Borne Darkly

by Lee Perry

  It took a long moment for her words to sink in and the color drained from Rossi’s face even as his smile widened from ear to ear. “I knew I chose right!” he laughed and stood, “That is exactly what I wanted to hear today!” He beamed at her as he envisioned him and Ed visiting his money in the Bahamas, “Figure out a way to transfer our money to safe offshore accounts, and we’ll have it made, Alex.” He clapped her on the back and gestured over his shoulder with his thumb, “Get back to work!” He laughed again, “I’ll have Louis get you an address and you get whatever you need.” He left the room and walked back to the bathroom, still chuckling when he realized his bowels were on the move, And my cock is pretty happy too at the thought of all that money that tall brainy broad is gonna’ bring in. He locked the bathroom door behind him and dropping his pants and underwear around his ankles, sat on the toilet, Money is gonna’ pour in like shit sliding outta’ my ass…

  Alex left the projector in the library and disconnecting her laptop, took it and returned to her room. Leaving it on the table, she quickly stepped out of her shoes and clothes and took another shower, relaxing under the hot spray, You did it, Alexandra… you did it…

  The shower was brief and when she had finished toweling dry she carefully draped the towel over the rod on the shower door and put the high heels back in the closet, placing them side by side and facing the door. She tossed her “sales regalia” in the hamper and dressed in jeans and one of her new polo shirts. “Time to get real…” she said aloud, “time to get to work…” She sat on the bed to pull on a pair of clean white socks and crossed to the table, powering up her laptop. “The sales pitch worked,” she murmured in a low voice, “now get moving!”

  She opened a file fullscreen and reviewed the mass of sub-files she downloaded from her flash drive. She scanned the list until she got to the copy of Cathy’s hard drive and smiled, I believe this is all I need… She snickered softly, triumphant. This will give me everything I need to create these programs… All I need to do is adapt what she wrote for our clients…

  She searched for the appropriate files and after copying a few of them onto a writing platform, began adapting the code originally intended for protecting data. Really, I should be able to make some minor modifications to the code to make it capable of surreptitiously copying data and entire hard drives...

  She wrote for several hours, only nodding to Gina when she brought her lunch and dinner, and it wasn’t until she got up to stretch and use the bathroom that she realized it was nearly one o’clock in the morning. So much for the mirror-drives… She had used Cathy’s design for backup mirror drives designed to protect data and created a virtual mirror drive that would hide behind mirror drives on “client” servers that would copy data directly from hard drives, Like credit card numbers… Why waste time using attack vectors like SQL injection when this is so much faster… and safer?

  She saved and closed her new programs, making copies on her flash drive and then uploaded the files to a new, private email address. It’s not going to take much to exploit the data, all I have to do is pirate Cathy’s programs for code that covers my tracks and use it to seek out a website’s vulnerability…

  Point Sur, CA

  The room brightened in spite of the overcast skies outside the window and Jordan lay still under the covers, memorizing how Catherine’s eyelashes fanned over the finely sculpted cheekbones. She waited patiently until the lashes fluttered and Catherine sleepily opened her eyes. She waited until she saw a smile tug at the corners of Catherine’s mouth before shifting her head on the pillow and placing a gentle kiss on her lips,

  “Good morning.”

  Catherine responded by kissing her again.

  “Is it okay if I use the bathroom first?”

  Catherine nodded and Jordan placed another, this time lingering kiss on her lips before sliding out of bed and forgetting her t-shirt along with her modesty, left the bedroom, walking completely nude to the bathroom to take a shower.

  Catherine’s smile widened as she watched her go, She’s gonna’ have to watch that once I get Cameron back…

  When Jordan returned to her room to dress Catherine had gone to her bedroom for clean clothes so she could shower next and Jordan went downstairs to fill and put the kettle on the stove for tea,

  You had sex with a witness…

  Jordan pulled a jar of grape jelly and the covered butter dish from the fridge and sat heavily at the kitchen table, No, I didn’t have sex… She set the items in the center of the table and stared at them vacantly, we made love, there is a difference….

  The semantics are rather convenient, aren’t they?

  No… Jordan shook her head at the frustrating inner dialogue and sighing deeply, turned her head to stare out the window. It’s not semantics and I’m not rationalizing… and this kind of thing has certainly been known to happen.

  Not to you…

  Yeah… Jordan’s eyes drifted closed, not to me. But I have had affairs; Angela… not exactly an affair, she was single, an agent just like me… and Abby was single too… she was a federal prosecutor and no protocols were breached.

  And so having a relationship with Catherine is appropriate? Jordan snorted and shook her head slowly from side to side, That’s just it, this is a relationship, everything before this really has just been affairs… physical relationships only about sex and decompressing after a long case or a rough day….

  And this, with Catherine… this is a relationship?

  Yes… Jordan nodded; I hope so. I want it to be. I’m in love with her. She drew a deep breath and opening her eyes, sat in the hard wooden chair, I believe that’s the first time I’ve said that… I am, I’m in love with her.

  Yeah, and her wife is wanted in connection with multiple murders committed by…

  Catherine entered the kitchen and trailed her hand across Jordan’s broad shoulders, “You okay?” she signed one-handed.

  Jordan clasped at the trailing fingers, “You know, according to the historical record for this place there was an awful lot going on around here in the way of extramarital affairs…”

  “My marriage is over, Jordan. You’re not breaking us up; my marriage ended a long time ago.” Jordan pulled the hand to her lips and kissed the palm. Smiling, Catherine bent to press her lips into soft dark hair before continuing to the counter. She poured hot water over the teabag she dropped in her mug and sat at the table, “When you find Alex, she’ll be going to jail won’t she?”

  Jordan shrugged, “I can’t say for sure, I would frankly expect the federal prosecutor to cut a deal with her, making her testify against Anthony Rossi in exchange for leniency, like…” she shrugged again, “parole, no prison term and admission into the witness protection program, that kind of thing.”

  Catherine considered her words, “Well then, I’ll wish her luck with her new life... All I want is Cameron… and you. I’d divorce Alex now if we had Cameron and hadn’t faked my death…”

  Jordan’s brows arched in pleased surprise, “You want me?”

  “Absolutely.” She stood and tilted Jordan’s head back for a kiss. Both were smiling when their lips parted and Catherine turned back to the counter, retrieving a loaf of bread from a cupboard. Her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she plugged in the toaster. “And I want my house… I can’t live there ever again…” Her eyes brimmed as she busied herself with making toast, “I couldn’t, Cameron is so young, he’ll never miss it… but when Alex is found and I get Cam back I want to remove her name from the title and sell it. If Alex wants to fight me for it in divorce court, she can… but I paid for that house with my savings from when I sold my mom’s place. Ultimately I only want some personal items... and Chelsea and Cam’s things…”

  A long moment passed in silence until toast popped up from the toaster and Catherine placed the slices on two plates before returning to the table. Watching her, Jordan uncovered the butter dish in the center of the table and unscrewed the lid from the jelly jar.

&n
bsp; “I can help you with that…”

  Catherine nodded, “I know.”

  They ate their toast in silence until Catherine dusted the crumbs from her hands, “I took some philosophy classes in college…” Jordan only arched a questioning eyebrow and she continued, “I was so bored in the beginning… but the more I listened the more I suspected there was something… it felt like there was some sort of connection between them and my computer science courses. It occurred to me when you spoke about threshold experiences… I was fascinated by the importance placed on light and reflection by both computer science and philosophical thinkers,” She emitted a softly amused snort, “And now, here I am, after all this time, and I think I’m finally beginning to understand the mythical connections and…” She fingerspelled slowly, “connotations… and how alike the discussions between the two schools of thought were.”

  Jordan snorted, smiling, “You know, you’re pretty smart...” She gathered the now empty plates and butter-jelly coated knife and took them to the sink.

  Catherine chuckled self-effacingly at the observation and sitting back in her chair, noticed Jordan’s tablet on the far end of the table and she pointed to it before signing, “May I?”

  “Of course...” Jordan began washing their breakfast dishes while Catherine booted up the tablet. It suddenly occurred to her she had completely forgotten about the business website and she opened a browser, typing in sparrowdataps.com in the address window. Jordan set the washed dishes in the drying rack and stood behind her, drying her hands on the towel. The brows on both women arched in surprise at the error message;

  “Internal Server Error. The server encountered an internal error or misconfiguration and was unable to complete your request. Please contact the server administrator, webmaster @sparrowdataps.com.”

  Catherine sat back in the chair, and Jordan smiled at her hooked forefinger sign, “Huh… I guess our web registration expired…”

  “So contacting the…” Jordan squinted at the screen, “server administrator, webmaster… would that help?”

  Catherine shut down the tablet, “Not really, the administrator was me.” Turning in the chair, she cocked her head to one side, regarding her, “Go for a walk?”

  Jordan kept her hands stuffed in her coat pockets and she found herself smiling as they walked along the narrow road, arms linked. For chrissakes, this can’t last… you can’t both just stay up here forever, going for walks to the lighthouse… She sniffed as they walked, looking out at the clear blue skies and silver blue sea, I know, so for chrissakes just shut up and enjoy this moment…

  Catherine leaned in close as they walked, her hands holding onto Jordan’s arm. She had few lovers prior to Alex, But in all fairness I do have to credit her with making me multi-orgasmic… The shake of her head was imperceptible, or… endlessly orgasmic… She didn’t like it in the beginning, Alex’s lovemaking was too intense and Catherine compared it to being tickled as a child by her father; He was relentless… he wouldn’t stop no matter how desperately I begged. She remembered how her mother would implore him to stop; It became torture and he wouldn’t stop until I screamed… She could clearly remember how her mother would step in, “Okay, are you happy now? You made her cry…”

  It was probably a control issue with Alex… she mused.

  But you eventually got used to it, didn’t you?

  Catherine grinned, Yes… as uncomfortably intense as it was, I did gradually arrive at a place where I could come endlessly…. Seemingly endless, multiple orgasms. Alex liked the control, and I liked coming… but she never listened to me when I complained of soreness… She couldn’t be bothered to stop and use lube… Catherine sighed. She’d always whisper the same thing, “Oh come on, baby…” It didn’t matter to her when I’d plead for her to stop, she delighted in tease-fucking me and would laugh when I begged for mercy... She remembered sobbing and crying as she lay beneath her wife; But it wasn’t emotional love… like with Jordan. I cried from sensory overload… and soreness and the fact Alex would not stop.

  When they got to the lighthouse Jordan came to a stop and Catherine let go of her arm, “Shall we go in again?”

  “Sure…” Jordan gave her a smile and pulled the keys from her coat pocket. She unlocked and opened the door and when they stepped inside Catherine turned to her, “I’d like to see the prisms again.”

  Jordan gestured to the metal spiral staircase, “After you.” Their feet clanged on the metal steps and they climbed until the embedded glass prisms came into view, “Wow…” she exclaimed softly, “It’s stunning on a clear, sunny day.”

  They stood close on the staircase, craning their necks as they stood in a sea of rainbow light.

  “It was,” Catherine carefully fingerspelled, “Isaac Newton who made the first prism when he was trying to design a telescope lens…” Jordan felt lightheaded as she watched the hands in the multicolored light, “and he wondered if it was the crystal that changed the sunlight into a rainbow, or if the rainbow had always been in the sunlight…” Standing on a step above her, Catherine found herself suddenly eye to eye with Jordan and her voice faded, stunned by her blue eyes turned violet, bathed in soft rose-colored light, “From it he learned about refraction… and reflection… He recognized the philosophy in science, and the science of philosophy…” She rested her hands on Jordan’s chest for a long moment before adding, “Great thinkers can stand on the threshold and see into both worlds… new possibilities...”

  “It’s beautiful…” Jordan whispered and pulled her in for a kiss.

  Catherine’s eyes fluttered closed and she sank into the embrace. The kiss was tender and passionate and when Catherine pulled away she signed with one hand held between their lips, “You are beautiful.”

  Jordan kissed the fingers and stroking her cheek, Catherine placed her lips on Jordan’s once again. This time, her caresses and interior explorations were more demanding and when Jordan realized the elegant hands were unbuttoning her jeans she pulled her mouth away and chuckled,

  “Here?”

  “Might as well…” Catherine gave her a heated smile, “with all this talk of transformational threshold experiences… it’s a good place to begin…” She slid her hands up and around her Jordan’s neck, guiding her to her lips. The kiss was slow and languid and when they parted, she added, “in the light …” she signed as Jordan unzipped her jeans and then unzipped her own, “in every light.”

  Sliding her hand under Catherine’s open coat, Jordan moaned softly at the heat when she slid her hand around the slim back. She held her close and straddled a petite thigh as her other hand slid into her open jeans and inside thin panties.

  Catherine’s breath became rapid and shallow and she grunted softly, arching into Jordan’s hand as she frantically shoved her hand into Jordan’s jeans and underwear. Their lips met again and their lips and tongues were as demanding as the hands and fingers that clutched and stroked through molten pools of heat.

  A sob escaped Jordan’s lips and she pulled her mouth away, “Please…” she begged, “please let me see you…”

  Catherine tilted her head to look into her eyes and Jordan’s carnal grunts transformed into joyful cries when she saw blissful ecstasy bathe Catherine’s features along with the colored waves of light. Their bodies convulsed and undulated together, finally tensing and both gasped raggedly when they climaxed, the brimming tears spilling from their eyes. Their cries echoed off the stonewalls and metal stairs and they shook and cried for long minutes until Catherine sagged limply against Jordan and she felt the fingers inside slow as the gripping waves of pleasure began to ebb. Shaking, she followed suit, slowing the hand and fingers inside Jordan’s clothes.

  Panting and breathless, Jordan sniffed aloud and smiled tearfully, “Can we just stay here… like this for a while?”

  Accept modestly; surrender gracefully. Catherine sat curled next to Jordan on the couch. The late local news was on but the words of the philosopher king she had memorized in just
one sitting echoed distantly; Men seek retreats for themselves, houses in the country, sea-shores, and mountains… with what art thou discontented? With the badness of men? To understand the true quality of people, you must look into their minds, and examine their pursuits and aversions. An image of Alex’s flash drive flickered on her mind’s eye and she plucked absently at the afghan that covered them both, The best revenge is to be unlike him who caused the injury.

  So, Catherine, she mused as she stared at the TV, what do you want? She looked at Jordan’s profile in the light cast from the TV and fireplace as more musings of Marcus invaded her thoughts;

  Accept the things to which fate binds you, and love the people with whom fate brings you together, but do so with all your heart.

  I want Jordan… she answered determinedly.

  The universe is change; our life is what our thoughts make it… You have power over your mind - not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.

  Cameron… She blinked when the TV suddenly turned off and realized Jordan had turned it off with the remote.

  “Ready for bed?”

  “With you… yes.”

  “Yes ma’am...” Jordan smiled and they both stood, “You can have the bathroom first… I’ll do my usual lockup down here.”

  Catherine nodded and went up the stairs to her room. She quickly changed into her nightshirt and leaving her bedroom door open for Jordan, walked down the hall to the bathroom. When she passed the doors to the third and fourth bedrooms she paused, They’re just bedrooms… Impulsively, she opened the door on her left and flicked on the overhead light.

  The room was furnished like her own with a bed, nightstand and bureau and shrugging inwardly, she shut off the light and closing the door, crossed the hallway and opened the door to the fourth bedroom. She turned on the overhead light and froze; a crib stood in the corner and a new baby monitor, still in the package, sat atop a stack of folded linen and blankets on a dresser. For Cameron.