by Wolf Wootan
“The count let his young wife get into bed with you naked?”
“Better her than him,” laughed Hatch as he leaned over and kissed the tip of her nose.
“So, that was the beginning of your sexual liaison with a married teenager?” teased Syd as she reached down between her legs and pushed his fingers into her.
“Oh, no! There was no sex at that point. Just her warmth and caring. Recuperation from the wound was going to be lengthy, and I couldn’t stay at the palace without putting them in danger. The CIA certainly didn’t want me back in the U. S.—too many things to explain at that point, me being NOC and all. So, they arranged to have me shipped to Nepal for my recovery period.”
Syd exclaimed, “Nepal? What a strange choice! Isn’t that somewhere beyond nowhere? You can speed the story up now; I’m very ready! Get to the part where you seduced the countess.”
“Well, I hate to rush a good story, but I’ve been ready for quite a while!”
Syd sat up, then straddled him.
“Time to sheath your rapier, sire!” she said as she took him into her. “I’ll do the work while you talk.”
“I can’t concentrate on talking now! I’ll finish the story later!”
“Forsooth, milord, methinks I am impaled upon thy sword!”
“Fear not, milady, lest thou swoon. ’Tis the magical sword of Don Juan. It cannot bring distress to thou, merely the sweetest of feelings to thy loins.”
“I think thou dost speak the truth, milord, though I might yet swoon from the pleasure of it!”
• • •
Afterwards, they showered, and as they were dressing, Syd said with interest, “You can finish your tale of debauchery now. I have my concentration back. First, what happened in Nepal?”
“Getting me there was quite an adventure. They smuggled me out of Austria in a hearse. I was actually in a coffin! Then they flew me to Kathmandu, and from there they took me up a mountain to a small village—the name is unimportant to the story, and I promised not to reveal it. I was cared for by a middle-aged couple—I lived in their hut and ate food they prepared for me. No caviar and champagne! Yak stew and homemade beer! I learned to love it!
“The CIA hired two old guys from the local monastery to ‘protect’ me. ‘Watch’ me was more like it. These guys were as tall as I am, but very thin. No one there spoke English, but after a month I had picked up enough of their language to converse a little. We used a lot of sign language, too. At first, I thought my two ‘protectors’ were a joke—old and lanky. I soon found out how wrong I was!”
He paused and poured himself another cup of coffee as Syd worked on her makeup at the dresser mirror.
“Pour me another, please, sweetie,” said Syd as she applied eye shadow. Then she laughed, “Maybe they were supposed to protect the young women of the village from you!”
He chuckled, “That’s not far off the mark, but my stomach was still way too sore to do any quail hunting. It turned out that they have a very elite group of people in Nepal whose job it is to protect the lamas—the Buddhist priests. They are trained from infancy for this job. Talk about your royalty! These guys had a strict code of honor, and possessed martial arts skills that no Western person very seldom—if ever—gets to see. That’s what my two guards were.”
He slipped on his black loafers and took a sip of his coffee, then continued his story as Syd put on her bra, “I started doing some exercises to get back my strength, and finally, the oldest of the two started showing me some of their exercises and martial arts moves. They were honored that I was learning their language—something an American never does. You know the old joke: if a person speaks three languages, he’s trilingual; if he speaks two, he’s bilingual; and if he speaks one, he’s an American.”
“Isn’t that the truth! The Ugly American.”
“So, to shorten the story, when the old guy started showing me some hand-to-hand stuff, I thought—him being frail and old—that I would take it easy on him. I had my face in the dirt so fast I couldn’t believe it! I never saw him move! It was unbelievable!”
“Poor dear! That must have bruised your ego!” laughed Syd as she buttoned her blouse. “So, did you learn some stuff from them?”
“Did I! I was only there six months—these guys study all their lives—but I got pretty good. They showed me tricks about various weapons, too. The most interesting was a version of swordplay I had never seen before. It was a variation of the Japanese kendo. You use a two-handed bamboo stick for a sword. These guys were unbelievably fast! It really improved my footwork and coordination.”
“Did you say those guys were Buddhists? If I remember my history right, Nepal is a Hindu country,” stated Syd as she smoothed her skirt over her hips and checked herself in the mirror.
“You’re right, in general. The country is about 80-85% Hindu, 2% Muslim, a handful of Christians, and the rest Buddhists. Buddha was born in Nepal, you know, about 543 B.C. they think.”
He paused and looked at Syd. She had on a navy blue skirt that came to mid-thigh, and a white silk blouse. She wore small pearl studs on her ears. She was gorgeous!
“Are we going somewhere? I thought we were going down to breakfast,” he said.
“I thought I should look good for the announcement,” she giggled, holding out her left hand and wiggling her ring finger.
“Well, you are simply fantastically gorgeous! Should I change into something else?”
“No. You’re fine. No one will be looking at you!”
“Thanks a lot! Don’t I get any credit for asking you? It was my idea, you know.”
“That gets lost in the excitement everyone has for the woman wearing the ring, dear. If I get a chance, I’ll toss a credit or two your way,” laughed Syd, glowing.
“Well, let’s go see who’s up.”
“Not yet. You’ve avoided rather adroitly the part about how you got around to screwing the countess,” said Syd with a wry smile.
“I thought I had diverted you well enough, but I guess not. I went back to West Berlin in the first part of October 1983. I started getting assignments again, including my trips to Vienna. I set up a more complex drop system, and was more careful than ever. I used a new cover name, of course. Everything went as usual—fencing lessons, pick up drops—until the beginning of 1984. The countess had had her son by then, and was back to her slim self, and there was a grand party thrown by the count to celebrate something or other. Being a German of aristocratic background, I was invited. With so many people being there, my presence would not seem out of the ordinary. By this time, the count had more or less focused his attention on his stable of mistresses, and poor Elizabeth was—how should I put this—dying of inattention.”
“You mean she wasn’t getting any and was horny?” chortled Syd.
“That’s the word! Yes, she wasn’t getting any. So one thing led to another, one drink led to another, and we found ourselves alone in one of the libraries. She was braless under her fabulous cocktail dress, and her headlights were on high beam. It was driving me crazy!”
“High beam?”
“Her nipples were stiff. Haven’t you heard that saying? Anyway, I thanked her for saving my life, and mentioned how unfortunate it was that I had been unconscious when she was in my bed naked. She answered, that since I was now conscious, we could remedy the situation. She pulled the straps of her dress off her shoulders and the dress fell in a heap at her feet. She wore nothing underneath it. Do I need to go on? Surely, you don’t want a blow by blow of what happened next, do you?”
Syd smiled at him and said, “Her headlights didn’t hold her dress up? My! I can imagine what happened next. When was the last time you saw her?”
“The middle of last month. That reminds me. I’ve missed this month’s fencing lesson! You do distract me!”
“Maybe you can reschedule it, and I can go with you. I would like to meet the countess and thank her for saving your life.”
“And flash your ring?”
• • •
When the two of them entered the small dining room, Sara, Carmelo, Bill Coffer, and Carmelo’s wife, Angelina, were already there partaking of various juices, coffee, tea, fruits, and freshly baked sweet rolls. They all greeted one another and Syd and Hatch took seats at the table. Teresa appeared and asked if she could do anything for them.
Hatch said, “I’m famished this morning, Teresa! Syd and I skipped dinner last night. Maybe you could have the kitchen whip me up some scrambled eggs and bacon?”
“Certainly, signore. How about you, Syd?” replied Teresa.
“No, thanks, Teresa. I’m fine. I’ll have some of that melon,” said Syd.
They all discussed the operation in Greece for awhile, and Syd kept her left hand in her lap as she ate. She was waiting for just the right moment. Sara finally asked Syd to pass her a basket of sweet rolls. Syd used her left hand, her ring clearly in view. Sara reached for the basket and then spotted the ring.
“Hold it, lady!” exclaimed Sara loudly as she took the basket and put it down, then grabbed Syd’s hand. “Have you been eating Cracker Jacks? What is this rock?”
Everyone looked up to see what was going on. Hatch smiled inwardly and waited, giving Syd her moment in the sun.
“Does this mean what I think it does, Syd?” asked Sara, a look of amazement on her face.
Syd glowed and answered, “Yes, it does! Hatch asked me to marry him and I said yes.”
There were congratulations and hugs all around, with Sara crying with joy. Teresa came in and joined them, and after hugging and kissing Syd, went to fetch champagne. Gina returned with her, carrying a tray of champagne glasses, and got in on the hugs. There were several toasts made once the champagne was poured.
Syd finally said, “Thanks to all of you for your good wishes. I know some of you are thinking that this is too quick—I’ve only known Hatch, and most of you, for a very short time. But believe me when I say that I love Hatch with all my heart, and have made some of the best friends I have ever had in the last few weeks. Thank you all!”
Syd had tears in her eyes now.
Carmelo changed the subject finally when he said, “Bruno and his mother are in the air as we speak. They should be here around one or two o’clock. The plane actually gets in very shortly, but Mrs. Finelli wanted to go to St. Peter’s Basilica and attend mass in Rome before coming here. I arranged a car for them and the chopper is standing by. Gina, why don’t we plan on a special lunch when they arrive—a combination ‘welcome’ and engagement party.”
“Si, signore! It will be my pleasure!” beamed Gina.
• • •
The chopper carrying Bruno and Blancha Finelli arrived at the castle at 12:49 P.M. Teresa got them settled in suites on the second floor, west side—just down from Sara’s quarters. After showering and changing clothes, they joined the others in the small dining room. The two were greeted warmly by the others, and after introducing Syd to his mother, Bruno voiced his disapproval of Syd’s engagement, pointing out that he was a better catch! They all laughed.
Blancha Finelli wore her 58 years well. She was trim and fit, but her Sicilian genes had doomed her to be 5 feet 3 inches tall, so Syd and Sara towered over her. There was no hint of gray in her short hair, thanks to her hairdresser, or Lady Clairol. She had sparkling brown eyes and did not look like a lawyer in the casual light blue and white dress she wore.
Hatch and Sara were the only ones in the room who had met her before. Hatch gave her a European greeting—a kiss on each cheek—and the others shook hands all around. Everyone got drinks from Teresa and chatted about trivial things for awhile.
The lunch served by Gina was outstanding, and they all overate and consumed a great deal of the various wines offered. Syd, of course, was still the center of attention. As the lunch came to an end, Hatch took Blancha and Bruno Finelli aside so he could talk with them privately.
“How was your flight?” asked Hatch.
Blancha answered, “Quite comfortable, Hatch. Super first class all the way! The flight crew could not have been better. Thank you for making your aircraft available to us.”
“The least I could do under the circumstances. Thank you for doing me this favor,” smiled Hatch. “I hope your quarters are comfortable.”
“Very,” replied Blancha. “This castle is so interesting. Maybe we can have a tour later?”
Then, Blancha put a hand on his shoulder and said, “I don’t know yet whether my father will grant you an audience. Bruno and I will meet with him at 11 o’clock in the morning, thanks to my mother’s insistence. I have no idea how it will go. It could be a disaster! However, I have to give my reconciliation with him top priority. It’s probably my last chance. I hope you understand.”
“Of course I understand, Blancha! If he doesn’t accept you and Bruno, what chance have I? My business is much less important than your family reunion.”
“What is your business with him, anyway?” asked Blancha innocently.
Hatch stroked his beard, then replied, “Since you have disassociated yourself from your father’s business for many years, perhaps we should keep it that way. It would be better if I didn’t tell you my business with him.”
“Ah! That kind of business! Why are you involved in that kind of vile business?” she snorted.
“I’m really not, Blancha. Trust me! I just need to give your father a message—one better given face to face.”
“Well, all right. I’ll see what I can do for you, but I’m not optimistic,” she frowned.
“Just do what you can. It’s not that important. I’ll arrange to have the chopper take you to Palermo in the morning.”
Blancha knew, however, that it was important. He had just had her flown from Miami for some reason she did not yet understand.
“Thank you, Hatch. My father will send a car for us there.”
• • •
When Blancha wandered away to practice her Italian on Angelina and Carmelo, Hatch took the opportunity to speak with Bruno in private.
Hatch said, “I’ve had Tessitore’s castle under satellite surveillance for a couple of days, just getting a feel for the place. I’m still not sure which floor he uses when he has guests.”
“You’re not worried about me and my mother, are you?” asked Bruno. “He’s my damned grandfather! More importantly, her father. He wouldn’t harm us!”
“You know I’m always overly cautious, Bruno. Why leave anything to chance? Who knows how he will act? He is a very evil old man!”
“I know that, but family is a big thing with men like him,” mused Bruno.
“Well, I’m not family, and if he agrees to see me, I want a backup plan. I’m going to have Shadow-4 in the area while you’re there. If you can, step out onto one of the balconies so we can get a fix on where in the castle you are. That place has an antiaircraft .50 caliber in one of the parapets, as well as armed men here and there with automatic rifles. He’s made sure no one can approach by helicopter—a visible one, that is,” chuckled Hatch.
“I’ll see what I can do while I’m there. I wouldn’t do this at all, but my mother has a bug up her ass about reconciling with the old bastard!”
“I appreciate this, Bruno. Grandson or not, you’ll be searched before you’re allowed in there, so I don’t want to try putting a transmitter on you—even our newest. So you’re on you own. Except, Coffer in Shadow-4 will be watching.”
“Thanks, Hatch, but I don’t expect any trouble. If he decides to meet with you at all, it probably won’t be tomorrow. It’ll either be reunion day, or I’ll get us tossed out for saying what I really feel about him and what he’s done to my life!”
“Try and keep cool! But I know how you feel!”
• • •
Hatch motioned to Syd that he was going out to the patio to have a cigarette and she followed him. She decided to have one, too, and they both lit up. She was feeling quite mellow from the great lunch�
��and the alcohol she had consumed—and was tingling with love. She went to Hatch and gave him a sloppy kiss.
“I love you so much!” she whispered.
“I love you, too!” he replied as he ran his hand over her firm butt.
They smoked in silence for a moment, enjoying the birds chirping in the trees, and the sunlight shimmering through the branches. Hatch was feeling the best he had felt since the death of Kat. Syd had filled his emptiness, plugged the hole in his soul. He had known when he first saw her that she was different. He had taken another two days to realize she was the one! He had decided to wait as long as he had to to win her love. Even he had been surprised when it happened so quickly.
He broke the comfortable silence. “We won’t get a meeting with Tessitore before Tuesday at the earliest—if ever. So we have the rest of today and tomorrow to do whatever you would like. Anything special you would like to do?”
“I don’t know, dear. I’m floating on air as it is! I suppose it would waste what’s left of a beautiful day if I took you upstairs and made love to you for several hours, wouldn’t it?” she giggled. “God, I’m acting like a school girl who wants to lose her virginity!”
“Making love with you is never a waste of time, darling! It’s my favorite pastime! What I meant was do you want to see some more of Rome, go to Venice and ride in a gondola in a canal, or go to Berlin and have wiener schnitzel? Things like that.”
“I keep forgetting that time and distance is so compressed where you’re concerned! It opens vistas I’ve never even dreamed of. Can you get German food in Austria?” she asked. “I could watch you take a fencing lesson.”
“Aha! You can’t wait for me to break it off with Elizabeth, can you?” he laughed.
“I don’t know why! I’m being silly! Maybe I’ve made her the personification of all the women in your past and I want to show her that you’re mine! How immature of me! Forgive me, Hatch! I’ve never been in love and engaged before. I don’t know how to act!” she babbled.