“Hello, I’m Garrett,” he said offering his hand, his gaze into her eyes unbroken.
She giggled nervously. “I am Anna,” she answered in a distinctly British accent, extending her slender, rather delicate hand.
Garrett took her hand. “Anna! Such a beautiful name to go with such a beautiful woman. Anna blushed. Sensing he may have overdone it; Garrett quickly changed the subject.
“Please. Would you like to come join my friend and I at our table?” he asked, gesturing in Charles’ direction.
Her eyes followed his arm. Without hesitation she replied, “Thank you. I’d love to,” again staring into Garrett’s eyes. She surprised herself with her own quick capitulation to this stranger’s request. Silently, deep inside Anna, there were warning bells going off, but she refused to heed their toll—just as she had done years ago when in the company of another fascinating man.
Back at the table, Charles watched as the two turned and walked towards him, Garrett’s hand in the middle of her back, steering her gently. The attorney had kept company with many beautiful women in his time, but it occurred to him that this was one of the most exotic women he had ever seen. Charles rose as Garrett and Anna arrived at the table. Introductions were made and the three of them settled into their seats. Charles and Garrett had been men about town so it was no surprise that conversation between the strangers came easy. What did surprise both men was how they ceded control to her. As the three of them sat and talked, Charles found himself totally enthralled with everything Anna said. Her beauty, elegance, and charm had him feeling very jealous of his friend. He was uncomfortable with that, since he could see that Garrett was obviously taken by her.
The hours passed quickly as the three of them laughed and traded stories. Anna turned out to be quite devilish, yet there was this unexplainable innocence about her, this inner-strength of childish knowing that could penetrate all the complications of adulthood. Although it was evident that she was incredibly attracted to Garrett, she seemed to enjoy playing the two men off of one another. They went along with the game not caring that they had ceded control to her. She had totally seduced them both, something which had rarely happened to either of them individually, and never in the past by the same woman at the same time.
The late hours of the night finally gave way to the early hours of morning, and the lights were coming up in the bar to indicate to the more tenacious patrons that it was time to leave. As they stood outside the club, Garrett took Anna aside. “I really enjoyed meeting you,” he said, taking her hand.
“And I enjoyed meeting you,” she responded, her head again slightly down and her eyes looking up at Garrett.
Garrett had to stifle the urge to taste her full lips right then, not wanting to scare her away. “May I call you?” he asked, hopeful of getting her number.
Still looking up at him, she answered, “I just moved here, Garrett, and I’m staying with some friends. I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving out their number. I hope you understand.” Before Garrett could express his disappointment, she continued, smiling. “But I would like your number and I promise to call you tomorrow.”
Garrett released an internal sigh of relief. He could sense there was something more to what she said but decided not to press the issue. It had been his profession for so long to question and suspect, that sometimes it was next to impossible to turn if off, no matter how much he tried for normalcy.
“Forget it Garrett,” he told himself. He was not used to relinquishing control so easily and it made him uncomfortable. The three of them said their goodbyes and the two men watched the seductress float into the darkness of night. Charles turned to Garrett, “I envy you my friend! I’d love a shot at that, myself!” he said in jest.
“She’s mine,” Garrett responded, in a tone clearly indicating finality to the conversation. He thought the world of Charles, but he knew, if their friendship were to stay intact, Anna would have to be off-limits to his friendly competition.
Charles, raised his hands defensively and laughed, “Okay, Garrett. She’s all yours. I hope she’s everything you hope for. Really, I do!”
As the two men walked to the car, it occurred to the attorney that he had never seen Garrett quite so taken before. “Well, he deserves it,” he thought to himself. If anyone he knew in the world deserved it, Garrett did.
CHAPTER
THREE
There was a slight chill in the air on this late September night in Atlanta. The large oak trees were just hinting at the first sign of color and the drier air at this time of year was clearly noticeable. About halfway down one sidestreet in fashionable Buckhead, was a small Mediterranean café named Basil’s. A pianist was performing inside, but the muffled melodic notes escaped the confines of the interior to the pleasure of those walking by on the street. The soft background music that the piano provided, and the dim lighting in the restaurant, created the perfect ambiance as Garrett and Anna brought their champagne glasses together in an unspoken toast. As the ringing of the crystal rolled away across the room, Garrett reflected on his feelings. Every day over the past two weeks brought more happiness in his life than he had felt in years. No one could have wished for anyone more special, and now suddenly, here was someone who filled the growing void in his heart. It seemed so rare to meet a woman with a spark such as Anna; such a rich, ravenous appetite for life.
Garrett noticed everything about her, even the most obscure of details: Her long elegant fingers, the way she sat, back straight and head slightly turned, her smile, and most of all her laugh. It was as though he could not help but observe her every trait. Even the fact that she seemed able to seduce all those she met, both male and female, fascinated him.
“What do you think of that, darling?” she asked. She had been speaking to him, while but he was lost in the dream of her. Garrett shook himself back to reality and answered.
“I’m sorry Anna, my other senses were so busy soaking up your beauty, that my ears seemed to have failed me. Now, what was it you were saying?”
Anna blushed at his words and responded. “Oooh, you silver tongued devil, you really know how win a girl’s heart.
Have I done that so soon?” Garrett asked, continuing the game.
“You did it the moment you first looked at me,” Anna answered immediately, staring intently into his eyes.
Each of them laughed at the exchange, feeling rather foolish for speaking lines that sounded like they had been requisitioned from some dimestore romance novel. It had been just over two weeks since they had first met. As she promised, Anna had called Garrett the very next day. Then, she had followed it up with daily calls and the two had spoken for hours almost end. Only once had they been able to sneak away for lunch, so tonight was special. It was the first full evening they had been able to be together.
As the evening wore on, they shared intimate details of their lives that, under normal circumstances, would have been left for a later time. But these weren’t normal circumstances. The two of them both felt the uncontrollable urge to share as much as they could with the other. No words held too much meaning; no touch too much intimacy.
Garrett was impressed by Anna’s early life. He was intrigued by the fact that her father was a British Lord and her mother had been his one-time mistress. At his request, she had gone to live with her father at a very young age. She had attended private schools on the continent, and gained the poise necessary for the company she would be keeping. The two spoke for hours about everything and nothing. It was during one of the several moments of silence, that Anna’s demeanor seemed to suddenly change. Garrett noticed immediately and his heart sank. He had the feeling she had been holding something back and now he knew he was about to discover the reason for that feeling.
“Garrett,” Anna started, “I find myself so very much attracted to you. It’s as though I have known you forever, and if nothing more comes of our relationship, I will alwa
ys trust and respect what you have given me.
“Oh God, Anna, this is beginning to sound like a ‘Dear John’, goodbye. What’s wrong?”
“I have to tell you something, and I don’t wish you to think badly of me.”
Garrett’s heart sank even more. “Go on,” he replied, his mouth becoming dry.
“I am married, Garrett. Not in heart, but on paper!” she added quickly.
“What?”
“I have left him for good,” she added without hesitating. She didn’t flinch from Garrett’s astonishment; she was too poised for that. “I know how you must feel.”
“How could you? I don’t even know how I feel,” Garrett said in stunned disbelief.
“Listen darling. The divorce papers have been filed and everything should be final within a few weeks. I just thought you should know,” she finished quietly.
Garrett sat for a moment in silence. Finally, he asked, “How long were you married?” trying not to reveal his feelings one way or the other.
Anna answered, “Eight years. Our marriage has been over for quite some time now, but we’re just getting around to finalizing the divorce.”
“Who is he? Is he here in town?”
“He was a friend of my fathers. Garrett, he was thirty years my senior; it was a mistake from the very beginning. We both know that now.”
“So, this guy is in his sixties?” Garrett asked.
“He’s in very good shape for his age, but, yes, he is in his early sixties.”
“I knew there was something!” he muttered under his breath.
“What?”
“Nothing, Anna.”
Anna spoke, tears starting to well up in her eyes, “Please tell me it doesn’t matter, Garrett! Please! I wanted to be honest with you. I had to be honest with you!”
Garrett’s heart reached out to the woman sitting helplessly across the table from him, knowing all the while that it was him who was quite helpless in the situation. “You’re quite sure that it’s over?” he asked.
She nodded, looking at him for some assurance. “I can show you the court papers,” she offered, wiping a tear that had started to roll down one cheek.
Garrett reflected for a moment. His head told him to take some caution, but his heart, and when he looked into her eyes, his soul, told him otherwise. “Anna,” he said looking straight at her, if it has been over in your heart for some years and all that’s left is the formalities, then, yes, I still want to see you.”
Garrett looked at her closely to see her reaction, not knowing what to expect. Was it really over or was this just a ploy? He saw in her eyes that she was either telling the truth, a great actress, or he was seeing what he wanted to see.
Anna’s face lit up. “Do you really mean it? I was so afraid to tell you,” she said, her eyes imploring him to come to her, to take her, body and soul.
“I mean it more than I have ever meant anything in my life,” Garrett said, responding without hesitation, somewhat surprised at his own words. They both seemed to forget that they were in the center of a public restaurant. Neither would have cared.
The tears forming now in the corners of Anna’s ebony eyes now were tears of joy. They hung on her lower lid for an instant and started to slowly make their way down her smooth brown skin. Garrett reached over the table, gently taking her head in his hands and wiped away the tears. He pulled her to him and they kissed, the passion between them unmistakable. Without taking his eyes off of her, Garrett grabbed the waiter as he walked by and asked him for the check. Garrett and Anna both knew what they wanted now and neither was going to break the mood of the moment by thinking too much.
* * *
The door of Garrett’s house burst open as Garrett and Anna walked through, bodies entwined in a passionate embrace, their clothes melting off. Totally disrobed and standing before one another, Garrett and Anna could feel the other’s skin next to their own, the scent of the other being imprinted into their memories. Slowly, they lowered themselves to the floor right there, not wanting to take the time to get to more comfortable surroundings. Every nerve in Anna’s body felt as though it was being been stimulated, electrically charged, and soon she could feel herself being swept away into the abyss of Garrett’s soul.
Garrett was lying beside her now, his gentle hand caressing her smooth skin until it found the most sensitive of spots. Anna moaned as Garrett brought her just to the crest of a mountaintop and gently carried her back down to reality. Then he was over her, gently touching her face. They stared into each other’s eyes for moments, smiling, hers suddenly rolling back into her head as Garrett completed the act of the two becoming one.
Two souls who had yearned for the other without knowing for what they yearned, seeing both time and distance separating them fade away, like a curtain being drawn for a play. Garrett was sure he had just found the person that he had been waiting for all of his life. They made love for hours on end, rested, and then loved again. Both soon came to realize that they had never felt this kind of passion towards anyone before.
Right before the sky started to show the first signs of light, the two lovers both drifted into a slumber of deep contentment. A short time later, Anna woke. She sat up slowly, being careful not to disturb Garrett, and looked at him lying there sleeping, so spent, and innocent. She smiled and gently kissed him on the forehead. Standing, she collected her clothes off the floor and dressed as she called a taxi, careful to speak quietly into the phone. A short time later, leaving nothing behind except a short note, she slipped out the door and into the waiting cab. She gave the driver instructions and sat back, eyes closed, remembering the night before.
* * *
Across town, the taxi driver turned up a long winding driveway and pulled up in front of a large plantation-style house, resting in an affluent, eastern Atlanta suburb. Anna took out her compact and adjusted her hair. She paid her fair, got out of the taxi, and walked to the front door. Clutching her keys, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. As she stepped over the threshold, an old, weathered hand reached out and grabbed her by the arm, the other hand shutting the door behind her.
* * *
Garrett stirred and rolled over, reaching out to feel his new lover. When his hands touched only sheets, he opened his eyes to find nothing, not a sign of Anna, except for the lingering scent of her in the room. He looked at the clock and saw it was going on nine.
“Anna?” he called out as he sat up. He was just going to get out of bed, when he noticed a note lying on the pillow next to him. In elegant handwriting, the note read “Call me my love, Anna” with a phone number written below.
Garrett hopped out of bed and jumped into the shower. As the water ran over his head, he smiled to himself. Only once before had he felt even remotely like this about another person, and that was so long ago. He started, and shook his head. “No” he thought, “those memories have to stay buried, deep.” To Garrett, the thought of giving life to those old memories chilled him to the bone. He quickly shifted his thoughts to the night before and found himself having to resist the urge to call her right then. “Later,” he thought, “after she’s had some rest.”
Outside, a neighbor working in the yard stood up and cocked her head. She thought she had heard someone singing the opening tune from the musical, Oklahoma. She shrugged, “Must have been hearing things,” she muttered. She knelt, continuing her work, and began humming the tune to herself.
CHAPTER
FOUR
F.B.I. Headquarters, Washington D.C.: Counter-espionage division
Looking out his window at the overcast autumn morning, the caller became more animated with his conversation. “I don’t care if they get ticked off at us, I want cooperation and I want it now!” he said, slamming down the phone. F.B.I. special agent Frank Holden stood up from his desk and kicked at his trashcan. Frustration had been building for over a year
now and the F.B.I agent was about to lose control of what little patience he had left. Eighteen months ago, he had jumped at the opportunity to be made lead investigator on a case involving the theft of hi-tech secrets. But still they weren’t any closer now to solving the case than they had been in the beginning. “Oh, we have suspects,” Holden thought to himself, “no more than twenty; many of whom were very powerful businessmen.” But it seemed as if every lead he and his team chased came to a dead end or raised more questions than it answered.
Holden had been with the agency now almost ten years, all of which had been spent in counterintelligence. Recently, and contrary to any common sense, Frank found himself more and more missing the old days of the Cold War. At least back then, there were some rules and keeping track of the players had seemed much easier. Now…well now it was almost impossible to keep track of who was who, and the list of enemies seemed to grow almost daily. The end of the Cold War had unleashed on the world a whole cadre of unemployed professional intelligence gatherers, each eager to sell his or her skills to the highest bidder. Large corporate entities all over the world had been quick to snatch these people off of the open market and bring them into their fold. It didn’t take a Rhodes Scholar to recognize that the wars of the future could very well be staged in corporate boardrooms around the globe and any advantage could mean the difference between industry domination and being relegated to a footnote in hi-tech history.
Holden started pacing his office now, trying to relax. He had a new team member joining the staff today and he didn’t want to start things off on the wrong foot. A few minutes later a knock at his office door startling Holden back into the present. He turned and recognized that it was his newest team member. Frank motioned him in. The door opened and the younger F.B.I. agent came in.
Millenium Strike Page 3