BACK TO VIRGINIA

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THORNOAK INN

Clay and Anna spent the remainder of that day swinging in the hammock and relaxing.  It was evening before they realized it.  They showered and had dinner at a small seafood restaurant.  When they returned to the cottage, they went back to the hammock and gazed at the stars.  As evening turned to night, it became cold.  Clay grabbed a blanket from inside and wrapping them together they settled into the hammock, made love and then let the sounds of the ocean and the gentle breeze lull them to sleep.

The next morning Anna woke up to the sounds of the waves hitting the shore.  She looked at Clay and then her left hand.  John Pierce was not going to be happy, but she was and so was Clay; that's all that mattered.

"Clay," Anna whispered. "Wake up."

"Don't you ever sleep in?" Clay asked.

"No and I didn't think you did either." Anna teased.

"I didn't until I met you.  I need to sleep in now." Clay said.

"You goin' soft on me Webb." Anna laughed. "What happened to that tough spy I met?"

"He's been tamed." Clay joked.

"No, that would be the Sexy Beast." Anna shot back.

"How did you know about that?" Clay asked fully awake.

"I have my sources." Anna said with a smile.

"Oh really? Anyone I know?" Clay asked.

"Maybe.  I have vays of making dem talk." Anna said with a Mata Hari accent.

"Oh I am sure you do." Clay laughed.

"Now," Anna said still using the accent, "I vant to know about dis reing."

"It's classified." Clay said.

"Don't make me torture you." Anna said.

"Clayton Webb, Deputy Director of Operations, 00525048." Clay replied.

"Name, rank and serial number only vork for POW's" Anna said.

"My name is Clayton Webb." Clay said again.

"Now, Meesteir Webb, vhere did dis reing come from?" Anna said with a mock sinister look on her face.

"Clayton Webb, Deputy Director of Operations, 00525048." Clay replied again.

"You are deeficult man, but I vill make you talk." Anna said and she nibbled on his neck.

"Ahh, Clay Webb, Operations Director, 0052…" Clay said forgetting himself.

"Yes, there is something you vould like to say?" Anna said and kissed his stomach.

"Mmm, Deputy of Mayberry." Clay moaned.

"Ok, Barney Fife," Anna laughed. "Come on tell me, did you have this planned?"

"Not exactly.  I bought the ring in London.  I had planned on giving it to you when I got back, but then, well, you know." Clay said.

"Why were you in London?" Anna asked.

"That really is classified." Clay said. "Anyway, I decided to bring it this weekend."

"I'm glad you did." Anna said holding up her hand. "And that's why you wanted to make breakfast."

"No, I made breakfast because I want you to rest, I just decided that it would be a good time." Clay said.

"So does anyone know?" Anna asked.

"Well Mac knew about the ring.  She saw it the day I got back.  She didn't know when I was going to ask." Clay said.

"Interesting." Anna said. "By the way good taste."

"Glad you like it." Clay smiled.

"What's not to like? It's a classic round stone in the platinum engagement setting with half-carat baguettes on either side.  I would say the center diamond is about 1.5 carats, with D quality and it looks like IF clarity." Anna said as a matter of fact.

"How did you do that?" Clay asked in amazement.

"One of my cousins is a gemologist, he spoke, I listened." Anna laughed.

"Good thing I didn't give you the one from the candy machine." Clay teased.

"I would have loved that just the same." Anna said with a contented sigh.

The settled back into the hammock once again.  Together they watched as the sun came up.

"Care to go for a swim again?" Anna said with a devilish smile.

"Maybe later." Clay said tightening his hold.

"Chicken." Anna said followed by clucking noises.

"I'm not chicken, I'm just very comfortable with you right here." Clay said.

"If your friends could see you now." Anna teased.  "They wouldn't recognize you."

"Sometimes I don't recognize me.  The things I say, the things I do." Clay said.

"Well is it so bad?" Anna asked.

"No, and they haven't noticed at work, at least I don't think they have." Clay laughed.

"Cool collected Clayton Webb, if they only knew about your skinny dipping." Anna said.

"My skin did not dip. Thank you.  I had something on in the water…" Clay stated.

"Right, it was on the beach that you went al fresco." Anna interrupted.

"Anna, do I need to talk to your mother or your uncle about marrying you?" Clay asked.

"You mean ask their permission?" Anna replied.

"Well, yes. I almost asked your mother in Italy." Clay stated.

"It's not required but I think that would be really nice." Anna said.

"What if she says no." Clay asked.

"She won't." Anna laughed. "Teresa told me Ma said at Christmas you were the one."

"She knew before me." Clay smiled.

"Clay, what about your mother? I know she likes me, but as a daughter-in-law?" Anna asked.

"Who do you think recommended the jeweler?" Clay said.

They played in the hammock for a few more hours.  Around noon they finally got up.  They checked out and did a little sightseeing before it was time to catch the flight back to DC.

On the flight, Clay told Anna that he had to leave town again.  He was leaving as soon as he dropped Anna off.  They realized this would be the first time in a week that they would not fall asleep and wake up together.

ANNA'S APARTMENT

Clay parked at Anna's and walked her to the door.  He followed her inside, put down her bags, kissed her and left.  She went out to her balcony and waved to him as he drove off.  Anna walked back inside, saw one of Clay's dress shirts and quickly changed into it.  It smelled like him, she loved that. She sat down and tried to compose what she would say to John Pierce, she reached for the phone to make the call.

"Buona sera, Anna." A man said coming from her bedroom.

"What the hell?" Anna said going to get her gun.

"Looking for this?" He asked holding her gun.

"What do you want?" Anna asked.

"Now, is that anyway to talk to an old friend of your family's?" Salvatore Milano asked.

"You're not a friend." Anna said. "Since when do you go out anymore? I thought your son handled everything."

"I want to know why you are going after my family again." Salvatore said. "I thought we had this settled."

"What are you talking about?" Anna asked.

"Helping the FBI, going after the Profacis. You're going to hurt my business. I can't allow that." Salvatore said.

"I think you have your facts wrong." Anna said. "Profaci is going to hurt your business.  I am a criminal defense lawyer; I have nothing to do with the FBI."

"Anna, you're not a very good liar." Salvatore said. "I know what's going on and I know about your state department boyfriend too."

"I'm not lying. Now just leave before you get into serious trouble." Anna warned.

"What kind of trouble can I get into?" Salvatore laughed. "No one has ever been able to touch me."

"Salvatore, leave or I will go after you and I will get you." Anna snapped.

"So righteous, is it hard being you?" Salvatore laughed again. "Just like your father. He couldn't get me, what makes you think you can."

"I'm better than my father. Even he said it." Anna stated. "Don't challenge me, you'll lose."

"Never will the day come that a Paparini can win against a Corelli.  Didn't you learn that yet?" Salvatore asked.

"Don't count on that." Anna said firmly as she walked to the closet to the other side of the room.  "Salvatore, I think you need to leave." Anna said as she turned and aimed Clay's back up piece at him. "You should have checked the room better. You're slipping in your old age."

"You won't shoot me." Salvatore laughed.

"Won't I?" Anna said firing the weapon just to the right of his head.

"I'll leave, but I think I should warn you. Be very careful of the doors you open.  You never know what's behind them." Salvatore said as he walked away.

"What did you do?" Anna shouted after him.  He didn't reply.

Anna walked around her apartment; what did he do?  A gun set up behind a door, when the door was opened the gun went off.  He wouldn't do that, too obvious.  Anna sat down she was actually scared. 

She needed to call Pierce, what was she going to do?  She wanted to tell him, she was out, but the game had just changed again.

 "John, this is Anna." She said. "We need to talk."

"You're back." Pierce replied.

"Yes and things have changed." Anna said.

"Anna, we need you." Pierce protested.

"I know, I was planning to tell you I changed my mind."  Anna said.

"And now?" Pierce asked.

"John, aside from you who else knows that I was coming to work for you?" Anna asked.

"Just my team. Why?" Pierce asked.

"Salvatore Milano just paid me a visit and he knew everything." Anna said.

"What?" Pierce asked.

"You have a mole in your operation." Anna said.

"Anna, that can't be." John said in shock.

"Then how did he know?" Anna asked.  "He said something else as he left."

"What did he say?" John said in a worried tone.

"He said to be careful about the doors I open." Anna said and paused. "Oh my God, John there's a bomb in my apartment."

"Are you sure?" John asked.

"I think so." Anna replied.

"Anna, where's Webb?" John asked.

"I don't know.  He said he was leaving town again right away." Anna replied.

"Anna, tell me exactly.  What did Milano say?" John asked.

"He told me to be careful of the doors I opened.  That I never know what's behind them." Anna said very calmly.  "John in 1993, an informant was killed when he opened a door inside his house.  It had a relay mechanism that detonated a bomb."

"Do you remember which door?" John asked.

"No." Anna said.

"Anna, you need to get out of there." John said. "I am going to track down Webb."

"John I can't leave.  It could be an exit door that was activated when he left."  Anna said.

"Right, don't move. I'm getting Webb and we will be there." John said.

ANDREWS AIRFORCE BASE

Clayton Webb pulled into Andrews.  He didn't want to leave but duty called.  As he was about to turn off the engine a song came on the radio that made him stop.

Last night, I waved goodbye, now it seems years
I'm back in the city, where nothin' is clear
But thoughts of me, holdin' you, bringin' us near
And tell me
When will our eyes meet?
When can I touch you?
When will this strong yearnin' end?
And when will I hold you again?
Time in New England, took me away
Long rocky beaches and you by the bay
We started a story whose end must now wait
And tell me
When will our eyes meet?

When can I touch you?
When will this strong yearnin' end?
And when will I hold you again?

Webb, you're getting sentimental about Barry Manilow. He laughed.  But the words made sense.  When was he going to see her again?  This latest trip might be as quick as 2 days or as long as 2 weeks or even months.  Although this time he wasn't just coming back to Anna, he was coming back to his future wife.  Wiping the tell-all smile from his face he got out of his car and walked to the hanger.

"Major Edmonds, good to see you." Webb said.

"Webb, glad you're here. I have an emergency call for you from John Pierce." Edmonds said.

"Pierce? What's his involvement in this?" Webb asked aloud.

"I don't know, but he has been calling every 5 minutes for the last 20." Edmonds said. "You can use the recon phone on board."

Clay boarded and grabbed the phone.

"Webb," he said.

"I don't have time for details. Get back to Anna's." Pierce said.

"What's going on?" Clay asked visibly shaken.

"There is a chance that there's a bomb in her apartment.  It may be triggered by a door, she can't get out." Pierce stated. "I'll meet you there and explain everything."

"I'm on my way." Clay said dropping the phone and running off the plane. "Edmonds! You need to get in touch with Samuel Brovinchi, tell him he is going to have to go in my place.  I have an emergency."

"What's going on?" Edmonds asked.

"Someone's trying to kill my wife." Clay yelled, as he ran to his car.

His wife? I didn't even know he was married, Edmonds thought as he placed the call to Brovinchi.

Clay raced out of the lot and back onto the road to Anna's apartment.  So many things were going through his mind.  The main thought was that he would kill who ever was trying to hurt Anna with his bare hands.  He almost lost her once and that was never going to happen again.