“Oh wow, this is awesome. It’s someone from the Financial Crimes Division and they want to talk to us.”
Trent said, “We better get on over there then.”
They arrived at the building in about twenty minutes and had to pass through several security clearances to get to Rachel Ronnery. The short, freckled woman wore red-framed glasses. She had blond hair and flashed a welcoming smile as she greeted the couple and took them to her office.
She didn’t waste any time and said, “I appreciate the email you sent and I’ve noticed some pretty disturbing transactions lately. Unfortunately, nobody wants to hear about it. I keep trying to go to the proper channels but I keep getting stonewalled.”
“We’ve seen a great deal of disturbing activity ourselves. So what is so hard about finding a shell company?”
Rachel pushed her glasses up her nose and said, “Finding one shell company isn’t that difficult exclusively, but when you set up eight or ten in a row in a country that has lax banking laws, it gets a lot harder. For instance, someone will set up a shell account, which is just how it sounds, a hollow front for a company.”
“How is that even allowed?” Trent wanted to know.
“As I said, other countries care more about the money involved than the legality of it all. These banks take hefty fees to push the money through all the accounts. So the money will go in and start to pass through the fake accounts until it magically ends up at the last one which is connected to a real person of course. Trying to track down the information or misinformation as it more prevalently has been, can be a goose chase,” Rachel explained.
“It still doesn’t seem that hard to get to the bottom of it.”
Rachel said, “In theory yes, but the only way to get most of these money laundering countries to cooperate is to get an international subpoena. They do cooperate with other requests but it’s at a snail’s pace and then they will send the same information three straight times just to be cute and stall the process. So by the time you go through that process five or six times, most people just give up to avoid the hassle.”
Trent said, “Unfortunately, that makes perfect sense. They know they are guilty of a crime so the criminal and the bank aren’t going to hand over the evidence. I wish they would, but that seems like its many moons away from where we are now. Can you discuss any of the particulars of what you have found?”
Rachel answered, “Not really, especially not here. We might have to get together in private at some point to discuss more information of course.”
“That sounds like fun. Love your glasses, by the way. Please do me a favor and keep an eye out for transfers from Ivory and Tortoise Islands, the Belicans and Dustmore.”
“Ironically, I am already all over two of those countries in a big way. If anything of urgency strikes, I know where to find you. And thank you for the compliment.” Rachel said.
5
Whitney and Trent sat in the meeting room and waited for the Chief to start. They both sipped coffee as Agent Udanowitz sat down next to them.
The man with a thick, graying black mustache said, “Have you guys found any damning evidence in those emails yet?”
Trent answered, “Not a thing. Kept everyone busy for the last few weeks though.”
The Chief cleared his throat and everyone fell silent.
The leader said, “After careful and heavy deliberation, I have decided to shift most of our resources from the Lott Email Investigation to a much more pertinent issue. Up to this point, nobody has found evidence of anything remotely nefarious in that pile of emails and it has sucked up important resources. Jenkins, please pass these out.”
The Chief’s assistant handed out packets of information and Whitney started to read through it. The pamphlet appeared to be based off the dossier with some additional information she hadn’t known about. An increasing murmur started to go around the room until the Chief cleared his throat again.
He said, “I know this is shocking and I can’t stress this enough; this doesn’t get out anywhere. No leaking this to anyone. Being an agent is an incredible honor and it comes with serious responsibility. We cannot function if our trust is broken and that trust comes from within. The political ramifications of this are a complication that I know all of us can set aside.”
The Chief wiped some sweat from his forehead and continued, “We all took an oath to serve our country, not a political party, must we mind. We need to treat these people like any other suspect with the unstated obvious differences. We need to be a bit more delicate because of the stakes and scope involved. We can’t just start hauling people in and tip our hand.”
The Chief took a drink of his water and waited a moment. “We need to get all the evidence together before we interview anyone. I want an overwhelming amount of evidence before anyone is hauled in for questioning. The interviews should be just straightening out a bright red bow on top of all this, that’s how tidy I want this to be. I’m going to the Justice Office to ask for more resources on this matter to help us out with some of the international issues.”
All of the agents seemed to be in a daze as the Chief went on, “I have faith in this group to get this job done in a professional manner. This is an incredible opportunity for all of us. Let’s make our country proud. Dismissed.”
Everyone left the meeting room and most of the agents went home for the day. Whitney and Trent went out to dinner and then back to their apartment to review some more materials about the case. They sat across from each other at the rectangular table. Trent suddenly got up and went over to Whitney.
He started massaging her shoulders and neck with his firm hands. Whitney forgot about the reading and closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. Trent ran his fingers up the back of her neck and under her hair, sending sensual vibrations down her entire body. He used his short nails to lightly scratch down her neck and to the bottom of her back.
Whitney realized she was gripping the table and tried to stop by sitting on her hands. Trent worked his way up her back and slid his fingertips down her arms. He moved his magic touch to her stomach, up to the front of her shoulders and then to her breasts. Whitney’s body was on fire as Trent pulled off her shirt and kissed the side of her neck.
Whitney jumped out of the seat and turned to meet Trent. He knocked the chair aside and their lips locked in passion as Trent reached behind her and swept the papers to the side. He set Whitney on the table and pulled off her pants before ripping off his own clothes.
He pulled Whitney to the edge of the table and entered his lover. She squealed in pleasure as Trent slowly teased her at first and then increased the speed and power. Whitney dug her nails into the edge of the table and Trent’s left shoulder as he leaned down and kissed her. She quivered and quaked as Trent exploded inside her. She closed her eyes but still saw bright streaks of light beaming in and thought she would lose consciousness.
She felt Trent’s lips on hers and opened her eyes to see the perfect man. Whitney still couldn’t believe that she had landed a man like Trent. She started to think about their wedding until both of their phones started buzzing like crazy.
Whitney checked a few of the messages and turned on the TV. She read the bottom banner on the screen that said, “President fires Chief of B.A.Ed.”.
She turned to Trent. “That son of a bitch fired him. He’s really trying to bury this investigation. We can’t let him get away with this.”
“Unfortunately, that’s not really how it works. The next Chief is going to decide what we investigate and where to put the resources of the Bureau. We have to wait to see who he employs, but if it’s a crony of Gergen’s, the answer is clear,” Trent said.
Whitney couldn’t believe it as they lay down to go to sleep that night. She really respected and worked hard for Chief McTalbot. He had given her a chance that not many men in his position would have done. She went to sleep with worry about the future of the investigation.
The next day, Whitney and Trent woke up to thei
r phones ringing like crazy again. Erick Emerson had been found dead in the trunk of his car with seven bullets in his chest. The man behind the dossier had been eliminated, which gave it even more credence in Whitney’s mind.
Why would they kill him now? He already put out the damning evidence. Were they afraid he was going to testify or something?
Trent looked at her and said, “Treason with a side of murder. Why stop when you are ahead, right? I guess they knew he had the goods and didn’t want him digging up any more evidence. Seven bullets in the chest is a clear murder. They didn’t even try to make it look like an accident.”
“Aw come on now, you’ve never accidentally shot someone seven times by accident?”
Trent smirked at her, “Yeah, I got this crazy habit of stopping after six. I was trying to set up a meeting with Erick Emerson to see if he had any other information that would be useful for us. I really hope that wasn’t the reason for his…his demise.”
“Just shows we are smack dab in the middle of a very dangerous situation and we need to be careful. It’s going to be hard now because I want to take down these scumbags even more now. I was already hating them for their actions but this takes it to a whole new level. We have a cover up involving a firing and more or less, an assassination.”
Trent shook his head, “If they can get to this guy, you’re right, we better be careful. We knew they were cool with murder because of the arms deal, but to start carrying out the act themselves, this bunch of traitors just got even more dangerous.”
6
Whitney yawned as she went to the kitchen to start the coffee machine. She noticed a white envelope on the table with an elegant red ribbon wrapped around it and tied in a bow. Whitney pulled the string and the velvety fabric came away from the envelope. She opened the sealed white rectangle and pulled out a letter written in silver ink on purple paper.
The note instructed her and Trent to leave the city for another meeting with Darominius. The couple got ready and drove about twenty minutes away to a woodsy area. The GPS guided them to a certain point and they stopped and parked on the side of the road. The note had instructed them to turn right, and walk straight ahead for one hundred yards.
They strolled into the forest and Whitney wondered where they might end up going this time. She enjoyed traveling through time. At the top of a slight hill, the human form of Darominius sat on a huge boulder.
The shifter said, “My lady, good sir, how does the day fare for thee?”
“Oohh, an elegant greeting. I like it.”
Trent greeted, “How’s it going, Darominius?”
Darominius stood up and bowed. “I am well, thank you. However, this visit isn’t about me or about the case you are currently working on. No, no, this visit is all about one and two, you and you.”
“What’s going on here?”
Darominius explained, “Allow me to elaborate. A certain couple has their future nuptials to engage in, pardon the pun. I know you have planned a ceremony on this planet, but we have an offer from another world. Our spirit friends have given me the authority to offer a grand ceremony at their home and then they will whisk you back to your hometown for the reception. The choice is yours.”
Whitney and Trent looked at each other and neither said a word. She looked into his eyes but didn’t know what to do.
“So how exactly would that work? Does that mean we would miss the wedding ceremony here?”
Darominius clarified. “I should explain further. Your human form and normal actions will proceed during the wedding on earth, but your mind will be in the ghost’s world. When you return to your hometown, it will be like you never left. Only two people will know that you were gone.”
Whitney turned to Trent. “I don’t know. Sounds like it could be fun.”
Trent asked, “Well, what about time? It goes much faster over there. Won’t that screw things up?”
Darominius shook his head. “We have accounted for everything. All you two need to do is enjoy the storybook experience and then enjoy the party with your family here. It’s all taken care of.”
“I wasn’t really looking forward to a long-drawn-out ceremony though. How long will this one be?”
Darominius said, “This one will be brief for obvious reasons. We realize time is of the essence in this matter.”
Trent said, “I say let’s do it.”
Whitney had hoped he would say that and instantly agreed.
Darominius walked around to the other side of the huge boulder. He moved some leaves around and pulled out a small circular object. He dusted it off and Whitney realized he held the vortex in his hand.
He used his golden hands to pull and stretch the portal out until it was big enough for a human to fit through it. The vortex remained a perfect circle the entire time Darominius had been increasing the size. Whitney stared at the swirling numbers, letters, and colors only a few feet away. They appeared to be moving faster than the other times she had been through the vortex.
Darominius extended an inviting hand and gestured to Whitney and Trent to enter the portal. The dragon shifter stepped away and Whitney dove in headfirst followed by Trent. Whitney felt much more pressure than before and thought her body was going to be crushed. Before too long, they were splashing down in the salty sapphire waters again.
Whitney’s feet hit something that felt like a trampoline and she sprang out of the water and high into the air. She started falling and a red hover board glided under her and broke her fall. She looked over to see that Trent had landed on a blue board about fifteen feet away.
Whitney grabbed onto the silver hand grips and the hover boards zipped off to the right and landed on a huge patch of green grass not far from the bank. Two small structures stood on either side of a huge oak tree. Whitney was invited into one and two teenaged ghosts led Trent into the other.
As soon as she entered the dimly lit room, several hands ripped Whitney’s soaked clothing from her body. She felt a cold pair of hands cover her eyes and someone else grabbed her shoulders and spun her in circles. The cinnamon scented hands never left her eyes as Whitney started to get dizzy.
The spinning finally halted and light flooded in as the door opened. Two hands gently pushed her in the back. Whitney emerged into a sunny day and looked across the way at a dapper man in a white tuxedo and black bow tie. She looked down at the most perfect dress she could ever imagine.
The soft white silk dress had running trails of crushed gems circling around the body and skirt of the sleeveless piece. Red rubies, emeralds, sapphires, amethyst and diamonds were lined up like a spiraling rainbow of precious stones.
The knee-length dress also sported a plunging neck line to let Whitney steal the show. She didn’t want to take her eyes off the magnificent dress until she remembered they didn’t have any time to waste.
“You look unbelievable,” Trent said as he rushed over and kissed his wife-to-be.
“You look perfect.”
Whitney heard a voice from behind and turned to find Richard. He said, “I am so happy that you two chose to join us for this special occasion in your lives.”
Richard led them to a long, open boat deck containing ghosts in nice robes. The couple got aboard and Richard followed as they shoved off and started to flow down the channel. Whitney remembered this part of the usual trip and tried to enjoy the experience as she held Trent’s hand.
They pulled up to their friends’ castle and Richard transformed the flat incline into steps. Everyone waited as Whitney and Trent had the honor of walking up first. When they got to the top, the door was open and they strolled right in.
Elaborate decorations had been placed everywhere and two girls heaped red rose petals before their path as they entered the castle. The main colors in the foyer were purple and black jade and Whitney had to hold back the tears already.
Many ghosts whom Whitney had never seen before were flooding into the huge foyer. She spotted her family of friends and fought to get over to t
hem with Trent.
Raquel said, “Thank you so much for indulging our request. Sorry to be greedy and want to share this event with both of you. I wish we had so much more time to enjoy this, but perhaps another time we can do the extended version. I just wanted to give you the best of both worlds.”
Whitney started to feel guilty about not actually being there to let her father walk her down the aisle. She would be there in body, but not in soul. She hadn’t really thought that part through even though that walk was the only part she was really excited about.
Trent joked, “How many weddings do we really need?”
Roland said, “You only need one. Some women think you need to have a special wedding ceremony for everything.”
Raquel smiled, “Some of us have a flair for the spectacle. And you might want to bite your tongue Roland; you don’t want me to embarrass you in front of all these lovely people.”
“Speaking of which, who are all these people? I really don’t think I know anybody. Oh wait, there’s Susan and her husband over there.” Whitney waved and watched Susan try to fight her way through the guests.
Richard said, “You don’t, but they know you. You two have already helped out these ghosts and you will do much more to help everyone on our planet in the future.”
A bell rang and everyone started backing away from the couple. A shower of silver, purple and green glitter fell from the air and landed on Trent and Whitney. The ghosts formed a ring around the couple and an older man emerged from the crowd.
He had a long white beard that hung to the middle of his chest. The man said, “Fair warning that this is going to sound very informal. Wedding ceremonies at times drone on for hours about much nonsense that matters very little in the end. I can recite many verses from many religious texts that apply peripherally to marriage, but that doesn’t send the only necessary message needed.”
The couple held hands and stared into each other’s eyes as the older-looking ghost continued. “When we talk about love and committing ourselves to each other for the rest of our lives, that’s what we need to focus on. It’s an easy task to tell your husband or wife ‘I love you’ when things are going well. We must be even more steadfast to say these words when matters aren’t well. For better, for worse.”
Roam Around The Earth: Whitney Powers Paranormal Adventure #2 (Whitney Powers Paranormal Adventures) Page 4