« Hi Frisco, may I sit down? » Sam pointed to the seat next to me on the
park bench.
I looked at him for a moment. I was a bit startled to see him there. Sam didn't fit with the normal scenery of the park. I nodded and Sam sat down.
"I was kind of surprised to find you out of the office. Every time that I have seen you lately, you have been glued to a desk."
I smiled. "I know. Since the accident, they have turned me into a bloody bureaucrat. I never new that running the day to day operations of the bureau required so much paperwork."
"You used to be just like me. In the thick of everything. Hell, I'm sure that I have some grey hairs up here somewhere from some the situations you put us through."
"Come on, it wasn't that bad."
"Not that bad? How about the time you decided to camp out in a cave between two terrorist factions that were fighting over territory."
"Hey, it was the best way to receive intel from my informants on both sides."
"And whose idea was it anyway to send in one team to collect that information from both groups rather than sending in two teams that could focus on each side."
"Just think of all the time we saved getting all the information at once rather than having to wait until both teams came down to sort the mess out."
"And how many bullet's did we end up pulling out of you?"
"Okay, I'll admit, it probably wasn't my most sane decision." I looked at Sam. "You know, I'm not the only person to walk that fine line. You never did explain to me why you felt it was necessary to run back into that bombing zone after they scrubbed our mission. You my friend were lucky to get out without loosing any limbs. It was all I could do to get them to wait for you to get back before bugging out."
Sam laughed. "How about an exchange. I will tell you why I ran into that bombing zone if you will tell me how you got Zendith's youngest wife to give you a key to his house. Hell Frisco, I would settle knowing how the hell you got past all the guards that man had around his wives in order to get that key in the first place."
"Oh the stories we could tell if any of our work ever became declassified."
"Speaking of declassified, aren't you from around here?"
I looked at Sam. "I grew up here. I got into a hell of a lot of trouble on these streets. Why?"
"I thought that you didn't want your presence know just yet. Aren't you worried that someone would recognize you?"
"When I first came out here, I was sure that I would be recognized. But if anyone is aware of who I am, they haven't said anything yet. I've been coming here everyday at this time."
"Why here?"
"Look across the street. What do you see?"
"A school playground with lots of noisy children playing in the background. You know if you wanted a place to think and reflect, this isn't exactly the quietest place in this park to do that."
"It's the lunch hour. First they eat and then all the children play in the yard until one. Then the bell rings and they rush back inside to their classrooms. Look over by the merry go round. Do you see that little girl in the red shirt with the large yellow flowers and pigtails that is pushing it?"
"Sure."
"That's my youngest daughter. Until this last week, I haven't seen her since she was an infant. A couple of days ago she ran right by me. I mean, she was close enough that I could have reached out and touched her. But I didn't. I didn't want to scare her. She ran right by me and she didn't have a clue who I was."
"That must have been rough."
I gave Sam a rather sad smile. "In some ways it is. But I knew when I left that there would be consequences."
"Do you regret it? Leaving? Maybe you could have stayed and worked it out with your ex."
"We tried that once with my first child. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't stay away from the bureau. Felicia saw that. The long distance marriage was hurting her way too much. It is why we ended up getting a divorce in the first place. We decided a clean split would be better for the kids than just seeing them a few weeks out of the year and always waiting and wondering if I was alive or dead. I loved her, but the way I lived was exactly conducive to having a family. You know, after that little one was born, I volunteered to stay home and raise the baby while Felicia worked."
Sam looked at me like I was nuts.
"Yes, that's exactly the look that Felicia gave me. She knows me. Staying here would have killed me a little bit at a time."
"Now you're stationed here on a permanent basis. How are you going to handle it?"
"It's different now."
"How so?
"Before, I was always pulled away because in my mind, I was the best person for the job?"
Sam started laughing. "Getting a little big in the head were you?"
I laughed, "Yes, I guess I was. But you aren't one to talk. Wasn't it just yesterday that you were in my office because you felt like you absolutely had to be on the firing lines because no one else could do the job quite as well as you do?"
"That's different."
"How so?"
"Because no one can do the job as well as I can," Sam teased.
"Careful Sam, your ego is showing."
"So what is different now?"
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not as young as I used to be."
"That just means that you are a little more experienced and probably wiser because you're still alive. You're still in excellent shape. If I were you, I wouldn't be fitting yourself for that rocking chair just yet."
"I don't intend to retire anytime soon. I accepted a long time ago that I had this lifestyle in my blood. But with these injuries, I can't run on the front lines anymore."
"Well, I don't envy you your promotion. I don't think that I could handle a desk job. The paperwork is a headache."
"The responsibility is a bitch."
"I know. I heard that the last team finally called in though. Everyone is alive and accounted for."
"This time."
"It comes with the job Frisco. I don't envy you having to make the decisions of who to send where, but we all signed on for this. We know the risks that we are taking could get us killed. Sure, we all dream of coming out of this alive and retiring someday, but we also know that dying is part of this territory. If you have any doubts, remember, it helps for us to know that the person who is sending us out has been in our shoes and isn't just some desk jockey who punches numbers all day."
"I can see shades of Rio in that comment."
"Look me in the eye and tell me that you weren't just a little bit pissed that someone who had never been in the field before was calling the shots that day."
"Yet we are still alive to talk about it."
"If we had done it his way, we wouldn't have been."
"I assume you had a reason for looking for me."
"Skye is finished signing the paperwork. Deception is ours. The news will break in the papers tomorrow."
"That's good news."
"Frisco, the business world absolutely amazes me. Skye signed the papers at nine this morning and by ten, she was getting calls for interviews. Anyway, Skye wants to celebrate tonight, before the news hits the stands. She wants to go to the club and she wants you there."
"I don't have a problem with her celebrating, but I'm not sure that I am ready to go public yet."
"You know, Skye said something this morning that made a lot of sense to me. She said that you are going to be around for a while so you need to get your cover story together before someone notices you here and starts announcing to the world that the WSB is in town."
"No one who has seen me yet has recognized me."
"But eventually they will. Skye is right, it is better to start the rumour yourself and make them think what you want them to than wait for them to come up with something of their own."
"And I suppose that Skye has an idea."
"She says that your injuries will work to our advantage. Her idea is that due to your injuries, you have been forcibly retired."
"That is good. It would explain my return to Port Charles, but it wouldn't give me a reason to be at her celebratory dinner."
"That is the truly good part. Skye wants to offer you a job."
"A job?"
"Well, how else were you going to explain your constant presence at Deception?"
---
"What the Hell!" I looked at the computer screen again. "That can't be right." I picked up the phone and called my assistant Chris.
"What?" The voice said groggily.
"Sorry, where you sleeping?"
"Jax, I realize that where ever you are it is probably the middle of the day, but where I am it is three in the morning or are you forgetting that you sent me halfway around the world to check up on that building that burnt down."
"How is that going?"
"We are pretty sure that it was arson. They are still investigating, but it looks like the same mo as the others."
"Damn. That's the third one this year."
"Whoever this bastard is, he is very good at covering his tracks. But I'm sure that you didn't wake me up to ask about the fire. What is going on?"
"You better get out your computer."
"Why?"
"We have been raided."
"What did they get?"
"So far they got three companies and I've found some evidence that they don't plan to stop there."
"Do we know who?"
"Not yet. I'm still trying to track it to the source. That is why I called you."
"Could this be related to the fires?"
"We won't know until we find out who is behind it."
"Okay, I'm there now. Oh Shit. How the hell did they do this? I can't even begin to imagine the kind of legwork they must have laid down in order to accomplish this. My God. Whoever did this took all three companies in the same hour. There are just minutes between these raids. They were over before the fight even began. The groundwork that must have been laid out to accomplish that is staggering. You know Jax, someone either really hates you or they really wanted those companies really badly.
"Or both."
"That's always a possibility. Here, I've got it. The raids originated at a company called Deception. They are a perfume company. That explains the companies that they raided. All three would be useful if they were planning to expand to a global market. Mystery solved."
"That can't be right. Laura Spencer runs that company and she doesn't have the business experience to pull off that kind of raid. Besides, she's currently institutionalised."
"Institutionalised?"
"A loony bin. There is no way that she could be behind those raids."
"In that case, someone else is obviously running the show now. That someone knew our system well enough that they walked right by it. I hate to have to say this but it screams of an inside job. They had to have gotten inside information somewhere in order to walk by every safeguard we have."
"I know. Start sifting through everything. This may not be the end of it."
--
"My, my, aren't you in a good mood." Tori said to Skye as she practically danced around the kitchen.
"Haven't you heard? I've got good reason to celebrate."
"Yes I heard. You have had a busy day. Buying a company, giving interviews, raiding your husband's assets. Are you sure that it is wise to celebrate so soon? I mean you just took three companies off of him."
"And I plan to take a few more off of him before I am done."
"The man is bound to retaliate."
I laughed. "I'm looking forward to it."
"That is the exact same look I get when I'm getting ready to throw a few punches."
"In a way, that is what I am doing. Jax is bigger and stronger than I am so beating the crap out of him is out of the question. But a fight on the business front I can manage. I struck the first blow today. The war is on. I want to celebrate. You know what they say. You should play as hard as you work. Come on. This will be fun. We will get dressed up, go to the club, have a nice dinner and you can go dancing with your husband."
"I'm not going."
"What? Nonsense! Of course you are going. I even have just the dress you can wear to knock Sam on his ass."
"Skye, I appreciate it, but my presence at a public celebration might complicate things later."
"You will have to explain that one to me."
"If you are going to establish the image that you and Sam are an item, the last thing that you need is me hanging on my husband's arm."
"Who said anything about me and Sam being a couple?"
"Well, there is the fact that he is staying here with you. You know what that must look like to anyone hearing about it. Then there was that little scene with Jax when you and Sam cuddled on the couch and made up stories to go with those pictures the WSB manufactured in order to give you two a believable history."
"A past history. That is exactly the point. If anyone asks, Sam and I had our fling way back in college and now I'm just using him for his money. I know, you could be the damsel that saves him from my evil clutches."
"Skye, I'm serious."
"So am I. No offence. I adore your husband, but the last thing that I need right now is to be publicly linked to a married man."
"No one knows that Sam is married. In fact his current identity says that he's very single."
"I know. Frisco showed me his cover file so I could answer any questions as close to their story as possible. I got to say. He is quite the catch. Young, independently wealthy, old money, single, and drop dead handsome, I'd throw myself at him if I were the truth."
"Very funny."
"Who's joking? He's just the type that nay young beautiful model would love to snatch up."
"What model?"
"I can see it now. The wedding will make one hell of a publicity stunt."
"What wedding?"
"Sam's of course, to the head model of deception."
"Like hell he will! Real or make-believe, the only woman that Sam is going to exchange vows with is me."
"Oh good. I'm so glad that you volunteered. I'll have Frisco get started on the appropriate cover for you right away. We will have your entire new identity in place before the party tonight."
"Wait a minute. I haven't volunteered for anything. What identity?"
"As head model for Deception of course."
"No, uh uh, absolutely not. I am not model material."
"Nonsense. You have great features. I have already seen what you look like in photographs. You stand out even with the WSB's amateur shots. With a professional you will look fabulous."
"Hello! Remember me. I hate shopping. The idea of being a fashion plate is absolutely ridiculous. I kick people's asses for a living. I wouldn't have a clue what to wear. My idea of shopping is to go to supply and let them hand me my latest outfit."
"So far I don't see the problem. You don't have to shop. Someone will still do that for you. You will still be working for the WSB so you will be given several opportunities to 'kick ass.' You will have an established cover that will get you invitations to just about anywhere. You name the place or the party and I guarantee having your face across every major magazine will get you through the door with or without an invitation."
"I hate the spotlight and I don't want to be famous."
"Look at this from another angle. Sam is going to be in his current identity for a long time. Do you really want to put your relationship on the backburner, snatching little bits of time with him while he publicly dates other women? And I guarantee that he will be going out with other women because he will need dates for all those dinners and parties that the WSB will send him to. Or would you rather be the one on his arm for all this extracurricular activities."
"You don't play fair."
"So will you be my new model for Deception?"
"I know that I'm going to regret this, but yes, I will do it."
"Yes!" Skye shouted as she continued with her little celebratory dance around the kitchen.
----
"Jax, do you know a Sam Gemins?" Chris asked over the phone.
"That's the bastard that is currently living with my wife." Jax groaned. "What does he have to do with this?"
"I traced the funds from Deception's take over to him."
"Bloody hell! I can't believe that the bastard got in the first shot."
"He's living with your wife? Didn't you get your business files out of the house when you moved out?"
Jax groaned. "No, I left them there for a few days."
"Let me get this straight. You, a highly successful corporate raider, left important business files in the hands of your pissed off wife. What the hell were you thinking?"
"I didn't think that there would be any risk."
"No risk. No offence, but what kind of idiot are you? You cheated on your wife, royally pissed her off, and you thought there wasn't any risk in leaving important documents in your wife's care."
"I didn't think that she would hand that information over to someone else."
"Why the hell shouldn't she? Who says that she did? In case you have forgotten, you married a woman with a business degree from Harvard. Unlike your mistress, your wife has a brain."
"Brenda is not my mistress. What do you mean my wife has a business degree from Harvard? How did you find that out?"
"She worked for us at one point. Remember, ELQ, takeover, she practically handed us the company on a silver platter. She planed the entire takeover without you. You didn't even have to lift a finger. She just wanted your assets at the time. She did hand over a résumé for the files. Obviously you never read them. The lady is more than a pretty face. And now she has another financial backer."
"You think that my wife planed this?"
"Do you honestly think that she didn't?"
"You're right. Knowing her, she probably is going to run the company."
"She probably did all the legwork already. Just like when she took over ELQ."
Jax started laughing.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Chris asked.
"My wife wants to play. Let's give her a fight. I'll be damned if I hand anything else over to her. Chris, I need a complete profile on Sam Gemins. I want to know his weak spots. I also need you to hire someone to start snooping around in Deception. See if you can get someone into the company. I want to know what my wife is up to before she does it."
"Jax, that's not exactly legal."
"Chris, the love of my life has declared war. I'll be damned if I am just going to sit back while she takes over my holdings."
"Jax, do you realize that you just called Skye the love of your life?"
"Yes, I did, didn't I."
"What about Brenda?"
"A moment of temporary insanity, Chris, that is all she is. I want my wife back and I will fight on what ever battleground that she is going to create."
"Now that's the Jax I know. It is good to hear that you are back."
"You mean I was gone?"
"Jax, I have worked of you for going on ten years now. Every time that Brenda walked into your life, you turned into mush."
"What! I did not."
"Yes you did. You ignored your business interests. You took off to the middle of nowhere without a moments notice. And I never saw you in a more miserable state than when you were at that woman's beck and call."
"So, you're saying that when I'm in love, I do sloppy work."
"No, when you are with Brenda, you do sloppy work. When you're with Skye, you stay on your toes. No offence, but since you left your wife to dance attendance on your girlfriend, you got sloppy again. It's no wonder that she was able to waltz in and take a few companies off your hands."
"She's not my girlfriend anymore."
"Do us all a favor, keep it that way."
"Hey, I don't pay you to insult my personal choices."
"Nope, that's just a fringe benefit." Chris laughed.
"You're just lucky that you have worked for me for so long."
"Well, I have to get going. I have some inspectors to talk to before I can fly home." Chris stated. "Oh, by the way, what was in that present that you were sent?"
Jax looked blank for a second. "With every thing that has been going on, I forgot all about that. Wait, how did you find out that I had a present? I never mentioned it to you."
"Ned mentioned it when I called him."
"I never got around to opening it. I left it on the side table." Jax went to retrieve the package. "Wait. That's strange. It's not here."
"Having memory problems already Jax. You know that is one of the first signs of old age."
"I know that I left it here."
"Well then someone must have moved it."
"No one has been here to see me since Alexis and I know that she wouldn't move it."
"I suggest you look around. It has to be somewhere." ---
I looked around the apartment as I opened the door and stepped into the room. "Perfect silence." I sighed. "Brenda must be out." I said with a smile. I sat down on the couch to enjoy one of the few moments of peace and quiet since I made the huge mistake of agreeing to go along with Brenda's hair brain plan. 'What was I thinking when I married her? Oh yes, I remember. Brenda was threatening to go after Sonny. No way in hell was I going to let Sonny fall into that emotional trap again. But surely I could have thought up a better plan than to marry the woman.'
Just then, Brenda walked in the door.
I gritted my teeth, blew out a breath, and decided to play nice. "So who is the present from?"
Brenda jumped. She looked a little startled, like she hadn't realized that she wasn't alone in the room. I became curious. She looks so guilty, like she has something to hide. Brenda fumbled with the package. "Oh this," she said. "I bought it in town."
"Oh, you bought someone a present."
"Who said that it was a present?"
"Oh, I don't know, that fact that it is wrapped up was kind of a clue."
Brenda starred at it for a moment, like she was just realizing that little fact. "Oh yeah right."
Just wait. Something is definitely going on here. I got up and walked over to her. "Oh you bought something for Jax."
Brenda looked at me blankly for a moment. "For Jax?"
"Yes, you know, that's the name on the gift."
"Oh, yeah, right."
"Brenda, are you all right?"
"Sure, why do you ask?"
"Well you seem kind of spaced out there for a bit."
"I'm fine. I just need to get out of here for a while."
"Weren't you just gone?"
"I was?" For a moment, she looked just as blank as when I asked her about the present. If I didn't know better, I would swear that she didn't remember being out of the apartment.
"Brenda, are you sure that you are okay?"
This time she answered with a little more conviction. "I'm fine Jason. I just need to get out. You know, the pressures with the murder trial and all that junk. Take me out somewhere tonight. I know. Let's go dancing."
Dancing? Okay how bad could that be? "Sure, fine, whatever. Pick the place and time, and I'll take you there."
"Club 101 at 8:00."
"Fine."
"Fine."
I looked at him for a moment. I was a bit startled to see him there. Sam didn't fit with the normal scenery of the park. I nodded and Sam sat down.
"I was kind of surprised to find you out of the office. Every time that I have seen you lately, you have been glued to a desk."
I smiled. "I know. Since the accident, they have turned me into a bloody bureaucrat. I never new that running the day to day operations of the bureau required so much paperwork."
"You used to be just like me. In the thick of everything. Hell, I'm sure that I have some grey hairs up here somewhere from some the situations you put us through."
"Come on, it wasn't that bad."
"Not that bad? How about the time you decided to camp out in a cave between two terrorist factions that were fighting over territory."
"Hey, it was the best way to receive intel from my informants on both sides."
"And whose idea was it anyway to send in one team to collect that information from both groups rather than sending in two teams that could focus on each side."
"Just think of all the time we saved getting all the information at once rather than having to wait until both teams came down to sort the mess out."
"And how many bullet's did we end up pulling out of you?"
"Okay, I'll admit, it probably wasn't my most sane decision." I looked at Sam. "You know, I'm not the only person to walk that fine line. You never did explain to me why you felt it was necessary to run back into that bombing zone after they scrubbed our mission. You my friend were lucky to get out without loosing any limbs. It was all I could do to get them to wait for you to get back before bugging out."
Sam laughed. "How about an exchange. I will tell you why I ran into that bombing zone if you will tell me how you got Zendith's youngest wife to give you a key to his house. Hell Frisco, I would settle knowing how the hell you got past all the guards that man had around his wives in order to get that key in the first place."
"Oh the stories we could tell if any of our work ever became declassified."
"Speaking of declassified, aren't you from around here?"
I looked at Sam. "I grew up here. I got into a hell of a lot of trouble on these streets. Why?"
"I thought that you didn't want your presence know just yet. Aren't you worried that someone would recognize you?"
"When I first came out here, I was sure that I would be recognized. But if anyone is aware of who I am, they haven't said anything yet. I've been coming here everyday at this time."
"Why here?"
"Look across the street. What do you see?"
"A school playground with lots of noisy children playing in the background. You know if you wanted a place to think and reflect, this isn't exactly the quietest place in this park to do that."
"It's the lunch hour. First they eat and then all the children play in the yard until one. Then the bell rings and they rush back inside to their classrooms. Look over by the merry go round. Do you see that little girl in the red shirt with the large yellow flowers and pigtails that is pushing it?"
"Sure."
"That's my youngest daughter. Until this last week, I haven't seen her since she was an infant. A couple of days ago she ran right by me. I mean, she was close enough that I could have reached out and touched her. But I didn't. I didn't want to scare her. She ran right by me and she didn't have a clue who I was."
"That must have been rough."
I gave Sam a rather sad smile. "In some ways it is. But I knew when I left that there would be consequences."
"Do you regret it? Leaving? Maybe you could have stayed and worked it out with your ex."
"We tried that once with my first child. I just couldn't do it. I couldn't stay away from the bureau. Felicia saw that. The long distance marriage was hurting her way too much. It is why we ended up getting a divorce in the first place. We decided a clean split would be better for the kids than just seeing them a few weeks out of the year and always waiting and wondering if I was alive or dead. I loved her, but the way I lived was exactly conducive to having a family. You know, after that little one was born, I volunteered to stay home and raise the baby while Felicia worked."
Sam looked at me like I was nuts.
"Yes, that's exactly the look that Felicia gave me. She knows me. Staying here would have killed me a little bit at a time."
"Now you're stationed here on a permanent basis. How are you going to handle it?"
"It's different now."
"How so?
"Before, I was always pulled away because in my mind, I was the best person for the job?"
Sam started laughing. "Getting a little big in the head were you?"
I laughed, "Yes, I guess I was. But you aren't one to talk. Wasn't it just yesterday that you were in my office because you felt like you absolutely had to be on the firing lines because no one else could do the job quite as well as you do?"
"That's different."
"How so?"
"Because no one can do the job as well as I can," Sam teased.
"Careful Sam, your ego is showing."
"So what is different now?"
"In case you haven't noticed, I'm not as young as I used to be."
"That just means that you are a little more experienced and probably wiser because you're still alive. You're still in excellent shape. If I were you, I wouldn't be fitting yourself for that rocking chair just yet."
"I don't intend to retire anytime soon. I accepted a long time ago that I had this lifestyle in my blood. But with these injuries, I can't run on the front lines anymore."
"Well, I don't envy you your promotion. I don't think that I could handle a desk job. The paperwork is a headache."
"The responsibility is a bitch."
"I know. I heard that the last team finally called in though. Everyone is alive and accounted for."
"This time."
"It comes with the job Frisco. I don't envy you having to make the decisions of who to send where, but we all signed on for this. We know the risks that we are taking could get us killed. Sure, we all dream of coming out of this alive and retiring someday, but we also know that dying is part of this territory. If you have any doubts, remember, it helps for us to know that the person who is sending us out has been in our shoes and isn't just some desk jockey who punches numbers all day."
"I can see shades of Rio in that comment."
"Look me in the eye and tell me that you weren't just a little bit pissed that someone who had never been in the field before was calling the shots that day."
"Yet we are still alive to talk about it."
"If we had done it his way, we wouldn't have been."
"I assume you had a reason for looking for me."
"Skye is finished signing the paperwork. Deception is ours. The news will break in the papers tomorrow."
"That's good news."
"Frisco, the business world absolutely amazes me. Skye signed the papers at nine this morning and by ten, she was getting calls for interviews. Anyway, Skye wants to celebrate tonight, before the news hits the stands. She wants to go to the club and she wants you there."
"I don't have a problem with her celebrating, but I'm not sure that I am ready to go public yet."
"You know, Skye said something this morning that made a lot of sense to me. She said that you are going to be around for a while so you need to get your cover story together before someone notices you here and starts announcing to the world that the WSB is in town."
"No one who has seen me yet has recognized me."
"But eventually they will. Skye is right, it is better to start the rumour yourself and make them think what you want them to than wait for them to come up with something of their own."
"And I suppose that Skye has an idea."
"She says that your injuries will work to our advantage. Her idea is that due to your injuries, you have been forcibly retired."
"That is good. It would explain my return to Port Charles, but it wouldn't give me a reason to be at her celebratory dinner."
"That is the truly good part. Skye wants to offer you a job."
"A job?"
"Well, how else were you going to explain your constant presence at Deception?"
---
"What the Hell!" I looked at the computer screen again. "That can't be right." I picked up the phone and called my assistant Chris.
"What?" The voice said groggily.
"Sorry, where you sleeping?"
"Jax, I realize that where ever you are it is probably the middle of the day, but where I am it is three in the morning or are you forgetting that you sent me halfway around the world to check up on that building that burnt down."
"How is that going?"
"We are pretty sure that it was arson. They are still investigating, but it looks like the same mo as the others."
"Damn. That's the third one this year."
"Whoever this bastard is, he is very good at covering his tracks. But I'm sure that you didn't wake me up to ask about the fire. What is going on?"
"You better get out your computer."
"Why?"
"We have been raided."
"What did they get?"
"So far they got three companies and I've found some evidence that they don't plan to stop there."
"Do we know who?"
"Not yet. I'm still trying to track it to the source. That is why I called you."
"Could this be related to the fires?"
"We won't know until we find out who is behind it."
"Okay, I'm there now. Oh Shit. How the hell did they do this? I can't even begin to imagine the kind of legwork they must have laid down in order to accomplish this. My God. Whoever did this took all three companies in the same hour. There are just minutes between these raids. They were over before the fight even began. The groundwork that must have been laid out to accomplish that is staggering. You know Jax, someone either really hates you or they really wanted those companies really badly.
"Or both."
"That's always a possibility. Here, I've got it. The raids originated at a company called Deception. They are a perfume company. That explains the companies that they raided. All three would be useful if they were planning to expand to a global market. Mystery solved."
"That can't be right. Laura Spencer runs that company and she doesn't have the business experience to pull off that kind of raid. Besides, she's currently institutionalised."
"Institutionalised?"
"A loony bin. There is no way that she could be behind those raids."
"In that case, someone else is obviously running the show now. That someone knew our system well enough that they walked right by it. I hate to have to say this but it screams of an inside job. They had to have gotten inside information somewhere in order to walk by every safeguard we have."
"I know. Start sifting through everything. This may not be the end of it."
--
"My, my, aren't you in a good mood." Tori said to Skye as she practically danced around the kitchen.
"Haven't you heard? I've got good reason to celebrate."
"Yes I heard. You have had a busy day. Buying a company, giving interviews, raiding your husband's assets. Are you sure that it is wise to celebrate so soon? I mean you just took three companies off of him."
"And I plan to take a few more off of him before I am done."
"The man is bound to retaliate."
I laughed. "I'm looking forward to it."
"That is the exact same look I get when I'm getting ready to throw a few punches."
"In a way, that is what I am doing. Jax is bigger and stronger than I am so beating the crap out of him is out of the question. But a fight on the business front I can manage. I struck the first blow today. The war is on. I want to celebrate. You know what they say. You should play as hard as you work. Come on. This will be fun. We will get dressed up, go to the club, have a nice dinner and you can go dancing with your husband."
"I'm not going."
"What? Nonsense! Of course you are going. I even have just the dress you can wear to knock Sam on his ass."
"Skye, I appreciate it, but my presence at a public celebration might complicate things later."
"You will have to explain that one to me."
"If you are going to establish the image that you and Sam are an item, the last thing that you need is me hanging on my husband's arm."
"Who said anything about me and Sam being a couple?"
"Well, there is the fact that he is staying here with you. You know what that must look like to anyone hearing about it. Then there was that little scene with Jax when you and Sam cuddled on the couch and made up stories to go with those pictures the WSB manufactured in order to give you two a believable history."
"A past history. That is exactly the point. If anyone asks, Sam and I had our fling way back in college and now I'm just using him for his money. I know, you could be the damsel that saves him from my evil clutches."
"Skye, I'm serious."
"So am I. No offence. I adore your husband, but the last thing that I need right now is to be publicly linked to a married man."
"No one knows that Sam is married. In fact his current identity says that he's very single."
"I know. Frisco showed me his cover file so I could answer any questions as close to their story as possible. I got to say. He is quite the catch. Young, independently wealthy, old money, single, and drop dead handsome, I'd throw myself at him if I were the truth."
"Very funny."
"Who's joking? He's just the type that nay young beautiful model would love to snatch up."
"What model?"
"I can see it now. The wedding will make one hell of a publicity stunt."
"What wedding?"
"Sam's of course, to the head model of deception."
"Like hell he will! Real or make-believe, the only woman that Sam is going to exchange vows with is me."
"Oh good. I'm so glad that you volunteered. I'll have Frisco get started on the appropriate cover for you right away. We will have your entire new identity in place before the party tonight."
"Wait a minute. I haven't volunteered for anything. What identity?"
"As head model for Deception of course."
"No, uh uh, absolutely not. I am not model material."
"Nonsense. You have great features. I have already seen what you look like in photographs. You stand out even with the WSB's amateur shots. With a professional you will look fabulous."
"Hello! Remember me. I hate shopping. The idea of being a fashion plate is absolutely ridiculous. I kick people's asses for a living. I wouldn't have a clue what to wear. My idea of shopping is to go to supply and let them hand me my latest outfit."
"So far I don't see the problem. You don't have to shop. Someone will still do that for you. You will still be working for the WSB so you will be given several opportunities to 'kick ass.' You will have an established cover that will get you invitations to just about anywhere. You name the place or the party and I guarantee having your face across every major magazine will get you through the door with or without an invitation."
"I hate the spotlight and I don't want to be famous."
"Look at this from another angle. Sam is going to be in his current identity for a long time. Do you really want to put your relationship on the backburner, snatching little bits of time with him while he publicly dates other women? And I guarantee that he will be going out with other women because he will need dates for all those dinners and parties that the WSB will send him to. Or would you rather be the one on his arm for all this extracurricular activities."
"You don't play fair."
"So will you be my new model for Deception?"
"I know that I'm going to regret this, but yes, I will do it."
"Yes!" Skye shouted as she continued with her little celebratory dance around the kitchen.
----
"Jax, do you know a Sam Gemins?" Chris asked over the phone.
"That's the bastard that is currently living with my wife." Jax groaned. "What does he have to do with this?"
"I traced the funds from Deception's take over to him."
"Bloody hell! I can't believe that the bastard got in the first shot."
"He's living with your wife? Didn't you get your business files out of the house when you moved out?"
Jax groaned. "No, I left them there for a few days."
"Let me get this straight. You, a highly successful corporate raider, left important business files in the hands of your pissed off wife. What the hell were you thinking?"
"I didn't think that there would be any risk."
"No risk. No offence, but what kind of idiot are you? You cheated on your wife, royally pissed her off, and you thought there wasn't any risk in leaving important documents in your wife's care."
"I didn't think that she would hand that information over to someone else."
"Why the hell shouldn't she? Who says that she did? In case you have forgotten, you married a woman with a business degree from Harvard. Unlike your mistress, your wife has a brain."
"Brenda is not my mistress. What do you mean my wife has a business degree from Harvard? How did you find that out?"
"She worked for us at one point. Remember, ELQ, takeover, she practically handed us the company on a silver platter. She planed the entire takeover without you. You didn't even have to lift a finger. She just wanted your assets at the time. She did hand over a résumé for the files. Obviously you never read them. The lady is more than a pretty face. And now she has another financial backer."
"You think that my wife planed this?"
"Do you honestly think that she didn't?"
"You're right. Knowing her, she probably is going to run the company."
"She probably did all the legwork already. Just like when she took over ELQ."
Jax started laughing.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Chris asked.
"My wife wants to play. Let's give her a fight. I'll be damned if I hand anything else over to her. Chris, I need a complete profile on Sam Gemins. I want to know his weak spots. I also need you to hire someone to start snooping around in Deception. See if you can get someone into the company. I want to know what my wife is up to before she does it."
"Jax, that's not exactly legal."
"Chris, the love of my life has declared war. I'll be damned if I am just going to sit back while she takes over my holdings."
"Jax, do you realize that you just called Skye the love of your life?"
"Yes, I did, didn't I."
"What about Brenda?"
"A moment of temporary insanity, Chris, that is all she is. I want my wife back and I will fight on what ever battleground that she is going to create."
"Now that's the Jax I know. It is good to hear that you are back."
"You mean I was gone?"
"Jax, I have worked of you for going on ten years now. Every time that Brenda walked into your life, you turned into mush."
"What! I did not."
"Yes you did. You ignored your business interests. You took off to the middle of nowhere without a moments notice. And I never saw you in a more miserable state than when you were at that woman's beck and call."
"So, you're saying that when I'm in love, I do sloppy work."
"No, when you are with Brenda, you do sloppy work. When you're with Skye, you stay on your toes. No offence, but since you left your wife to dance attendance on your girlfriend, you got sloppy again. It's no wonder that she was able to waltz in and take a few companies off your hands."
"She's not my girlfriend anymore."
"Do us all a favor, keep it that way."
"Hey, I don't pay you to insult my personal choices."
"Nope, that's just a fringe benefit." Chris laughed.
"You're just lucky that you have worked for me for so long."
"Well, I have to get going. I have some inspectors to talk to before I can fly home." Chris stated. "Oh, by the way, what was in that present that you were sent?"
Jax looked blank for a second. "With every thing that has been going on, I forgot all about that. Wait, how did you find out that I had a present? I never mentioned it to you."
"Ned mentioned it when I called him."
"I never got around to opening it. I left it on the side table." Jax went to retrieve the package. "Wait. That's strange. It's not here."
"Having memory problems already Jax. You know that is one of the first signs of old age."
"I know that I left it here."
"Well then someone must have moved it."
"No one has been here to see me since Alexis and I know that she wouldn't move it."
"I suggest you look around. It has to be somewhere." ---
I looked around the apartment as I opened the door and stepped into the room. "Perfect silence." I sighed. "Brenda must be out." I said with a smile. I sat down on the couch to enjoy one of the few moments of peace and quiet since I made the huge mistake of agreeing to go along with Brenda's hair brain plan. 'What was I thinking when I married her? Oh yes, I remember. Brenda was threatening to go after Sonny. No way in hell was I going to let Sonny fall into that emotional trap again. But surely I could have thought up a better plan than to marry the woman.'
Just then, Brenda walked in the door.
I gritted my teeth, blew out a breath, and decided to play nice. "So who is the present from?"
Brenda jumped. She looked a little startled, like she hadn't realized that she wasn't alone in the room. I became curious. She looks so guilty, like she has something to hide. Brenda fumbled with the package. "Oh this," she said. "I bought it in town."
"Oh, you bought someone a present."
"Who said that it was a present?"
"Oh, I don't know, that fact that it is wrapped up was kind of a clue."
Brenda starred at it for a moment, like she was just realizing that little fact. "Oh yeah right."
Just wait. Something is definitely going on here. I got up and walked over to her. "Oh you bought something for Jax."
Brenda looked at me blankly for a moment. "For Jax?"
"Yes, you know, that's the name on the gift."
"Oh, yeah, right."
"Brenda, are you all right?"
"Sure, why do you ask?"
"Well you seem kind of spaced out there for a bit."
"I'm fine. I just need to get out of here for a while."
"Weren't you just gone?"
"I was?" For a moment, she looked just as blank as when I asked her about the present. If I didn't know better, I would swear that she didn't remember being out of the apartment.
"Brenda, are you sure that you are okay?"
This time she answered with a little more conviction. "I'm fine Jason. I just need to get out. You know, the pressures with the murder trial and all that junk. Take me out somewhere tonight. I know. Let's go dancing."
Dancing? Okay how bad could that be? "Sure, fine, whatever. Pick the place and time, and I'll take you there."
"Club 101 at 8:00."
"Fine."
"Fine."
