstand, took a long drink of her beer setting it down. He could see where this was going finishing his beer setting the empty on the other nightstand, reaching the case of beers next to it.
    She laid down, he lay beside her, she pulled him on top of her surrounding him in her arms feeling his hardness against her sweet soft lips, her dark moss tickling his little head as it found her again pushing deep inside her once more.
     "Oh Jeff, I wanted to be the first to say those words, I don't remember who was first in my room in DC that night, I waited so long, six long years to find you." He pushed deep into her, their mouths meeting once again joined by breath, joined by the sweet mingling of their frantic perspiration. "Now you are here, you are here, oh Jeff…"
     "Kathy…" their bodies joined again in sweet ecstasy with arching backs, conjoined souls, until again they collapsed together in soft wheezing, lay side-by-side again.
     Jeff lost track of the time. They had made love twice, she thrilled to three orgasms.
     Softened breaths soon found them again, laying on his side snuggled against her right breast.
     "You said it."
     "What?" he couldn't move.
     "You said wife."
     He looked up to the outline of her face against the wall, a perfect profile for a perfect night, he sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to kill the mood."
     "Remember egg shells?"
     Jeff glanced at the clock next to her bed, it was the stroke of midnight, he smiled, "Yeah, and we are going to stomp them."
     "Well your wife is eggshells, too. She's a really sweet woman."
     Jeff pulled back to look at her, "Really sweet woman?"
     "I mean…I mean I'm sure she's a really sweet woman. She would have to be if she's married to you!"
     He wasn't sure what to make of this, so shrugged it off, "But we're not married. Well at least we don't live together. So it's like not being married."
     "So you live alone?"
     "Yeah, I did something that's not me. But it's just for a while."
     "What? What's not you?"
     "I bought a condo downtown. I've only ever lived in the suburbs, so I thought that I would meet more people if I was in the city center."
     "Downtown Seattle. Well that's nice isn't it? But wait…you don't mean to meet people, you mean to meet women!"
     He laughed, "Can I tell you something and you promise not to laugh?" She nodded. "This is the first time I've been laid since I was with my wife more than a year ago." Then thinking of the congresswoman and Paula, "The first time I've had sex."
     She laughed out loud, "So when we were talking about dating our right hands in DC you weren't kidding!"
     He held up his right hand in a little bird formation, "Meet Bridget!" his hand moved as he mouthed, "Hi Kathy, I am Jeff's alternate universe wife! I am sure glad he met you because this son-of-a-gun is wearing me out!" they both laughed out loud.
     "Well, if you look in that drawer over there you will see that women have the marvels of plastic and batteries to get us through the night!"
     Jeff laughed, "Maybe I need one of those blow-up dolls!"
     She spread her legs pulling him on top of her again, "Come here big boy, I'll be your blow-up doll!" they embraced making love again this time even more passionately, like they both secretly feared that this would be the very last time. The intensity of I Love You in wisps of light swirling around them captivating two lonely hearts, drawing their souls together until they collapsed again amid sheets wet with the effluent of impassioned bodies. Lying side-by side they were two souls connected by strands drawing them together with essences beyond the flesh, beyond hearts.
     Long minutes passed in silence when she turned to him. "You are a musician right?" He nodded. "Do you write songs?" He nodded again. "I like to write poetry. I've had a few of my poems published. Want to hear one? I got a lot of great responses to it, mostly from women. Okay, only from women."
     "Yeah, let me hear it."
     "Okay, from heart…
          My wild dreams fly unfettered in the night
          Feral creatures that scarcely approach my hand held out
          Scream silently from the confines of the day
          Small voices from the bracken of my reality
          Calling me to love
          What are those tiny sounds coming to my ear, crying to me
          Scarcely heard above the din of duties and routine
          They are the voices yearning for love
          That circle sweetly above the ruckus
          Calling me to be loved
          Yearning to find a place in the heart of another
          To draw two souls together
          Finding love for me"
     He turned to her stunned, "Oh my god, that is beautiful!"
     "You really like it?
     "Like it! I love the imagery…what was it…scream silently…and the line, what was it, bracken of my reality."
     "From the bracken of my reality."
     "Yes, I really love it, and you have more?"
     "I do, I'll read them to you some time."
     "When we're naked. That's best."
     She pushed at him playfully, "You only liked it because you got to look at my breasts while I said it!"
    "That's not true," he said with a mock pouty face, "I got to look at your pussy too!"
    She pushed him playfully.
    "Okay, your body does provide a nice backdrop to poetry," he reached across to kiss each nipple.
    "And you do like it."
     "Really. I'm not surprised. I mean about the poems. I can only hope you like my songs half as much." She smiled at his words. "Kathy, you are a very passionate woman."
      "A woman that is not rushing you?"
     "Can I put you in my suitcase and take you home?"
     "I'd like that. But do you have a really big suitcase?"
     "Kathy." He turned to her earnestly, "Kathy…no never mind."
     "Jeffery, we're doing eggshells, aren't we?"
     "I mean…you're going to think I'm crazy…but I have this fantasy."
     "Oooooh, I love fantasies."
     "It's just that, now you're going to think that I'm rushing you!"
     "Try me."
     "I have this fantasy of being with you. You know, being together."
     She gave an impish smile, "Are you inviting me to come live with you? In Seattle?"
     He nodded firmly, "Yes. I am. I mean I know you have your job, you have your daughter, she has her school and her friends. I mean maybe we could do some distance thing…"
     She smiled. "I don't do long distance. Not with you. Besides, you don't even know what I do for a living!"
     "You're an attorney, I figured that out."
     "I told you that night at the bar in DC!" she punched him in the arm. "Yes, I am an attorney. Any idea what I specialize in?" Jeff shrugged. "I specialize in government compliance for the manufacturing and aerospace industries."
     "Wow, that means…"
     "It means that I am no stranger to what you do. I respect what you do, who you are. That you can learn to respect me. Beyond us. As a woman. As a man. As a person."
     "My god, respect," his whispered, tears suddenly welling in his eyes.
     She turned to him, "My god, are you crying?"
     "Oh god, Kathy. I am…I am…" tears flowing down his face.
     She gathered him in her arms, "Come here, what are you saying?"
     "Last night," he sniffed, "in the car with Ted."
     "Who's Ted?"
     "He's my body g―" he caught himself, "he's my friend I told you about. When I was having my moment of epiphany about my wife―"
     "Jeff honey, can we just call her Donna?"
     "Yes. Donna," it felt so strange to use her name laying here naked with this new soul mate that he had just made love to over and over again, "I told him that I was falling in love with you. He asked me what I want. What do I want from life."
     "What did you say?"
     "I told him that if I could find a woman that respected me, that I respected, truly respected each other as equals, that my life would be perfect. That everything else I need would flow from that."
     "And good sex doesn't hurt either!" she poked him in the arm again.
     "No, that certainly doesn't hurt!" they laughed together. Jeff looked to the clock surprised to see it was nearly two.
     "But there is more to this. Nancy has been trying to corner me to talk to me, but we keep getting interrupted. We talked about my wife―I mean Donna―and―"
     She put her hand up, "Wait Jeff, first. I need to know about Nancy. Egg shells!"
     "What do you want to know?"
     Laying her hand on his chest she said simply, "Everything."
     "Okay, this is the truth. We met in Atlanta. I will tell you the whole story some day I hope. We…well we…"
     "You fell in love."
     "I thought so, but now I don't know. We only ever had one night together. God, you'd think that we would have had more. Does this bother you?"
     "No. No, and let me tell you why." He shrugged, "Because you are telling me. I trust you. I believe you will tell me the truth."
     Jeff shuddered at those words given Lin the congresswoman and Paula. But! They didn't have sex!
     "So yes, I thought we were in love with each other. But I've come to realize that we are from different worlds. I feel so comfortable here. With Nancy we are strangers in each other's house. With you. It is so weird, but I feel like I've known you my whole life. You understand what I'm saying, right?"
     "More than you know."
     "She lives in this wild shoot-em-up world. I'm just a dopey engineer who happened to get sucked into these cases." She took a sharp breath. "Are you okay?" She nodded but he could tell something wasn't right. "So anyway I think it was because I felt so lonely. Life was pretty confusing for me then." He shook his head, "Although I can tell you that it ain't exactly all straightforward right now," turning to her quickly, "I'm sorry, that's not what I meant."
     Kathy sat quietly watching him.
     "What I mean is that, well, the thing I want most in life is the thing that is most elusive for me right now."
     She snuggled to him, "What is that, what do you want?"
     "I want a strong relationship with just one woman. Committed."
     "So what do you think is going on with your wife?"
     "Nancy told me some things. Did you know that Nancy has been talking to my wife?"
     There was a sudden jerk in Kathy's body, she blurted out, "What? Your wife? Really?"
     Jeff paused for a second trying to measure Kathy's tone, shaking his head so slightly, "Yeah, they both told me. After DC." He wanted to tell her how his wife's kidnapping fit into the timeline of that week, but he realized a big event that week was Kathy showing up to his room with the poisoned bottle of beer, so he thought it might be better just to skip that part.
     "I'm not sure if you know it, but the night you came to my room, the night that Nancy busted in on us, Donna had decided to surprise me and flew out. She was in my room just minutes before you came down and Ted let you in."
     She paused reflectively wanting to say something about that night but kept her mouth closed continuing to listen.
     "Anyway, she was there when she saw a note from Nancy."
     "I gave you a note."
     He smiled with a big sigh, "Yes you did. And boy did you."
     She smiled uncertain about this as they leaned to each other kissing.
     Jeff continued, "Anyway, that somehow turned them into, I don't know, correspondents I guess. They talked a bunch of times on the phone."
    "That was okay with you?"
    "Actually, it freaked me out at first. It has always been one of my nightmares that two of my lovers would get together."
     "You worry that we will talk about you?"
     "Yes."
     "But what if we didn't talk about you? What if we just liked each other?"
     "Mmmmm, I don't know."
     "What if we talked about things in your life maybe? About our concerns? Maybe about ways to help you?" She motioned for a new beer, he handed it to her. She put it to her lips downing half the bottle in one swallow, smacked her lips setting it down on her nightstand. "What if we would be doing something like…maybe…getting permission?"
     Jeff shrugged, not comprehending her words. "Like I said, it doesn't freak me out so much after Nancy explained it to me."
     "Maybe two of us should get hold of you naked!"
     "Okay, now that would really freak me out!" they laughed together.
     "So Jeff," her tone had changed, she looked to him concerned. "When I took your coat, I found a gun in the pocket."
     "Oh, yeah. That."
     "Is there something you're not telling me?"
     He sat silently looking at her, to the wall, back to her, the wall again. Turning to her, "You remember DC, right?" She nodded. "You remember the woman who barged in on us that night?"
     "That is not something I will ever forget!"
     "Well, that was Nancy. She's FBI. You probably figured out that we were on some kind of case. And we were. I got sucked into it. Look, you signed that non-disclosure, so did I. God, I can hardly wait until we're…I really need someone to tell this to… but…I mean…"
     She smiled, "You can say it, when we're together."
     Jeff paused at those words when we're together feeling a warm rush in his chest.
     "Yeah, anyway we were on a case. Then again on the case in DC when you and I met. Now I've found myself on another case here."
     Her face turned to deep concern, "Oh, Jeff, please tell me that you're not in danger."
     "No, no. Really. Things are fine. I can't talk about it. It'll all be over tomorrow before I go…" his voice trailed off.
     "Before you go home. Jeff you can say these things, I'm a big girl."
     "Anyway, it will all be over by tomorrow afternoon."
     "And you promise me that you're safe."
     "Yes, I got assurances today from…well from someone who said that I'm safe."
     "What time is your plane tomorrow?"
     "Five PM."
     "What airline?"
     "Alaska, why?"
     "San Jose?"
     "Yes, but why?"
     She rolled casually away pulling out a nightgown, standing putting it on.
     "What are you doing?" he asked.
     "If you're telling me you are up to another round…"
     "No, no," looking down at his shrunken member, "I think what, three times is all he can muster tonight. I mean maybe…maybe next time. It's been a long week."
     She smiled looking down contemplating the sight before her.
     "Plus there will be more times, right?" she smiled, he nodded.
     She got back onto the bed, sitting on her knees, "Look Jeff, I have to ask you." She looked down at her robed body, "At least while one of us has clothes on. Are you serious about us? Serious that you want to see me again?"
     He pulled himself up onto his knees on the bed, leaning forward so their foreheads touched.
     "Now listen to me carefully. I will only say this one…or maybe three hundred thousand times," she giggled with her forehead still to his. "I have fallen in love with you. I love Donna, I love my children, and I love Nancy."
     "I knew that but are you―"
     "Upupup!" he could see her smile, "let me finish! You are the only woman I am in love with. And I am crazy about you."
     "Yes, but does that mean―" he put his fingers to her lips.
     "I see you and me together. And I can't wait for it to happen," he smiled.
     "Jeff I said I have a surprise for you."
     "Why won't you let me finish my little speech here?" he demanded playfully.
     She smiled again nodding.
     "So as far as I'm concerned, after all this craziness is over tomorrow I will want to stuff you into my little suitcase and take you home with me. I'll go buy another one for Hannah."
     He looked to the clock reading two twenty-eight, she saw his glance.
     "Look―"
     She put her fingers to his lips, "Don't say it, I know you have an early meeting."
     He laughed, "That sounds like some excuse to escape doesn't it?"
     "But I know you're not. Spending the night means commitment, you know. That's a woman's view of in anyway. But I forgive you." He could see she was afraid to say the words that she knew he was committed anyway.
     She stood going around the bed, he turned to face her, sitting on the edge of the bed toward the door. She stepped to him kneeling over in front of him, taking the small figure between his legs into her mouth, pushing him back onto the bed, kneeling between his legs.
     "Kathy, you don't have to do this."
     She looked up at him, "I know," putting her mouth back onto him, he grew in her mouth as she slid him in and out in and out in and out, him looking down watching his hardness disappearing and reappearing into her mouth, "Oh god Kathy it has been so long…so long…oh babe…so long since a woman like you…like you," he leaned his head back with his arms straight behind him on the bed. "Oh, god, honey, oh babe I'm gonna…do you want me to…oh babe, oh my Kathy! Kathy! Oh baby, ooooooooooooh!" he wrenched back, his back and legs tightened until he could feel himself gushing she keeping her mouth over him holding him in her mouth, holding, sucking as he slowly softened. Finally she stood up leaning to put her mouth to his squirting his load onto his tongue whispering to him, "It's so much nicer to share."
      He swallowed his sweet juice looking at her in wonder, "You did that!"
      "Now we have both cum the same number of times!" she stood up wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, "I mean it's only fair, right?"
      She lay down next to him, holding each other kissing passionately, "Kathy, please tell me that I get you in my life. Please."
      "Jeff, I have arrived." She laughed thinking of Hannah, "Or rather we have arrived."
      "I love her, she is just like you. I love you both."
      She signed with her head on his shoulder, "Mister Jeff. Jeff Jeff Jeff. This could be the happiest moment of my life."

   
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NOW READ THE NEXT EXCITING CHAPTER OF
SILICON GULCH!

http://chrislamela.blogspot.com/2012/10/silicon-gulch-chapter-25.html

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Silicon Gulch, Chapter 25

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 25 of Silicon GulchTed 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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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 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, she wants to talk to you."
     "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, Jeff turned his head away, closing his eyes, Kathy caressing his shoulder.
     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.
     Kathy pulled back pushing Jeff's hair away from his face, "Your forehead is all red, did you bump it?"
     "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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Silicon Gulch, Chapter 26

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 26 of Silicon GulchJeff has doubts about everything

Friday 4:26 AM: Doubts
Kathy and Jeff are driven back to his hotel room. He awakens in the middle of the night wondering at the events of the week, at the woman sleeping before him. Suddenly he is filled with doubts when Kathy wakes and assures him that she loves him.

 
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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 4:26 AM: Doubts

    Jeff awoke startled!
    He looked around the darkened room, the curtain drawn, no daylight around its edges. He sat up, looked at the clock. Four twenty-six. He had not even been asleep an hour. He looked to his right seeing Kathy's form in the dark, her soft regular breathing a peaceful song in the room.
    Carefully sliding out of bed he went around it to the big corner chair, turned it quietly back to the room.
    He lay back in the big chair marveling at all that had happened to him this week. Remembering Atlanta, that night that he had been in exactly this same position. It was Nancy who had been asleep in that room. He tried to remember about Gulliver's travels, how that night sitting there in the dark wondering if he wasn't Gulliver showing up in all sorts of crazy worlds that he didn't belong. But it wasn't like that here. There were no crazy strip clubs and crooked mayors. Or like in DC with Nancy's treacherous boyfriend.
     He watched the dark form laying in the bed feeling wonder that his life finally seemed to have direction. There was no question. He was absolutely head-over-heals in love with this woman, yet he worried that he had felt the same with Nancy. How could he fall so completely in love with someone he hardly knew?
     And how could Kathy, from just their few meetings be so determined that he was the one? He suddenly felt terrified that this woman did not love him. That he would wake up and she would be gone. Or that she would come to treat him…
     Kathy stirred, turning in her sleep.
     Jeff wondered at Ted. Dead. Mary. Her daughter. How is it that such bad things happen to such good people? There is no fairness in this world. There is only randomness. Every attempt we try to rebuff the forces of nature, the forces of fate. Religion, politics, our saviors from disorder are cast onto the ground by a cruel hand that mocks the human predicament in robust laughter with tragedy as its honed weapon.
      Tragedy. It is the unwanted friend of our existence. Our constant companion. It is the random force that casts its evil eye on every living soul, waiting for the moment to remove that soul faster than a heartbeat.
      We laugh at it only the good die young as one way to deal. We pray. We hope. We cry out. A heartbeat later one of us is gone.
      And to love. How could he go from his adoring twenty-one year-old wife, all those years believing that she was one with him? Now to find out that she had been unhappy for years while he lah-de-dah'd through their marriage believing everything was fine. A bump in the road here, a sharp turn there, that was just how marriages worked.
     They were a team! Connected.
     But they weren't connected. He had been living a lie, he was the butt of the joke that his wife was just going through the motions. How many times had he felt that moment of sexual ecstasy while she was just watching the door? It was a fraud. And he never knew. Nancy's words that Donna had been unhappy for years suddenly cut into him, he felt a chill down his back from her words watching the sweet sleeping form laying before him.
     He laughed to himself sadly that his life was surrounded by fraud. His wife. Nancy.
     Now he was going to give his heart again.
     He didn't know where the doubts were coming from.
     Yes. Yes he did.
     How many times had he dreamed of Nancy? How was it that he felt that they could somehow…somehow be together. What was he thinking? He remembered that night in Atlanta. That wonderful amazing night together. He didn't see it then. All the chasing, all the effort to find some way to make his life fit, her life fit so that they would be like a hand in a glove, a perfect fit. He suddenly knew why he was so afraid every time she said she wanted to talk to him. He was afraid to hear the words. Afraid to have it shoved in his face that it was no different than with Donna. A fraud.
     Now he was giving his heart again.
     How was this different? He shook his head in the dark knowing that he didn't know.
     Knowing that it could happen again.
     He didn't care.
     He was ready to give his heart again.
      "Jeff?" He peered through the darkness seeing Kathy sitting up, "What is it honey?"
      The word honey saddened him for an instant, trying to unravel his brain filled with sharp corners flying in a whirlwind banging against the backs of his eyes, tearing across his ears until he could only hear the sharp scraping of metal inside his skull. How that word was a sweet poison to him with Donna; how many times had he heard that word, that saccharine sweet word while she was waiting, waiting, waiting for the right moment to go find who she was.
     To abandon him.
     Suddenly he looked down to Kathy's sweet face, kneeled before him. "Honey, what is it?"
      And now honey was suddenly uplifting feeling his hands reaching into his head, transforming through his skull to caress his mind, to pull it back into the reality of the adoring face in front of him.
     "Jeff what is it? What is it honey? Is there anything I can do?"
     "You really do love me, don't you?"
     Even in the scant light he could see her face warm with love.
     Shaking her head with an ironic smile, "No, I think you're an idiot for being up like this. How can I love a man who doesn't have the sense to lay down with me?" She pulled at him, "Come on, I know that your brain must be stuffed with a thousand pictures. Honey," she stroked his cheek, "I wish I could reach in there and pull them out." He marveled that this woman had seen inside his head with the sharp shapes whirling around. "Maybe I need a Jeff-brain vacuum cleaner." She pulled at him again, "Please, come lay down with me."
     He stood up, she pulled him to the bed laying him down. She lay next to him caressing his face. "You are the most amazing man, the most amazing person I have ever met. I cannot believe that you have been given to me. You and Hannah are the most precious people in my life. You were so amazing with her. I thought I loved you before tonight. Jeff, you have stretched my ability to love, I never knew I could love a man this much." He could hear a sniff in the darkness, "I never knew a man could love me this much."
     Reaching to her in the darkness he sighed. He felt like his heart was going to explode out of his chest.
     She stood up. Even in the darkness he could see her pulling her nightgown up over her head, crawling onto the bed pulling down his black underwear she reached down to slide his hardness into her, laying on top of him, kissing his face with no movement to their bodies laying inside of her, laying like this for minutes, her breath slowly quickening, she raised herself up again, her slow gentle sweep bringing them to ecstasy.
     The only thought that Jeff could remember was how all that open-door pissing good luck had come to reality.
     They made love until dawn.
 
 
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NOW READ THE NEXT EXCITING CHAPTER OF
SILICON GULCH!
 

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

Silicon Gulch, Chapter 27

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 27 of Silicon GulchThe Frenchmen murdered Ted!
 
Friday 9:23 AM: Shadow
Jeff can't remember Ted's last words! He goes to the team meeting that feels like a funeral for Ted where Jeff tells them Ted has a daughter. Then Jeff remembers Ted's last words that he fills in: your stupid goddam crazy Frenchman!
 
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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 9:23 AM: Shadow

     "Wake up sleepy head."
     Jeff opened his eyes to have his vision filled with Kathy's beautiful face. The room was filled with morning light with drapes open.
     "Good morning, want some coffee?"
     He stretched looking down at his naked body laying outside the covers. "Oh god, Kathy, that was wonderful."
     "My god, you were an ox! I am going to be hobbling around for a week!" she laughed standing up to bring the tray of food closer, pouring a large cup of coffee.
     "Black, please," he smiled, she handed him a large cup, steam rising.
     He glanced at the clock saying seven fifty-three, "What time did we get to sleep?"
     She laughed taking a sip of coffee, "I don't know, but it was starting to get light outside."
     "What is that food I smell?"
     "Here," she lifted the shiny silver cover from the plate handing it to him with an omelet and large sliced European-style sausages, setting it on the bed next to him.
     "I was really freaking out last night. Thank you. Seeing Ted…I mean…you know. I haven't told you about my week. Can you believe that's not the first time I was shot at this week?"
     "Oh, Jeff, I knew it!" She gave a serious pout, "I knew that when I saw that gun in your pocket."
     "Yum!" he motioned for a fork, she passed one to him, he hoped the subject at hand would fade.
     "Hey mister, are you listening?" He turned to her. "I have taken years―my whole life!―to find you, for you to find me. You only have a few hours until your plane. You've got stay here in the room, hide out. I don't want you going anywhere."
     He set his fork down looking at her, "I just watched a good friend of mine get his brains blown out last night. Ted was protecting me, he had me pushed down so I was out of sight. He took that bullet for me. I am certain that bullet was meant for me. Ted's last words were telling me who the shooter was, that he had ID'd him with his night vision goggles while you and I were laying naked together."
     Tears welled in his eyes, she looked at him, her face melting to compassion, he raised his head swirling his face to the ceiling turning to her, "He said something, but what was it?" Shaking his head, "God, I can't remember…I can't remember what he said…this is too much…too much…I can't do this."
     "Oh honey, come here," she leaned to him, taking him into her arms.
     "He was going to see his eleven year-old daughter for the first time tomorrow," tears flowing down his face, "she will never see her father. Ever."
     "Yes, yes, I know. But I am so worried about you. I don't want you to get hurt."
     He reached for the tissue box on the nightstand pulling out a wad wiping his face.
     "I've got to go to this meeting at nine. I've got to be there. They are counting on me," he laughed sniffing, "well me and Sherlock Holmes, anyway. We have a plan and it will work. It worked in Atlanta. I know we can do it here."
     "What is your plan, can you tell me?"
     "You won't understand, you'll think it's cruel."
     "I can't think it's cruel if you need to do this, whatever it is. I can't."
     "Look," he started to stand, wobbly, she reached out to help him, "I need a shower then I need to go. I will be with these people until at least maybe one o'clock. I know you have work."
     "I want to stay with you all day."
     He stood in front of her, looking down at her sweet face, "They won't let you. Look, I'll be safe. You've got to let me go."
     She shook her head, "Okay, but only if I get to shower with you."
     He smiled, "Yeah, I'd like that."
     She stood pulling her nightgown over her head smiling at his already-nakedness. They walked into the bathroom, showered together taking turns to lather each other, soap each other's hair, kiss and hold each other enjoying joyful nakedness together.
     He stepped out, she turned off the water. He turned to her holding a towel to her, drying her off, goochying her ass reaching playfully sucking on each nipple of her sweet breasts.
    She reached for the hair dryer, soon the bathroom was filled with a noisy whir, he brushed his teeth, combing hair, swabbing his arm pits with deodorant, stepping into the room pulling clothes down from the closet, walking to his suitcase, put on his clothes.
    Sitting on the bed he listened, the hair dryer stopped. She emerged in her pristine nakedness, he felt the rise between his legs again, glancing back to the clock frowning that it was hopeless that they could have sex again with him being able make it to the other hotel in twenty-three minutes.
     Soon she was dressed sitting on the bed next to him. She turned to him with a determined face, "Okay, I'm going to let you do what you need to do today. But if you get hurt I will kill you! And if you get killed I will resurrect you from the grave so I can kill you again! Got it?"
     He reached his hand to her making a big exaggerated handshake both declaring, "Deal!"
     He realized he didn't have a car, that it was left at Kathy's house, "I don't have a car! How am I going to get to the other hotel?"
     "The man outside said he will take us to my house in…" she looked back at the clock, "three minutes."
     He smiled, "Impressive. Very impressive."
     "Hey, I've got to look out for my man!" they both laughed, he felt a warm flush at her words my man.
     Five minutes later they were in a black Crown Vic, ten minutes after that Jeff was standing at his car with Kathy next to him.
     He looked at where the street lamp had been seeing only the cement mount, the leaning pole was gone. There was no sign of window glass or anything in the street. It was like nothing happened.
     Jeff turned around to where the shooter must have been, but saw only a willow tree near one of the townhouse buildings. It was like nobody had ever been there.
     "Well," he turned to her, "I guess this is it for now."
     She leaned forward to kiss him, "Don't worry, you will see me very soon. Very soon. There is no way I'm letting you walk out of my life."
     He shook his head, "There's no way I will."
     She leaned to kiss him, "Okay sweetie, call me this afternoon," turning to walk down the driveway toward her townhouse.
     "Kathy!" she turned around, "I love you!"
     "I love you too!" She blew him a kiss turning back.
     "Kathy!"
     She turned back around, "What?"
     Pointing to his bare wrist, "My watch, it's on your nightstand!"
     She waved without a word turning back.
     He looked down at his watch-less wrist, shrugged. Digging out his car keys he was soon heading back to the Embassy Suites hotel.
     Jeff made it to the top floor of the hotel walking into the ops room. The room was packed with people, elbow-to-elbow amid a low murmur of voices. Jeff walked through to the conference room habitually glancing to his wrist where he was so used to wearing his watch that it felt like he still had it on. He smiled to himself that it felt like that with his wedding ring months after he quit wearing it, he glanced at his bare ring finger, suddenly wondered if he would ever wear another wedding ring again.
     If last night was a sign, he was pretty sure that he would wear another wedding ring.
     He came into the room glancing around to see all chairs filled, not a single sound except for a sniffle. He watched Yvonne raise a tissue to her nose.
     The room felt like a funeral parlor.
     Jeff's usual chair was open, he sat down quietly.
     Silence filled the room except for Yvonne's occasional sniffle.
     Finally Arnie turned to Jeff, "So Jeff, you're okay."
     Jeff nodded.
     "Look I know it was traumatic, but can you tell us what happened? Take your time, think it through and tell us every tiny detail. Do not leave a single detail out." He turned to Yvonne, "I'm sorry to do this, but we need your help here."
     She glanced to Arnie, changed hands with her tissue in her left hand, pen raised in her right.
     "Well, first Ted and I talked about if he should even go with me. I mean I was going to see a woman, a date. I wasn't sure it was necessary, I mean Nancy explained that code yellow meant it was optional, up to me to decide. I wasn't sure, but Ted was kind of insistent. No, not insistent. More like highly suggestive just this side of very insistent. Said that he was on until three because you guys are short handed because of some case down in L.A."
     Jeff looked around the room at all the eyes in rapt attention.
     "So we drove to a store, a Safeway store on…I can't remember the street…a president, yes, Washington street. No, Monroe street. He went in with me to buy flowers." He shook his head, "The most pathetic droopy flowers. But anyway, I drove to Kathy's house, he followed me. Her townhouse."
     "I spoke to her after this all happened," Nancy interjected glancing a sly smile to Jeff.
     Jeff smiled back to her with thanks for not going into the details! "Anyway, I parked my car, Ted followed behind me, driving slowly behind me. I went inside. That was at six o'clock exactly."
     "What time did you come back out?" a question came.
     "Ted said that he got off at three so I told him that I would be out before then so he could follow me back to my hotel."
     "So what time did you come out?" Arnie asked.
     "It was about ten, maybe eight before three to be precise."
     "And then?"
     "The lane that Kathy's townhouse is on is faced mostly with garages. You can see maybe only twenty feet of building around each side of the garages on the two-story townhouses, on the one-story units the garage takes up the whole front side of the unit. So I walked along Kathy's garage. I came to the lane, looked to my right and three garages down on the other side I was sure I saw someone standing near the garage, but he pulled back. But I did get a glimpse of him. I looked the other way, toward the dead-end of the lane seeing Ted's car. The headlights went on and he drove quickly up to me, the window was down when he got to me."
     "Which window was down?"
     "The front passenger window. So Ted leaned over yelling at me to get in. I looked back down the lane when he told me to get in again. So I did. He reached over, grabbed behind my neck telling me to get down pushing me down so hard I bumped my chin on my knee. He had really strong arms, pushed me straight down. Then he said something…hold on."
     Jeff put his fingers to his forehead recollecting, "He said…wait…something like that I wouldn't believe who it was. Then he said something like, yeah, he said 'It's your stupid godammed crazy' and then he was shot."
     He gripped the table with his hands trying to fight back tears, Nancy leaned to him, "It's okay, take your time," rubbing his back between his shoulders, "take your time."
     "I was down, doubled over, little pieces of glass flicked on me then Ted went limp laying on the steering wheel, the horn started blaring. The car was still going, I looked up just in time to see the car hit the light pole. I didn't have my seatbelt on so I slid into the dash, smashed my forehead on the dashboard. I called to him. Twice, I think. I pulled at him and he flopped toward me caught by his seat belt, the horn stopped honking. His face was covered in blood. I opened the door and rolled out onto the ground. I saw some man a few garages down come out yelling something, I don't remember, maybe what was going on. Then an agent comes up, another one runs off into the dark, I guess looking for the shooter. I pointed to Ted, the man looked into the car, saw Ted, he picked me up."
     He stopped taking a deep breath, "Give me a second." Nancy continued rubbing his back softly.
     "So he calls someone and while he is on the phone Kathy came up to me, she had heard all the commotion and the agent puts Nancy on the phone. We went back to Kathy's so she could get her clothes because she wanted to go with me―I mean I really needed some company. We went back to my hotel. That's all there is."
     "Wow," Arnie sat back. "Jeff, I am so sorry for calling you a trouble magnet." He shook his head, "I really got that wrong. You are the monster trouble magnet!" There was no laughter in the room.
     "But there is a loose end here with Ted." Jeff looked to Arnie and Nancy. "Ted found out yesterday that he is a father."
     All eyes rose to Jeff with this news.
     "A father?" Nancy asked amazed.
     "Yeah, he had met a woman in college. They were together for three years. Ted went off to FBI academy and she never told him because she didn't want to pressure him, to make him give up his…his dream."
     "A father," Arnie mused stroking his chin, "Ted, a father."
     "Yes, and he was so excited because he was going to meet his daughter. Tomorrow. He had breakfast yesterday with, wait, what was her name? Mary. Mary Lindstrom. Right, same last name as one of my favorite teachers in grade school. Anyway, I think she lives in Pleasanton, wherever that is." He looked around seeing a room full of misty eyes at this heart-breaking turn of the story. "Anyway, I don't know if it should be me or who. But somebody needs to get hold of this Mary Lindstrom to tell her that Ted is dead."
     "Oh jesus," Nancy moaned, "I've had to do two family notifications. It's heartbreaking. To do it for Ted? I don't think I could sleep for a week." She turned to Arnie, "Arnie, I can't. I can't do it. I just can't."
     Arnie shrugged, "I guess it's my turn in the pickle barrel. I'll go this afternoon."
     "I think he called her from his cell phone, so her number should be in the memory."
     "Thanks Jeff. That was really thoughtful that you let us know about this."
     Arnie stood up, "Okay people, we all could use ten minutes, be back here in ten, we have work to do."
     The room emptied, Nancy turned to Jeff, "Is this the Kathy I think it is?"
     He nodded sheepishly.
     "The one who tried to poison you." she said incredulously.
     "She didn't really try to poison me."
     "The one you snuck up to see at the hotel in DC?"
     He nodded blushing.
     "And she's the one I've been smelling on you all week?"
     "Smelling on me?"
     "Jeff, I'm a woman. Yes, we can smell these things." She smiled shaking her head, "Jesus Jeff, for a man who has just about every woman around dropping her drawers for you, you have to go pick this one."
     He thought to himself, that's not smelling, that's those woman's electric radar eyes!
     "Yes. Yes I did. I did pick her." He looked to her with a determined frown, "Nancy, I'm in love with her."
     Nancy sat shaking her head slowly in silence. "Jeff, I am so worried about you. I worry about how you fell for me when we were in the heat of battle in Atlanta. How you chased me around DC when we were there. More heat of battle. Now here you are again in the heat of battle and you snap up the first woman that comes along, a woman that tried to murder you!"
     He shook his head, "Sorry Nancy, not working. She is amazing. I met her Monday night when I didn't know about any of this. It was magnetic! There's a reason why she was in my hotel room in DC. Why I went back up to see her again that night. We are very attracted to each other. And we have fallen in love."
     "And she spent the whole night with you in your hotel? Last night?"
     "Yes, well most of the whole night."
     "Jeff, whole night means commitment. That's just how it works. Are you ready for that?"
     "Yes I am. I need it right now."
     People started filtering back into the room, "Look Jeff, this afternoon, two. We'll go someplace where we won't be interrupted. Maybe your hotel room."
     "How about the Pepper Mill?"
     "You're right, the last thing we need to do is be around a bed together, huh?"
     Jeff was suddenly struck that he didn't want to be around a bed with this woman!
     My god! I've really fallen for Kathy!
     Arnie walked in, immediately turned to the room, everyone sitting down, "Okay people, we have a case still in front of us. We have two perps that we need to deal with." He turned to Nancy and Jeff, "You guys want to give us some briefing on yesterday?"
     "NO!" Jeff jumped up.
     The room turned to him startled.
     "I want to talk about what happened last night. This morning. Whatever."
     "Jeff, you already described it. What more is there to say?"
     "Ted's words, he was giving us a clue. He knew the shooter!"
     Arnie looked to Jeff in trusting wonder sitting down.
     "His words, it's your stupid godammed crazy. I couldn't remember it before when I was talking to…" shaking his head, "but that doesn't matter. I know the last word he never spoke. He said those words earlier when we were figuring out if he would come along with me! We sat in his car, I repeated it back to him."
     Petrified silence filled the room.
     Nancy pulled at his hand, "Jeff, we trust you. Tell us. What was the word Ted was going to say?"
    He looked to her, around to the faces starved for that one word.
    "That last word he didn't say. I saw the shadow, I know the shape of the person I saw. I know the person he was going to name."
    "Who? What was the word he was going to say?"
    "Frenchman!"
   
 
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