CHAPTER 13—HTTP://WWW.WHUPASS.COM
The next day, Donovan's eyes were riveted upon Loralei. She was nervous and jittery. It drew his mind back to the night of the failed party. Her behavior today was similar to that night. He remembered thinking that if she didn't take a breath; she might wind up getting shot. The same thought whirled in his head right at that very moment. He had the urge to 'talk her down,' but he didn't think mere words would do the trick. Earlier, he had had Geneva bring down Rachel one last time before the 'plan' was put into action. One last time, that's a hell of a thing to be thinking right now. He shook his head incredulously and brought his mind away from that 'last time' thought. When he had brought Rachel to Loralei, the two of them stayed locked up in her room simply spending time together, doing nothing more than sharing time as a little family. Loralei had cried when she saw her baby again. She commented yet again how much of a 'crybaby' she had become since she gave birth. The hormones must still be out of whack, she had said. Although neither had voiced it to the other, they both knew Loralei was scared. She hadn't stared in the face of death in many months. The last time she had put herself in a bad position was her final run-in with Black Heart. She thought she wouldn't walk out alive, and her tears were pure fear. She was afraid she would never see her child or husband again. It was a rational thought, a natural one. It was the main reason why many federal agents ended up in divorce court. It was too heart wrenching. However, Loralei had boundless energy and strength coursing through her veins. Her jittery nature was a defense mechanism. Considering what she had gone through these past few months, she needed all she could get. Tonight the game would end, tonight she intended to leave it all behind for the final time. Ugh. Last. Final. Why am I even thinking about those words?
Loralei looked up suddenly as Donovan approached. A smile touched her lips for the first time in hours. What had brought on the smile was the recording device he held in his hands. Both of them were basically thinking the same thing. If the situation hadn't been so serious, she might have broken into hysterical giggles. He held it out toward her, and she couldn't help it. She covered her mouth and guffawed quietly in her hands for five minutes or more. Was he really thinking what she thought he was thinking? He had to be. The same wicked gleam was in his eyes. She couldn't believe the way her laughter shook her. She was walking into the ultimate of booby traps, and she stood before her husband hee-hawing like a drunken donkey. She remembered a comment that Donovan had made before he took the baby away. When this is over, the three of us need to go somewhere hot and tropical for a month or more. We must ensure the hotel is equipped with a hot tub. That's my only condition. I kind of liked that toe in the pants thing and would love to try it again. She had laughed until she cried, and cried until she laughed. It was either laugh or lose her mind.
Donovan stood a few short inches from her and held out the recording device. "Your wire, Agent Donovan," he said sedately.
How did he do that with a straight face? "Will you do me," she asked biting her lip against a fresh stream of laughter.
"Only in private," he said.
She snatched the wire from his hands. "When this is over, Frank," she whispered, "You can do me all you want. But until then, I think I'll get some help from a less distracting source. Alex," she called. "Will you give me a hand?"
The two women worked together until the wire was securely in place. Loralei had purposely worn a jacket over her dress blouse to help conceal the microphone. Although it looked like a pin, Casey wasn't stupid. He had seen these wires a dozen times. Of course, she was certain he would find the wire, and she was going in unarmed. It was crazy, but she insisted. A gun could be used against her as well as for her own protection.
"You know," Alex said, "I haven't gotten much of a chance to talk to you with what's going on, but I'm so glad the two of you are finally on solid ground."
Loralei inspected the wire and stood in front of the full-length mirror by the bed. It was well hidden. Wonderful. The fuck would still find it. "Yes, Alex, so am I. It was pretty scary. I don't know what would have happened if he hadn't brought you all here." She turned away from the mirror and crossed her arms over her chest. Good. It still felt fairly natural. "So, how are you and Farron getting along?"
She smiled a little. "Well, he's certainly nice, but I don't know how seriously he takes himself. He's the total opposite of Donovan. I don't know, it's strange. Since Farron has begun hanging around, he and Jake have been at each other's throats. I knew there was really no love lost between them. Jake would never say this to either of you, but despite his exterior, he had grown to respect Donovan and he took it personally when Farron hurt him. The last time he was at the Nest, they tore into each other and Farron made this smarmy accusation I really didn't care for."
Interested now, Loralei took hold of Alex's arm and led her to the bed. The two of them sat down on the foot. "What did he say?"
Alex laughed a little. "You're about to confront a sleazoid child porn producing FBI director, and you want to know about my love life? If Donovan could hear us now!"
Loralei rolled her eyes and laughed. "Yes, come on. A little girl talk couldn't hurt anything. Besides, it will get my mind off…other things. So, what was it that Farron said?"
She sighed and shook her head. "It was the weirdest thing. Farron, who forgets that I'm fluent in half a billion languages, starts hurling insults at Jake in Spanish. He accused Jake of 'wanting' me, and then says he couldn't believe he didn't see it before. That, my friend, knocked the wind out of my sails. Jake and I had a few words, and I've not really talked much to him since. He acted almost…jealous."
Loralei gave Alex a surprised, almost incredulous look. "Jealous? Jake is jealous of you and Farron? Wow. So, what are you going to do about it?"
It was Alex's turn to be surprised. "What am I going to do about it? Nothing. I think it's ridiculous. I said he acted that way, not that he actually was. Come on, Loralei, think about it. We work together very closely. Even if, and it's a big if, there was something, I don't think it would work. On top of that, Donovan would be so pleased to have two people under his immediate supervision who are fooling around. I can't even imagine."
"You're rationalizing, Alex," she said with a smile. "I know it, I invented it. So Frank would get a little upset. Big deal. I could work it out of him. Besides, if he were to get all self-righteous, remind him that he had a relationship with another agent he was working with. You know her well, you love her, you're the godmother of her daughter."
"Oh shut up," she said with a smile. "Why is it when your friends get married, they immediately want to marry off all their single buddies? Jesus, Loralei, you are such a drippy romantic."
* * *
FBI Director Chance Casey was a bit on the pissed side. He had called the hotel numerous times to meet with Agents Bey, LaKonte, and Fielder. All three of them had diverted him with little bullshit excuses. Something was wrong, and he didn't like it. He was almost to the point of demanding that the agents come to him. After all, he had the clout and could just about do anything he wanted. The only thing that had improved his mood was a brief phone call from Kadin [Donovan]. She had requested a private after-hours meeting, but she wouldn't elaborate as to what she wanted to 'meet' about. A thrill rushed through his soul. Had she finally stumbled upon the website? Had she seen the little gift he left for her? Casey sat down at his desk, leaned back in his deluxe executive chair, and propped his feet up. If he had seen one of his subordinates doing that, he would have yelled at them until his face turned blue. However, it was more than okay for him to do it. After all, by tomorrow night, he planned to be on an airplane to his cozy hideout. He couldn't wait. He fixed his eyes on the large crystal paperweight his niece had given him as a birthday gift. He had once thought it would be quite nice smashing it into Kadin's [Donovan's] face, and he began to like the idea the longer he thought about it. Perhaps after he felt her up a little, he would smack her at least once before he shot her down. Poor ol' Frank Donovan, a widower at such a young age, with a young child to raise all alone. It was almost sad, almost, but not quite.
* * *
Loralei wanted to be alone for a bit to work the plan through her mind one more time before it was carried out. She stood leaned over the bathroom sink, glancing at her reflection every few seconds. She had to work on her poker face. She could do it, but it would take some practice. Get in. Get the confession. Get out. If Casey discovers the wire [which he will], start fighting the sick fuck. Fight for your life, your daughter, and your husband. Before long, she heard a polite tap on the door before it opened. She looked up as Donovan stuck his head through the crack between the door and its frame.
"Is it okay," he asked.
She nodded as if saying 'it's more than okay.' He entered the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He approached her from behind and wrapped his arms around her waist, mindful of the wire. Only vaguely wondering [and not really caring one bit] if she had activated the recording device, he lowered his head and nuzzled the side of her throat. He was amazed to feel how steady she was. It seemed as if she had chased away her jittery nerves. It pleased him immensely. He once again marveled at her strength and wondered where she had hidden her reserves. She leaned her body into his and covered his hands with hers.
"I love you," he whispered into her ear.
"I love you, too." She moved his hands and slipped out of his embrace. "I need to do this and get it over with."
Before she totally left him, he took her hand and drew her back into his embrace for just a moment. He hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head. When he let her go, she flicked on the recording device with a little smile. Together, they walked out of the bathroom and toward whatever destiny fate decided to bring them.
The backups stationed themselves in the office of Lee Fielder. His was the closest to Casey's and had enough floor space for all of the agents. Donovan had placed a call to his superiors to let them know the status. Although the mission would probably take no more than an hour, it would be the tensest hour of Donovan's life. As he had done dozens of times before, he began to pace. Every now and then, he would curse himself for allowing Loralei to go in alone. He wanted to burst into Casey's office, show him his face, and then throttle him until he bled out on the floor. His wife, his much, much kinder counterpart wanted to take him alive, to let him suffer for his misdeeds. Dear God. I must have been crazy to allow this to happen. He stopped pacing only long enough to adjust the earpiece. He could hear every breath she took, every inflection, and every tone. He wished she could communicate with him in some way, but if she did, she would be caught sooner than his comfort level could take.
Cody watched as Donovan began pacing again. "Jesus, Boss. I wish you would stop pacing. You're making me nervous."
* * *
Before knocking on Casey's door, she straightened her suit and readjusted her wire. The floor was conveniently deserted. She wondered how Casey had managed to get rid of everyone. Of course, this area was mostly administrative offices, but still, there should be someone lurking about. Sighing softly [here it goes], she knocked on the door and waited for the sick fuck to answer. When she heard his impatient voice calling out to her, she entered his office and closed the door behind her. Uncharacteristically for the anal compulsive bastard, he sat back in his chair with his feet propped up on his desk. He really thinks he's something. Again, she was tempted to fly across the floor and hook her fingernails into his eyes.
"So, Agent Donovan, what brings you here after hours? I'm surprised that you would bother coming down for a special meeting. What absolutely couldn't wait until the morning?"
She crossed her arms over her chest. "Come on, Casey, stop fucking around. I think you know why I'm here. I think you knew I would be here even when you first asked me to come back. How long did you think it would take for me to find your little smut pit?"
He grinned a little. Finally. She had stumbled across the website just as he hoped. "Agent Donovan, whatever could you mean? Why don't you come over and sit down for a minute so we can thrash this out."
Playing it cool, she approached the chair parked in front of his desk and sat down. Her eyes identified a large crystal paperweight just inches from his hand. She didn't doubt that he intended to smack her with it. He must think I'm an idiot, she thought. Casually, she crossed her legs and kept close watch on him. If he made any sudden moves, she was prepared to jump. "You sick fuck," she spat angrily. "You were behind all those child porn sites, those snuff sites even back then, weren't you? I saw my picture on that site, and I fucking know it was you. Jackson knew it was you, and that's why you killed him, wasn't it?"
Casey smiled a little. "Why, I don't know what you're talking about, dear girl. Who said Jackson was dead? I told you, he's MIA. I think that you miss your hubby too much and it's making you hallucinate. What do you think?"
Loralei stood suddenly. She didn't get close enough for him to reach out for her, but she leaned fairly close to his desk. "Do you think I forgot what you did to me back when I was a rookie ICD agent? I remember everything. I remember the virus that not only killed my machine, but infected yours as well, because you ran the site from your damn office computer, didn't you? I remember when you touched me, when you tried to rape me. You know what? It made me sick. Just the thought of you inside me made me want to die. You are the sick fuck responsible for hurting hundreds of people. You, Casey, you. Why, Casey? Why did you want to do this to me, to all those children? Don't try to weasel your way out of it. I know. Soon enough, everyone will know."
"Wow," Casey said thoughtfully, slowly rising. "You're much smarter than I gave you credit, Kadin. You have it all figured out, don't you? Or at least you think you do."
With a whip like move of his hand, he reached for the heavy paperweight. Loralei slammed her hand on top of his in response. He didn't think, blink, or breathe. Instead, he grabbed Loralei's wrist and literally dragged her over his desk, effectively clearing it of every item. Taking both of her wrists in his hands, he jerked her over and slammed her body against the wall. Ripping at her jacket and blouse, he found the wire.
* * *
The last thing Donovan heard was the angered roar of Chance Casey crying, 'you bitch, you fucking bitch.' He didn't wait for his team to back him up. The instant he heard the tremendous crashing noise, he was out the door, nearly flying toward the director's office. Jake and Monica were on his heels.
* * *
Loralei managed to free one of her wrists [losing a bit of flesh while she was at it], and she struck out at Casey, her fist connecting with his neck. The blow forced him to move back a bit and he swung out. She ducked the blow, but a ring he wore on his right hand drew a long scratch down her cheek. She rebounded by bringing her knee up. Instead of hitting his groin, it landed clumsily on his thigh, but it was enough to distract him. She freed her other wrist and took a hit to her jaw. Tasting her own blood, she kicked out with her leg and planted her foot in the middle of his stomach. He pin wheeled his arms for balance and fell sprawling onto his desk. Loralei ran around the desk to attempt to make her escape, but he reached out and grabbed a handful of her hair, effectively bringing her to her knees. He pounced on her, with crystal paperweight in hand.
* * *
Donovan ripped open the office door just in time to see Casey wielding the paperweight over Loralei's head. Stunned by his presence, Casey looked back at him, and Loralei rolled away and brought herself to her feet. All it took for Donovan to lose his mind was the sight of his wife's torn clothing and the blood trickling slowly down the side of her mouth. Enraged now, he rushed Casey, knocking his body to the floor. Stunned by her injuries and her struggle against the sick fucker, she stood back and watched as Donovan set about killing the FBI director. In a strange sort of fascination, she couldn't tear her eyes away. Donovan was beating the man, smashing his head against the hardwood floor, cursing him. She knew she should step in and stop him before he really did kill him. For a moment, though, she couldn't move. The beating was much deserved for what he had done to her and to countless numbers of innocent children. Something clicked inside her, and she finally moved toward her insane husband. It was a struggle, but she eventually dragged him away as Jake and Alex made it to the room. Donovan was literally snarling at the man, and the only thing that calmed him was the beautiful sound of his wife's voice.
The moment he realized that Loralei was all right, that she was standing beside him more than alive, he took her aside. One wrist was chafed bloody where she had wrenched it out of Casey's grasp. Her cheek and lip were cut and bleeding. Her blouse and jacket were nearly ripped to shreds, but she was so very alive. His relief rushed through him like an out of control flood. He couldn't stop touching [gently, of course, mindful of her injuries] or kissing her.
"Loralei," he said breathlessly, "he didn't-" He couldn't say the words, couldn't bring himself to even think it.
She shook her head. "No. He didn't have the chance." She rubbed her cheek. "But goddamn, he had one hell of a right hook."
He laughed and cried a little at the same time. Oh yes. This was indeed his Loralei.
* * *
AUTHORS NOTE: Well, only one more chapter left, and it will probably be a short one. It will likely become a precursor to a short fluff fic, and then I might consider retiring Loralei and Donovan. I think you all are getting sick of them! Hahahaha. As always, thanks to everyone who has read, reviewed, and offered suggestions [especially TheDreamyOne]. Thanks again to those who have continued following this saga! One more chapter!!!!!