Chapter 25 --- Ties And Break-Ins

"Sweetheart, which tie should I wear?" Jake asked holding out two ties.

"Jake I don't like either the Bass of the Trout ties. Why don't you wear the red one?"

"It's a power tie and I'm posing as Kyle's assistant."

"Then wear the purple one with the green stripes."

"Ugh… That's worse than the fish ties."

"You bought it."

"When I was single and didn't have someone with taste to advise me."

"That's sweet."

"How did Sarah take the news that her Senator is just paranoid?"

"With relief, but we're changing salons."

"Good idea. Is she already packed to go home?"

"Actually, she asked if she could stay a week."

Looking at her blank face, he smiles. "Ok sweetheart, what's going on?"

Diane smiles, shakes her head, looks down and laughs. "Sarah bought a house, two blocks over. Close enough for coffee, far enough away to be out of sight."

"How? She's been here or under observation for what now, four months?"

"Just over. Kyle has been helping her, sort of acting as her agent. She saw the house when they were out for a jog. Through Kyle, she hired inspectors and contractors. Some of the times he was watching her they were at the bank, talking with contractors or decorators."

"Fran must have loved that?"

"She didn't know until recently when she cornered Kyle about strange phone calls he's been getting."

Jake raises his eyebrows.

"She was getting worried."

"I thought they weren't that serious?"

"I think it kind of snuck up on Fran." Diane said while taking the tie from Jake and straightening it out before starting to tie it for him. "Has Kyle mentioned anyone else?"

"No. He knows Fran is a friend, but the last few months we've known more about his movements than ever before. His actions with Sarah would fill in any empty spaces."

Finishing the knot by sliding it up to Jake's neck she asks, "Do you think they are…"

"I think we shouldn't… Let's just let them figure it out." Looking in the mirror, Jake smiles, "Thanks sweetheart."

Smiling, Diane replies, "You're welcome, can't have my man looking bad." Slowly frowning she adds, "About Fran and Kyle; alright sweetheart, we'll stay out of it."

"Kyle will appreciate that."

"I never thought she was his 'type'."

"She's exactly his 'type'."

"No she's not! There's nothing vapid about her and while she's pretty, she's not exactly a Victoria's Secret model."

"Oh I don't know. I'm looking at a Nanotechnologist that would double their sales." Winking at her, he continues, "Why can't there be two?"

"I'm not telling you where I hide my catalogues."

"You lock them in your briefcase, combination: 2, 3, 8, 1, 2."

"How did you…?"

"You told me you set it to when we married. Don't give me that look; you always put the mail in your briefcase."

"Ok, I give. Now tell me how Fran is exactly Kyle's 'type'?"

"First, about the vapid model 'types', he spent a long time getting over Mai Ling."

"Who's Mai Ling?"

"A Chinese double agent he was in love with."

"She… was at the Chinese Embassy, wasn't she?"

"That's her; smart, sexy and beautiful."

"And you think Fran has those qualities?" She asks jealously.

"She doesn't have your gift with a lab coat sweetheart. But yeah, she has those qualities. Then there's that golfer he's been following for the past few years."

"Tiger?" A puzzled Diane asks.

"No… Grace Park, the LPGA golfer."

"You're kidding?"

"No, Fran is exactly his 'type'."

"Huh… I'd never have guessed. Now, you go make the world safe for our daughter."

"Yes Ma'am." He says, leaning in for the quick peck she offered and extended.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

The day had been frustrating. While the trip to the law offices of Kemp, Meyer, Brady and Zigfrid had yielded no new information; Jake had confirmed Dumont's presence in DC. He had discovered that it would be another two weeks before Dumont could get his hands on the paperwork that would allow him to access his inheritance.

Facial recognition software had found him at the airport, train station and the bus depot; all false trails Jake knew. Dumont was taunting him, wanting to get him frustrated and distracted, so he'll make mistakes; mistakes that Dumont will use to take Jake's life away.

Watching Jake from the observation deck, Kyle smiled to himself, Dumont was in for a surprise; Jake was not the inexperienced youth he remembered. Where there had been uncertainty, now confidence. Marriage to Diane had not just matured him, it had given him a sense of responsibility that increased his natural patriotism.

He hears Lou's quiet footsteps behind him.

"What do we know?" Lou asked stepping beside Kyle at the railing.

"Dumont's near, he gets the paperwork that allows him access to the 'inheritance' in ten days. His Todd Eule nom de plume has been used sporadically for the last seven month, never near DC."

"Can we confiscate the 'inheritance'?"

"It's in a Swiss bank."

"That's a bit old fashioned."

"Her mother was from Bern. Warner went back twice a year to visit her grandmother."

"Even on a director's salary… Any evidence she was on the take?"

"None yet. Her parents left her some blue chip stock. Right now we have no idea how large the Swiss account is, or where the money came from."

Giving a slight nod, Lou states, "Jake looks motivated."

"He's got a family to protect."

"It gives him an exploitable weakness."

"True, but he's more motivated than I've ever seen him. I think Dumont will not like their next encounter." Glancing at her worried look he adds, "It's been some time since you worried about Jake."

"I always worry…" she gives a wry smile, "about all my agents."

Giving her a sideways look, Kyle arches an eyebrow.

"Yes Kyle, even you. It looks like he's found something?"

Noticing the printer at Jake's desk rapidly spewing out a ream of paper, Kyle answers, "He's hit another wall. As soon as he's printed out his notes, he'll go talk to Seymour."

Looking at Kyle, Lou asks the obvious, "Just how do you know that?"

"He's done it twice a day since we returned from Warner's attorneys."

"How does he get away from Mr. LaFortunada…"

Interrupting, Kyle explains, "If they find Dumont by the weekend, Seymour is invited to a bar-b-que at the Foley's. Apparently, Sarah found him interesting… Why do you not look surprised?"

Giving Kyle a look that would wilt a weaker man, "Haven't you noticed that when it comes to Jake and Diane… They have a way of making the impossible happen.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Jake was tired, in three days Dumont would receive his inheritance and nobody knew if there wasn't information included. The dull pain of a tension headache came and went in seconds; he almost missed being normal, almost.

The road was full of potholes; if Hank's Hashery didn't have the best corn dogs in town, he wouldn't have made the trek. As he turned into the pitted parking lot, his phone rang…

Pulling into a parking space, he flips it open to hear an upset Karen…

"JAKE!!... Nora is OK!..."

Interrupting, Jake shouted, "What do you mean… What happened… "

Pausing a second, Karen began again. "Nora is alright, I'm in your bedroom watching her sleep. I just got to your house, there has been a struggle. Dumont was here… He's grabbed Diane… There's a note…"

"What's the note say?"

Foley,

Finally, I will have my revenge. Come to the place you saved your wife's life. In case you try to call in the troops I want you to know that I have your wife. If you don't come alone, she is dead. If anyone but you shows up, she is dead. If you don't cooperate, she is dead. If you are armed or wired, she is dead. Outside of her poor taste in husbands I have nothing against her; maybe I'll let her live. Come immediately… Remember, the last thing you will see is the face of…

The Death Owl

Jake hung up, accelerated out of the parking lot while phoning Lou.

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

"…How do you want to handle this? Our people can be there in 10 minutes."

Thinking a minute, Jake responded with disdain, "I'm five minutes out, get our people within a mile of the target, monitor me with one of our birds."

"You should wait…"

"NO! He's just mad enough to kill her."

"You know he will anyway?"

"Yes, but he'll want to torment me first. Every minute I can buy means another minute for me to find an advantage."

"Are you going in unarmed?"

"That's his order."

"You sound… confident."

"He's already made a mistake."

"I understand. Our people will wait for your orders to enter. Good luck."

Hanging up the phone, Lou looks at Kyle, "What do you think?"

"Jake's pissed."

"I agree. Dumont's made three mistakes."

"Getting Jake pissed, letting Jake get near him and…"

XxxxxxxxxxxxX

Next: Death Owl v. The Killer Shrimp, or what is Dumont's third mistake.

A/N: I had intended for this to be the final chapter, the characters disagreed. I'm only writing this tale, they are doing the talking.

AA/N: I know that Dumont's name is really Kevin Jarrod Flynn. Since his character usually goes by Dumont, I'll continue the tradition.

AAA/N: This chapter and the next are taking longer to post because earlier this week I finally got my hands on the last four episodes made, but not broadcast here in the states. I don't think I've made Diane passionate enough.

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