Don took the photo and found the flashlight. He only needed a second to transfer the image forever in his mind and clicked the flashlight off. "You’re a damn animal!" he shouted throwing the flashlight to the floorboard.
"Not me, Don. But some of those guys, newly paroled, there's just no telling. We'll make sure you get the full video."
"Stop! Please don't hurt her, I'll do whatever you want," Don sank into the driver's seat in trapped frustration.
"Now that we have your attention, back to business. The moment we verify the data, Sandy will be released, untouched. If we see police or FBI activity, we'll make that movie with public viewing. Make no mistake, Don. We are very high-tech and well funded. We know your workstation has no input-output device capabilities and as a senior design engineer, you have access to the engineering mainframe. There are two things in this bag," Paul said handing the bag over the seat. "One is a device that will simulate the nightly backup on your mainframe server, and the other is a phone, to stay in your car, to let us know the job is done."
"I still can't carry anything out through security and the mainframe has no outside connections."
"The device case has an interesting peanut shell shape which allows it to be worn half-in-half-out of a concealed orifice. Metal detectors will not see it and unless your company moves to naked body searches, you can carry it out and speak to your daughter Tuesday around lunchtime. It needs to be installed before you leave tomorrow night and retrieved first thing Tuesday morning."
"I'll try. Please! My daughter is the world to me."
"We want her safely home also, Don. Speed dial number one on the phone. So do your part and drive on home now." Paul quickly exited through the rear door and disappeared around the building.
*****
Special Agent Gordon finished her scanning of Walter Price's home and garage and returned to the living room. All fell silent and looked directly at her. "There are no listening devices in your home or garage. I'm assuming the black Chrysler with a tracking device on it belongs to you, Mr. Price."
"That's my car, yes. Did you remove it?"
"No and again, it's critical that everything remains as it was. You are being monitored Mr. Price and we now know how they followed you to the meeting with Mr. Watson. Use your cell phone as you would have before, but only the phone I gave you to contact us. I've been told your company is developing cutting edge technology for the Defense Department."
"Yes. Three years of R&D and we've completed the most intuitive guidance system in the world, Special Agent Gordon."
"I'm going to be your house guest for awhile, Mr. Price, so I'm just Debbie."
"Well, Debbie, then I'm just Walter. What do we do now?"
"Can we get an agent inside? Not in your engineering staff, they'd see through his lack of expertise instantly. I'm thinking, executive assistant, secretarial kind of support thing, but close to the engineers."
"My assistant is on the twelfth floor with me, the engineers are on the tenth floor and with them are three documentation techs, secretarial types."
"We have an agent, with all of the top security clearance documentation that we'd like to move into one of those positions. Maybe a family emergency created a vacant position?"
"Actually, Tracy Atkins is two weeks away from maternity leave; that could be plausible."
"Great. Can we trust your HR person, Walter?"
"Grace has been with my company over fifteen years, yes, she's solid."
"Good, using the phone I gave you, contact Grace to inform Tracy Atkins at home, that she has the additional two weeks off, starting tomorrow. Then tell Grace that Maria Sanchez will be there, first thing in the morning, to fill the position."
Walter looked up the phone number on his phone, walked into the kitchen with the new phone to make the call.
"What can I do?" Wally asked.
"You're my extra eyes and ears, Wally. I'm afraid that we need to keep you all close to home for now. That's the only way that I can protect you all. Sorry, if your friends call, you'll need to convince them that the flu bug has crashed the party."
"I was planning to meet my high school friends later," Kathy said, disappointedly.
"Believe me I understand, Kathy. As soon as this is over, I'll personally open the front door for you."
"Honey," Mrs. Price said sitting beside Kathy. "We can't take any chances with your safety. We're all pretty nervous here and need to listen to Debbie. And that goes for you two also, Richard, Wally, are you hearing me?"
"Our Christmas vacation and we're locked in the house. Yeah, Mom, I got the message," Richard said, pacing the floor in frustration.
"You can count on me, Debbie," Wally said using little attempt to reel in his male hormones. Debbie wasn't sure if her job just became more difficult and a small grin from Mrs. Price confirmed her suspicions.
Walter came back into the living room and sat down. "We're all set for your Agent, Maria Sanchez tomorrow at eight. HR is on the first floor and Grace understands the situation and will convey to Tracy that the extra two weeks comes with closed lips and pay."
"I'll set that up right away, thanks. The files on your engineers were taken from Mr. Watson's truck, but they were able to compile the list from their computers. The FBI is monitoring bank activity on them all and is quietly locating all direct family members."
"It really surprised me when Charlie called to back out of this. I'd gotten such an excellent recommendation. Now, with all that’s happened, the risk he took to come forward, I'd say he earned that bonus."
"I understood that when he made that call, he suspected they were listening. And Walter, you need to believe, your phone might have been jacked also. Let me contact my office and I'll update you if there are any new developments." Debbie went into the back den to make the call.
Chapter 13
I was facing our large bedroom sliding glass door when my eyes opened that morning and the sunlight filling the room announced a new day. I knew it was chilly outside and a gentle breeze had the barren tree branches dancing. In contrast to beyond the glass, I felt an incredible warmth filling me. Not the result of blankets and bed covers, an internal glow of belonging to family and finding within me a connection to Watson Investigations.
I heard Maddy in the living room playing with Shadow and felt the maternal smile brighten my face. When my eyes dropped from the sliding glass door to focus on Charlie's face on the other side of the bed, I realized he belonged there, not across the hall. He was still asleep, but a smile was on his face and my internal heater went up a few notches.
It was a peaceful and precious moment. All was right with the world and I couldn't slide out of bed and let it slip away. Charlie is a handsome man, I'd not share the specific word, beautiful with him, but he is that also. I guess I liked that word or description because it pulled his inner qualities into the mix. He is patient, kind, loving and waiting for the spark in me to take us beyond our new courtship.
I wanted his touch. I needed to feel our hearts racing with intimate desire for each other. Excitement consumed me with the thought; I was in the most incredible place. Charlie was a knowledgeable lover, not simply in the act of making love, but specifically in making love with me, my body and all of those glorious triggers that he'd discovered over our time together. I felt my body squirming with anticipation of, for me, what was our first time. But not his, and there was no need to communicate my wants and desires for specific touches, it was like he'd read the manual on pleasing me and the new discoveries of him were all mine.
The distance between us became painful and I moved across the bed under his outstretched arm and woke him with a passionate kiss. It should have startled him, but the return of his lips needing mine was seamless and he pulled me so close that I lost my breath. My thoughts were so focused on loving him; I questioned how I'd denied myself this bond for even an hour as his hands, slowly, knowingly, ignited me.
"Mommy, I'm hungry," Maddy said from the doorway
. I rolled onto my back, out of his arms and the inertia of desire hit me as uncontrollable laughter.
After a deep and unhelpful cleansing breath, I managed to say, "OK, Maddy. Just give mommy a minute." I turned back to Charlie and he was still laughing which only set me off again. He pulled me into his arms for a parting embrace and the lack of his boxer's to conceal his anticipation of our moment only served to torture me. I knew as he rolled out of bed, I'd be in the previous moment all day and worthless until...
"Does this mean I can move back into ... our room?" he asked, pausing at the bathroom door.
"Oh yeah! And don't make any other plans for after breakfast when our daughter is in Lisa's care downstairs."
"Works for me." It was his grin, not his words that welcomed me home, really home finally and most definitely in love.
*****
I discovered, well rediscovered it was our habit to circulate in the dining room during breakfast to greet our Watson Manor guests. You can't help but feel warmth around Julia and she was beside me for the introductions. I felt like a flirtatious teenager catching a glance of Charlie on the other side of the room. After we'd made the rounds, Julia pulled me aside and faced me directly. "It's happening, isn't it?" Her grin was all knowing.
"Breakfast at Watson Manor, yeah."
"You know what I'm talking about. I feel like I'm at the mall's food court watching young hormones kicking in," Julia said.
"There were a few forward clicks this morning. And Maddy, our chaperone then, will be with Lisa after breakfast. Is that what you were sensing, Julia?"
Julia walked over to the reception desk and then came back where I was still standing. "Lisa will be tied up at least another hour with breakfast ... and you know Maddy, Shadow and I haven't checked out the beach for awhile," she said and handed me the "Do Not Disturb" sign to hang on our door. Life is good and I drew the attention of half of our guests as I laughed. Charlie walked over to where we were standing and I showed him the sign.
Letting go was a tremendous relief and I was having so much fun with the leap back into love. "Mr. Watson, Julia has expressed a desire to spend some quality time with Maddy and Shadow. This sign is for the outside of our door and contrary to its message, I request your assistance to help me become thoroughly disturbed."
"Let's see, shatter the status-quo, toss tranquility out the window, Mrs. Watson, I'd be pleased to help you with that dilemma."
"Congratulations," Julia said. "Seems your owner greeting duties are completed now, why are you two still standing here?"
Walking up the stairs holding his hand beside me, I'd realized in my confusion that I had been standing behind the closed door between us, waiting for it to open, for doubt to subside. That morning when I finally opened that door it became clear the only knob was on my side and exposing me to what lay through that open door was the miracle of possibilities I'd sought. I may never recall our actual first kiss, but the goodnight kiss before Christmas had to be every bit as sweet. I was truly excited to learn, experience, explore through that open door and the frustration of not having the past tucked neatly in my mind was fading quickly as the barrier between us.
My pace up those stairs increased as even the desire to unlock the door to Watson Investigations was also becoming overwhelming. I laughed out loud thinking that sitting at that desk downstairs was most definitely secondary to the more pressing investigative moments ahead. If I've learned nothing more from this experience, I know now how precious captured moments are and this one was going to be loaded into my memory slowly filling that void of lost years.
We broke from a passionate kiss at the foot of our bed and I was fighting the immediate urge to let him sweep me away. He reached to unbutton my blouse, his eyes searching mine asking permission. Sunlight filled our bedroom. Nothing would be masked in shadows, a stage set perfectly for my first discovery. I put my hands on his chest. "I do love you, Charlie. Don't confuse my need to ride the brakes, take this slowly as any indication of doubt."
He kissed me tenderly and it conveyed his understanding. "Jenny, there's nowhere I'd rather be or a ticking clock limiting our time." His arms dropped slowly to his sides as he moved a step away. "You guide us, my love."
My hands cradled his head and I knew that if I pulled him in for the passionate kiss we'd shared a moment before, I'd lose control. My journey would start beneath his woolen shirt and I didn't waste moments exposing his chest. The tone in his muscles was not a surprise as holding him in the days prior had revealed his physical strength, but sight and touch did exceed my expectations. My hands sliding down his shoulders and arms sensed the tension as he fought reaching out for me.
It wasn't my goal to drive him crazy, but I loved him more for giving me the lead. I wasn't able to remove both hands, only one from the texture sparing amounts of hair added to his chest as I unbuttoned my blouse. I was thankful for the revelation of that morning and didn't wear support underneath my heavy cotton blouse. I freed my hand, only long enough to allow the blouse to fall down my arms to the floor. I savored nesting my head below his, my arms reaching behind him uniting our bare chests.
His hands found their place on my back as well and the overwhelming contact sent shivers through me. My brakes were fading and I moved my hands back to his chest. His fingers trailed down my back in surrender, but not without leaving the incredible sensations in their path back to his sides. My eyes would not close, robbing me of the visual enhancement of taste and his scent down to his perfect waist. Perfect, in that it didn't intimidate exposing my body to him as his waist had also softened with only hints of the tone there ten years prior.
On my knees, I looked up into his face and found an endearing approval and patience. "My God, Charlie, thank you! You have no idea how much this means to me."
His hands rested on my shoulders and he simply replied, "But I do know, Jenny."
I'd never before felt the waves of desire consuming me like this, so completely in control of the pace. Well as much in control as I could be mentally as my body wasn't slowing to my mind's will. I unbuckled his belt and the buttons down the front of his jeans. His body too was way beyond my mind's pace, but also perfectly in sync with my own body's preparation. I untied his shoes and he assisted me in stepping out of them.
My hands slid around his narrowed waist to the small of his back and I eased his pants down, my fingers exploring the warmth of his bare skin along his legs to the floor. His hold on my shoulders aided his stepping out of the last of his clothing, concealing the physical side of this man, I loved more deeply with each moment. The remarkable tone in his arms and chest were equally as fulfilling in his legs in both touch and taste as I moved back up. My knees refused to straighten to bring our lips back together to express the exploding passion shaking through me. My hands discovered the same building desire in him as tension cycled in his legs. He'd waited for me and allowed me these small steps back.
My hands found a focus on him, a mixture of softness and readiness. There was no memory to guide me in what fantasy had told me was a one sided gift. I paused, only a moment, waiting for his hands still resting on my shoulders to signal his desire. They'd move below my arms to pull me up or his fingers would find their way into my hair for a different request. I realized the sincerity and conviction in his words, 'You guide us, my love', as his hands never moved. I chose to linger there.
Moments into this unexplored experience shattered that fantasy of it being a one side gift as my body responded equally to the increasing sway of his hips. His muscles tensing and relaxing as his breathing had become audible. I couldn't imagine, as my fingers dug deeper into his lower back, that he'd possibly feel more than I anticipated. The thrilling intensity inside of me built rapidly without the slightest touch where my body waited for him. His movements told me we shared that climb together, and we were both exactly where we wanted to be. It took all I had, slamming hard on those brakes to let this moment be truly shared. I desperately wanted that new taste of hi
m to signal I could leap into my own craving need to let go.
He seemed to know my every thought. His body went rigid with intensity as he fought in his grip on shoulders to keep from ripping them off. I feared hurting him as my fingers clamped on his hips for support when my quivering body couldn't hold back, and needed to collapse in my release of those brakes. I wouldn't let go of him until his journey was complete. It was a brief delay and my own body was still quaking as he gave me that new taste of him.
Ahead of us, I knew there would be urgency and those times would be no less gratifying, but that day gave me the years I'd missed loving this man. In the spirit of team play, when the intensity of the sun's rays through our bedroom window was signaling late afternoon, I let him take the lead.
Chapter 14
My hopeless drift was over. The foundation I was feeling and building with my family, my husband, my daughter, and even that black furred, wiggling source of affection, Shadow, were the anchors I so desperately wanted and needed. It wasn't that I was stuck in that honeymoon mode. I held onto the rediscovery of our love with all of my strength. What I found so remarkable was there was no longer a simple kiss between us. That soft touch of our lips was like the spark of a life changing thought and it illuminated all the power of what we had become.
Charlie was still letting me lead. I guess it was symbolic that I unlocked the door to Watson Investigations downstairs.
"Jenny, this step can wait," he said walking through the door behind me.
"I feel like we've taken the training wheels of my bike, Charlie." I turned back to face him. "I don't want to coast anymore. It's full speed ahead, everywhere." He gave me that grin that was growing to be my favorite gift. "What?"
Watson Manor My Journey Home (Watson Manor Mystery Series Book 4) Page 7