Chapter 9: The Rake's Song

10:40 a.m.

Extensive Enterprises, 200 Park Avenue, New York City

High above the glistening streets of Midtown Manhattan, Lady Jaye faced two doors, both marked "Mr. Paoli." One game later of eenie-meenie-miney-mo and she pushed open the door on the right. Stepping inside, she knew she picked wrong; it was Xamot's office. Decorated in the same Bauhaus-style as the lobby, the office was a showroom of functional architecture. It was the opposite of the one office she could recall, her father's. Her father's office had been cluttered and lived in, pictures filling empty surfaces and various useless gifts that only kids gave their fathers were on proud display. This office felt cold. The glass desk in the center of the room had a phone and a pad of paper on it, nothing else. In front of the desk was a Noguchi coffee table surrounded by a trio of Barcelona chairs. The remainder of the immense corner office was a museum. In one corner recessed spotlights illuminated a few found object sculptures perched on steel pedestals. Opposite, she allowed her eyes to bug out for a moment, a Jackson Pollack painting covered most of the wall. Xamot was a collector. In different circumstances she probably would have enjoyed discussing his acquisitions. In these circumstances she thought she was fortunate he wasn't there. That would have been a bit awkward. Backing out, she went for door number two.

Closing the second door behind her, she knew this office belonged to Tomax. His office, while large and luxurious, didn't reflect the severity of Xamot's. There was a certain feel of home to it, a sense of the classic. "Tomax? Are you here?" She stepped further in, eyes darting around in the semi-darkness, searching for any signs of life. "Tomax?"

In one corner, a large mahogany desk was angled to view the entire space. Surrounded by plush green chairs, this was something she expected to see in her father's study. She let down her guard just a smidge. A seating area, complete with oriental carpet, sofa and love seat was welcoming. This is where they took their blue blood clients. Xamot's office was for the upstarts. She walked over to the bookshelf lining the wall next to the door and placed the cleaning supplies on the floor. She wasn't even going to try. As she took in the titles lining the shelves, she willed herself to act nonchalant. Some of the greatest finds of English literature took up residence. She ran her finger across a set of original Dickens, stopping at Great Expectations. Of course he would have all three volumes of the first edition. A bookmark poked out of the first volume. She couldn't help herself and pulled the book off the shelf, opening to the bookmark upon which "To Tom, I saw no shadow of another parting from you," was scribbled in feminine script. Her hand quivered as she slid the book back into place.

"I see we have similar taste." She jumped at the sound, and pivoted to see Tomax step away from his desk. "Did I surprise you?"

"Tomax."

"You received my message, good. I had hoped it would be you."

"I'm sorry?"

Tomax began to walk across the room toward her. "The Joes could have sent anyone. I wanted it to be you, sweet, misunderstood Lady Jaye."

"What?" She willed her body to stay put and hold its ground even as Tomax's overtures freaked her out to no end.

"Oh don't what me. Every little piece put into play was to catch your eye. I called you. I knew you of all people would understand." He took another step toward her.

She shook her head, unsure how to respond. Why her? What could she possibly understand?

"I knew you would understand the binds of family. Love and loss, you know as well as I do what family can reap. It's what drives you; it's what makes you tick. Why do you dirty your hands in the mud when your corner office should be higher than mine? To anyone else, you make no sense. But I understand you. I find you," he paused for a moment, eyes closed, a faint shiver running down his body. His eyes snapped open, "fascinating." He took another step in her direction. She held firm, her entire body screaming to run, run far away. Her mind struggled for control of her limbs. She had to maintain her ground. Never give in to the twins; they played with your head. That's all he was doing now. He didn't know her any better than some random person off the street. It was all just a game.

"Oh my sweet girl, you think I'm toying with you." His mouth spread into a lecherous grin, "I can assure you, I'm serious, I'm very serious."

Lady Jaye closed her eyes for a moment, finding her new part. God help her, she believed him. For whatever reason, he thought they had a bond; she would utilize that. She opened her eyes to find that he had drifted but a few paces away from where she stood. He maintained a steady gaze on her, more like through her. "Tell me what's going on."

Tomax moved in front of her, slightly aroused by her quickened breath. If he wanted to, he could lean forward and take her. It was a tempting thought but he had other things in mind. His face was an inch from hers, "You know I can't make this easy for you."

"You called me. I'm here." She paused, "Help me."

For a moment, Tomax was just a man standing before her, nursing a terrible secret. His eyes flashed an instant of pain and grief. He hurt, he hurt desperately. She had an overwhelming urge to reach out to him, take him in her arms, and just hold him tight. Her hand raised slightly out to him. He saw and whipped his head back, laughing heartily. His gaze was back on her and the moment was gone, hidden behind his calculating stare. "Oh my dear, I want to help but it can't be like this."

Tomax lunged at Lady Jaye, pinning her to the bookshelf, the wooden shelves digging into her back. She squirmed against his hold, but he was strong and held her wrists tight over her head, practically cutting off the circulation. She cursed the high-heeled boots throwing off her center of gravity. Yet one more thing she couldn't understand how people could wear for battle. Combat boots were just that, boots for combat. Why mess with a formula that worked? Tomax pressed his body into hers, bringing her to the here and now. His legs were blocking hers from moving, preventing her from gaining any leverage. Tracing the shadows of her neck, he let his nose lead the way, pausing for a moment as his lips threatened to brush against hers. Lady Jaye held her breath, eyes focused on a painting across the room of an empty prairie. Tomax followed the contours of her cheek with his mouth up to her ear where he whispered, "I'm sorry it has to be this way. I can't feel him. He might sense something's afoot and I wouldn't know." Tomax rested his cheek against hers. "I know Michelle Parke. What happened to her was no accident."

Lady Jaye gasped and Tomax responded, "It is as dark as you imagine. He must be stopped." Tomax cocked his head to the side, listening to something in the distance. He turned back to her. "You must fight me."

She shook her head, "I don't want to fight you."

He grasped her arms just under her shoulders and shook hard, "Fight me!"

"No! Come with me. We can help you."

Tomax shook his head once and then leaned in, kissing her hard. Defensive instincts kicked in. Lady Jaye dipped her head back and then slammed it forward straight into Tomax's nose. He released her with a sharp cry, reeling backward, stumbling before finding his balance. He touched his nose gingerly, looking at her, "Not the face, anything but the face."

She nodded, fixing her stance. Her heart was racing and she had no idea what to expect. Fight him? That would be stupid. Tomax stood up and extended his frame, rolling his neck around a few times before stopping. "This is more like it." He then rushed at her. She ducked around him, trying to side step away. Her heel caught in the carpet and Tomax grabbed her right arm, twisting it behind her back, pulling her into him. His head came over her shoulder. She struggled as her leaned in. "Mindbender did something to my brother on the orders of Cobra Commander. He messed with his head, broke our bond. He also discovered some of our secrets. We had contingency plans, hidden potential revenue streams, shell companies at the ready. The Commander seized upon those for his own use through my brother. He's using our structure to implement his latest plot. I don't know everything. Mindbender's developed some sort of biological weapon. The Commander's been testing it. That's what happened on the metro."

"Why would he target you?" Lady Jaye grunted and kicked her left leg back, making solid contact with his groin. Tomax yelped in pain, releasing her arm and falling to his knees while holding himself. He looked up at her, surprise evident on his face. Taking a few steps back, she hunched over, "You . . . said . . . anything but . . . your . . . face."

Tomax smiled in acknowledgment, "I suppose you're right." He rose to his feet, "Now come after me again."

"Come on, this is ridiculous."

"I told you, I've lost my brother. This is the only way to neutralize him so we can talk. Otherwise, I don't know what he'll know and what he may tell the Commander." Tomax, with some reluctance, launched himself at Lady Jaye once more, tackling her. Her head slammed against the ground and she saw stars.

Rubbing at the forming lump, "Owww. Do you have to make it so real?"

"He'll know if it isn't." Tomax climbed on top of Jaye; she pushed back against his chest, fearing he was going to try the amorous route once more. He returned to her original question, "The Commander doesn't trust us; he fears us. We have the potential for far more power and influence in our ventures without him. I suspect he knows we've considered it. Now he has his bargaining chip." Tomax allowed Lady Jaye to wiggle away from his grasp.

"Your brother?"

"No, Michelle." Tomax looked down. He hadn't planned on letting her in this much. His original intent was a simple fight and then flee. But Michelle, if he were to save Michelle, he would need to let Lady Jaye in. He had to make her as invested as he was. He would lay his soul bare and hope that Jaye truly was as much like him as he suspected. "I love Michelle."

Lady Jaye sat back on her heels. She didn't think it was possible for the twins to love anything but themselves and money. Could she trust that he was being truthful and not manipulating her for some ultimate goal? If Cobra Commander had his brother under control as he claimed, who knew what Tomax would do to free Xamot. "How can I believe you?"

Tomax raised his shoulders in a half-hearted shrug, "You just do." He pushed back to his feet and offered a hand to Lady Jaye. She narrowed her eyes before reaching up to accept it. Assisting her to her feet, he tightened his grip, pulling her toward him. "You just do." Releasing her hand and pushing her away from where he stood, he took a step back, his eyes circling the room. She would deflect his strikes but she would never inflict the damage necessary to hinder Xamot. He had to take matters into his own hands and kill two birds with one stone. Calling upon his gymnastic skills, he turned, executing a handspring. Intentionally missing his placement, he knocked into the cushioned chairs and propelled himself at a crazy angle into the side of his desk, crashing his shoulder against the hard wood. Even he could feel that. He landed on his back, the wind knocked out of him for a moment.

"Tomax!" Jaye darted to him. In the meantime, Tomax swung a fist into the desk, splintering the wood. Jaye crouched down beside him, trying to prevent him from doing it again, "Stop, you'll kill yourself."

But he wasn't thinking of her or him or even Xamot. He had one picture in his head. It was Michelle in the hospital. It was a vivid picture of the end, so easy to imagine. The doctor removed the tubes connected to her body, which was just a shell, the soul inside since departed. And it was all because he failed to protect her as he swore he would always do. It was because of his oath that they were apart. The weight of duty was heavy. He couldn't hold the load and he snapped, fighting against Lady Jaye. He lashed out with more force than he meant to in his rage, throwing her back against the desk. Her arms floundered in the air as she rocked on the heels of those blasted boots. Stumbling back, her body twisted and she caught her face on the corner of his desk. There was a dull thud as she hit the floor, rolling up onto her side, clutching her throbbing head.

"Oh!" Tomax snapped out of it. He crawled over to her, carefully turning her on her back. She held a hand over her left eye. "Shhhhh, let me see." He pulled her hand back, "Ouch." The desk had made firm contact, cutting into the delicate skin just below her eye. The surrounding tissue was swollen and red, dark bruises spreading underneath the surface. She was going to have one mighty fine black eye. Lacking in readily available first aid, Tomax pulled out his pocket square, dabbing at her wound, grimacing with her every flinch.

"I thought you said anything but the face?"

"I kind of meant me." Tomax inhaled sharply as he rotated his shoulder. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to hurt you, not like this."

"Ha. You could have fooled me."

His features darkened over, "No, truly I didn't." He brushed the hair away from her face, "Do you mind if I take this off? It's rather distracting."

She moved her head back and forth once.

Tomax eased the wig off, tossing it aside. He used his handkerchief to wipe away some of the excess makeup. The right side of his mouth raised slightly, this was better. Now he could talk. She wasn't some tarted-up stranger. She could almost be. No, never that. He ran his fingers through her natural hair, brushing it out. It was almost nice, doing this without him in his mind. For as long as he could remember, he was never alone. Every action, every experience was always shared. The emptiness of his mind was frightening in a way. He didn't know how to be with himself. There was a terrible echo.

"I met Michelle in law school. My brother and I decided to divide and conquer. I would obtain the legal education and he would obtain the business. What each learned, the other would too. It wasn't necessary that we both had a JD or MBA after our name. All we needed was one. She caught my eye the first day of classes. He knew. 'Brother, don't,' was all he said. I knew what he thought. He thought she was a mere dalliance that would hinder our progress. But then he knew. I couldn't hide from him. He wouldn't let me go.

"Michelle knew. She understood our bond. Never questioned. She was willing to give me the space I needed. I clung to her. More and more nights I didn't come home. Xamot grew desperate. He would do, things, when I was with her." Tomax stopped, painful memories reflected in his eyes. He continued to stroke Jaye's hair; it was calming. She didn't move to stop him, only wondering how long it had been since he had been allowed to connect with someone other than his brother.

"I was going to leave him. Not permanently, just for a time. I wanted to be with Michelle. I wanted to experience it on my own. He couldn't handle it and decided to sabotage my happiness. Pretending to be me, he showed up on her doorstep and she let him in. How could she know? He knew everything about me, he was me. I felt everything and it was wonderful." Tomax clenched his fists, looking away, "I wanted to die. It hurt in the most intimate way possible." He set his jaw and continued his story, "I went after him and hurt him in the way I knew how. The world would know that we were different." Tomax touched his right cheek, hesitating, still feeling the tingle. This was the hard part, when it turned ugly and raw. "He, he left his mark." Tomax wasn't seeing Lady Jaye anymore. His focus was turned inward, back to that time.

Xamot's betrayal rocked their brotherhood. Xamot had violated the cannons of their trust. It wasn't the first time, it wouldn't be the last. Yet this time wounded Tomax as no other had. The brothers had their moments where each would experience the intense urge to escape and rebel against what fate had wrought. Those feelings could bring the other twin to his knees. They would always come back to each other. They knew they were never as good as when they were one. Then it would happen again. To the brother left behind, it felt like being rejected by your whole world. It tore a gash in your mind. Each time they tried to separate, it shred a little of the woven ties that held them together. The damage could be mended, but it would always be just that, a repair. Added up over time, the repairs changed the essence of what they had started out as. Tomax knew he handled it better than Xamot. Xamot was more fragile. Maybe it came from the fact that Tomax, technically speaking, was the oldest. He possessed an overriding compulsion to protect his little brother. It could also be due to the fact that as the oldest, Tomax had known what it was like to be an individual for the eight minutes it took his mother to give birth to Xamot. Tomax always had those precious eight minutes. Xamot had never known life without Tomax. He didn't know how to live it. When Tomax left him, placing the knife on the ground next to Xamot's hand, it wasn't Xamot who shrieked and wailed through the night; it was Tomax.

Michelle forgave. She knew Tomax; she understood him. She was willing to suffer, to endure the unthinkable, to be with him. Tomax felt the ties holding him to Xamot loosen. The wayward threads drifted, seeking Michelle. He allowed a new chapter to be woven. Like a toddler taking those first tentative steps, he tested the waters, focusing on switching off that second voice in his head. He was making progress until the other shoe dropped. Michelle was pregnant. He despaired. He could never truly be free from Xamot. They would be tied up forever.

How Tomax laughed when he learned the news. Michelle had looked at him, barely able to hide the hurt on her face. How could he explain that he found no humor in the situation? How could he explain that halfway across town Xamot had his face buried in a pillow? The twins' wires had been crossed. It was a maddening experience. Tomax took to late night runs to clear the demons from his head. As much as he tried, he couldn't run far enough. Xamot was always there like a moth flitting around a flame.

The situation grew direr; it was twins. Michelle remained optimistic. She had heard of twins in her family, her cousins were fraternal twins after all. Twins were not an automatic life sentence. Sharing a womb did not necessarily mean they were doomed to a future like Tomax's. He tried to see things her way. It was impossible for him. If the babies came from Xamot, they could have no life other than the hell he lived day in and day out. For Xamot was always on the periphery of his thoughts, laughing. It was enough to drive a sane man crazy. At this point, Tomax wasn't a sane man. Every night he went to bed sobbing tears that weren't his own. He would wake in the middle of the night, looming over Michelle with a knife in his hand, cutting into the flesh of his arm. He felt no pain. If he stayed, he worried that he couldn't guarantee Michelle's safety. He did what he thought best; he left.

"I was a coward. I couldn't live with my brother; I couldn't live without him. Fate decided and found us wanting. My brother and I were enough of a monster for the world to handle. In her grief, Michelle miscarried." Tomax's head slumped down, "I failed her."

Lady Jaye watched as his eyes welled up, pools of salty tears gathered in the corners until one drop leaked out, rolling down his cheek, and falling onto hers. The wetness ran down the side of her face, disappearing. Its mark was left, a tiny river carved into the makeup caking her face. Tomax had her. He was right. She understood. She squeezed her eyes shut and instinctively reached out, pulling him toward her. He fit into her arms and she offered him the comfort he never had. For the first time in his life, Tomax wept tears that were his and his alone. Jaye cradled Tomax almost as if he were a child, gently stroking his hair. No words were spoken; they weren't needed. Tomax clung to her and allowed himself simply to be held. They stayed like that until Tomax pulled away, brushing away any traces of vulnerability. Shaking his head, he pulled himself together and leaned back against the desk. She pushed herself up, allowing Tomax to assist her when the world went spinning.

Sitting side-by-side against the desk, the silence enveloped them. Jaye moved her hand over and took Tomax's. With his other hand, he reached into his suit jacket and pulled out a flash drive, handing it over to her. "The Commander targeted Michelle to keep me under wraps. I won't do anything to harm her. If I move, she's as good as dead. Whatever Mindbender did, he must have the ability to control it. To be honest, I just don't know." Tomax glanced around the room, a slight nervousness taking over his demeanor. "Despite what I've said, I love my brother. I will not hurt him and I will not betray him. I just want him back. It's been so, lonely. Given the circumstances, for my sake, I can't give you anything more."

Lady Jaye took the flash drive and placed it in her pocket. She likewise pulled out what looked like a hearing aid battery. She placed it in the hand she held. "This is a Trojan horse. I was supposed to leave it on your hard drive. If it comes to it, this is why I was here."

Tomax took her hand and raised it to his lips, placing a single kiss on her fingers. "I'm giving you the best trail I can. Follow the money."

Lady Jaye giggled, "What are you Deep Throat or something?"

Tomax chuckled in response, "Funny my dear. I could say that this is probably the one time in my life I could be so much more," he winked, a devious smile flashing across his face, replaced by the resignation of what was to come, "But time is not on my side."

"What now?"

"You have to trust me." He squeezed her hand, reaching up to use the desk to pull up from the floor. He helped Jaye, frowning when she swayed for a moment before leaning both hands on the desk. "Let me see that eye." She turned her face toward him. He didn't like the looks of it. While the bleeding had stopped, the skin around her eye was puffy and her eyelid almost swollen shut. "Hmm, this may not work."

"We don't have much of a choice."

"No, we don't." It was time. He reached over to the side of his desk, pressing a button hidden on its underside.

"What was that?" Her skin prickled as her senses prepared to be on high alert.

"That is the alarm that summons my Crimson Guard. They have a very fast response time. I believe they will be here in three, two, one." He jabbed his finger into the empty air and pulled it back as loud voices came from the hallway followed by pounding on his office door. "It helps to pay your men well."

Lady Jaye felt her jaw drop. "What did you do?" She began examining the room for an exit.

"Don't worry. My door is blast-proof. It will take them a few minutes to punch through. You should turn your communicator back on though and call for help. They need to be here in nine minutes." Tomax ignored the betrayed look on her face. "Flint is it? He'll be prompt."

Acting on autopilot, Lady Jaye followed his directive. Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out the tiny ear bud, inserted it while depressing the button that would turn it on. J.T.'s frantic voice blasted in her ear.

"Lady! You're back. What can I do you for?"

Her eyes on Tomax, "Small problem J.T. and change of plans. Can you be here in . . ." Tomax held up eight fingers, "Eight minutes?"

"I'll say that's a small problem." J.T. yelled up to Flint, "Get this doggie moving, we've got eight minutes!"

Flint clenched his teeth and swung the Tomahawk toward Extensive Enterprises. Thankfully Patterson had cleared through the FAA any number of flight paths they could have taken across the city. He'd be there in five.

"Tell them to meet you outside my office." Tomax walked around his desk and began fumbling through a drawer.

"But all your men are out there."

Tomax looked up at her, evidently pleased at what he found in his drawer. "No, outside my office." He waved over behind his back and pointed toward the window.

Lady Jaye gulped, she didn't think she was going to like this. "Uh J.T.?"

"Milady?"

"Second change of plans. No roof. I need you to meet me outside the 58th floor."

J.T. thumped the side of his headphones, "Can you repeat that again? I don't think I heard you."

Tomax wobbled his head back and forth in dismissive boredom, "Just tell him it will make sense when they arrive. Chop, chop, seven minutes."

"J.T. You heard me. Outside the 58th floor. It will make sense when you get here. Out." Lady Jaye then screamed as Tomax held up a gun. "Holy fu . . . ."

"Please don't swear, it's beneath you." Tomax turned away from her, aiming the handgun at the window, sending several shots, shattering the glass and blowing it out. He tossed the gun to her. She fumbled it between her hands a few times before getting a grip. "Now toss it back." Tomax held out his hand, waving her along.

She couldn't think of any reply and followed orders, tossing it across the desk. Tomax caught it in midair, settled his fingers around the trigger, aimed it off to the side across his chest and recoiled slightly as the bullet grazed his arm. He promptly dropped the weapon and stomped in a small circle, trying to shake out the pain. Face contorted, he blew out a few deep breaths through a pursed mouth. The idea seemed reasonable in his head. He just hadn't thought through to the consequences, injury. If he meant to make it look like the Joes had caught him unaware, he had to be thorough. Xamot would never buy that Lady Jaye was able to best him if he didn't mix in a little firepower. One on one, while she would put up a good fight, he was no doubt the odds on favorite. If she happened to find his gun, well that could explain away a lot. "Now I'm only going to say this once. I will not let you fall, I promise." He held out a hand to her, "Come."

Lady Jaye accepted that her fate rested in Tomax's hands. Usually that would be a horrific thought. She would never want her life dependent on the man. If it came to that, she had done something seriously wrong. Now it was almost comforting. He had placed his burden upon her and she would see it through for him. No longer was this just a mission to be completed. Her whole mindset up to this point had been only to prove something to Flint. Every move she made was calculated to prove she was indeed strong. But that was no way to do her job. Let Flint be robo-soldier; that wasn't her. She was flesh and blood and felt. Tomax had given her a gift in a way. He gave her back a little of herself. She only hoped she could do the same for him. Sure, she was letting the mission get personal. But if it wasn't personal, was it even worth doing? No.

She walked over to Tomax and he led them to the window. The wind was gusting into the room, buffeting their bodies. It was like a freight train in her ears. Tomax yelled directions but she couldn't understand. She shook her head and pointed to her ear mouthing "I can't hear you." Thankfully he was proficient at reading lips and pointed to the outside of the window. Her eyes, to the extent they could, grew large. She poked her head out, glanced down, and then back at him. She shook her head no. He smiled and nodded yes. She took one step back. On a good day heights weren't exactly her thing. With her left eye practically swollen shut and the ensuing vertigo it brought on, it was the epitome of a very bad day. Tomax held out his hand. The thumps against the door were growing louder and the door began to crack along its seams. The middle was bowing out toward them. Tomax held up two fingers. Great, in about two minutes his men would breach the door.

She took a tentative step toward him. While calm on the exterior, inside she was quaking in her boots. She could do this. She would do this. The door splintered open and she froze as a horde of Crimson Guardsmen stormed into the room. So much for Tomax's precise timing. Tomax reached forward, grabbing her under her shoulder as he fell back through the broken window. As she yelped in surprise, she clung to his words, "I won't let you fall." They were hard to believe as she felt herself free fall, the ground 58 stories below.