:: Chasing Francesca ::Chapter One Author’s Notes: I could very well type in the Italian and go to the trouble of translating it below. That’s annoying so, wherever you see {{}} assume that a foreign language is being spoken. JAG OPS Meredith Cavanaugh leaned into the kiss, caressing his back and making sure to grind herself up against his manhood. "Tease." AJ Chegwidden smiled down into her sparkling eyes. "Payback," she retorted, tossing her thick brown hair behind her. "Payback! For what?" He leaned against his desk top, pulling her with him. He gathered her into the space between his legs, letting her know that he didn’t mind at all that she was driving him nuts. Meredith let him embrace her but kept her head back so that she could glare at him. "Tell me, Admiral, what has Tiner got stashed away this time?" "Excuse me?" He blushed. [[Busted.]] "Oh, AJ. Why didn’t you just tell me?" He gulped. "Tell you what?" "You don’t like my cooking." She grinned at his expression. "And don’t you dare take it out on poor Jason. He wasn’t the one who let it slip." "Rabb." AJ muttered. Meredith laughed out loud. "The boy does seem to have the most incredible knack, doesn’t he?" "You could say that. What exactly did you hear?" She nuzzled his neck, knowing full well that she could drive him insane and he wouldn’t do anything about it - today at least. They had, upon occasion, pleasured each other in his office. She had never been with any man who lusted after life more than AJ Chegwidden. But she had also heard Tiner tell AJ that Webb needed to see him no later than 1330 hours. AJ could feel the heat radiate off her and tilted his head to consider her. He really didn’t care how she found out. They would talk about it later tonight. He had never been with any woman so easy to talk to. Only four years his junior, they had so much in common that it scared him sometimes. He hadn’t told her that her culinary efforts usually fell flat simply because he just hadn’t cared enough; each picnic just meant they had an excuse to be together more often. He grinned evilly. "I have very simple tastes, sweetheart. Besides, a picnic with you is always worth trying one of your experiments." "Dreadful?" she pouted. "Today? No. Not my cup of tea, but not dreadful, and I will tell Tiner he doesn’t have to go out for Subway this afternoon." "Oh dear. Subway! My food is so bad that you eat Subway afterward." His lips over hers stilled her until she began to groan at his touch. His tongue parted her lips and began to explore the moist recesses of her mouth. He truly loved just touching her, pleasuring her. She gasped when she felt him inching up her ankle-length skirt. "AJ." She moaned as he pulled her panty hose and underwear down and began to stroke her. "AJ, your meeting!" "Webb can wait. Tiner knows better than to let anyone barge in after one of our picnics." "Tiner knows!" Her squeak turned into a long drawn out purr as he stroked her thighs open. He played in her curls for a bit before delving into her already sopping core. She bucked against his hand trying hard to increase the friction against her clit, but he was in complete control. "AJ, please," she whimpered. He set a leisurely pace, stretching out her pleasure until she threw back her head and arched hard against him. He rubbed his thumb against her clit and jerked her lips back to his, swallowing her shouted climax. As she came down from her high, she nestled against his chest, her whole body trembling. He deftly pulled her panties and hose back up. When she started to slide down his body to reciprocate though, he sighed. "Not enough time, but tonight? Oh, madame, I will expect proper payback tonight." "I have that late night class," she groaned. "Not too late. I’ll pick you up and you can spend the night. I’ll cook." "Beast." She playfully slapped at his chest. "What about next weekend?" she said as she carefully checked her attire. "Oh, honey. I don’t know. I mean, I understand that you and Mac are friends, but I wouldn’t feel right inviting just her and Rabb over for dinner. I can hear Singer now." Meredith sighed. "Bitch." AJ laughed. "Baby, don’t get me started." He touched his finger to her nose. "And, Professor Cavanaugh, don’t you dare bring up Singer to Mac." "Oh fine." She kissed him softly on the lips. "Maybe we should just invite everyone and hope she won’t show up. It would be nice to have Lieutenant Sims and her husband over too." AJ sighed. He hadn’t been able to keep Bud in the Navy, but he had been able to steer him to a very nice private law firm. From what AJ could see, Bud and Harriet were adjusting nicely. Very nicely, if the reappearance of the maternity uniform was any indication. "I can’t pick and choose, darling. One more year and I’ll retire and we can have whomever we want over for dinner." "Yeah, right." She smiled to soften the retort. "Tonight. Oh! Don’t forget that message from Francesca." "I didn’t. I tried her right before you came by with the weekly surprise. No answer." "Beast." She laughed as he opened the door. "Jason." "Ma’am." Tiner had learned to keep his face as blank as humanly possible when Professor Cavanaugh returned with the Admiral after their weekly picnics. He had stood up as soon as the door opened. "Oh, sit down. You won’t have to go to Subway today. He actually ate enough to sustain him until tonight. But…" she pointed her finger at him, "no Snickers at three o’clock." "N-no ma’am." "Tiner!" "Yes, Admiral!" "Try my daughter again." "Aye-aye, sir." Meredith walked through the bullpen, intending to stop at the ladies' room and then saying hello to Mac before she returned to campus for her 2:00 graduate class. She heard the elevators ding and turned to see a government-type exit. She catalogued everyone in this town three ways, military, civilian, and government bureaucrat. "Hey, Mer." She turned her attention to her friend whose arms were full of books and briefs standing at the law library door. "Hey, Sarah." "Another picnic, huh?" Meredith scowled at the smirk. "You could have told me." Mac blushed. "Told you?" "Yeah, told me he always had Jason bring him lunch after our picnics." "Oh Mer, not always. How did you find out?" "Hello, Harm." Meredith smiled at the man trying to sneak up on his partner, best friend and lover. "Don’t even try it, Flyboy." Mac sighed happily. It really was very good between them, now that they had finally taken that last step. Now, if he would just keep his playfulness down at the office, then they might postpone the day when working together became untenable for the Navy. Of course, with the snide remarks Singer was making, that time was rapidly approaching. Just this morning, the Admiral had gently sounded her out on a possible position at the Pentagon. "Hello, Meredith." Harmon Rabb shared one of his killer smiles and gently pulled several of the books away from Mac. He always liked an excuse to follow her to her office. "Well, I can’t stay. I just wanted to say hello." She started to turn and saw that the government type was glaring down at poor Jason. The Petty Officer had the phone glued to his ear, speaking rapidly into the mouthpiece, all the while frantically gesturing to the man to stay put. "Who’s that man bothering Jason?" Rabb snorted. "The pre-eminent pest in all of D.C., Meredith, Clayton Webb." He sighed and handed the books back to Mac. "I better go rescue Tiner." "Or Webb, if the Admiral doesn’t want to be disturbed," Mac retorted. "Lunch next week?" Meredith asked. "You bringing the food?" Mac laughed. Meredith mouthed ‘bitch' and headed to the ladies room to clean herself up before leaving. For some reason, she took one last look over her shoulder and saw Rabb was standing between Clayton Webb and AJ’s door. "I have an appointment, Rabb." Clayton Webb glared up into the amused blue eyes of the former flyer. Ever since Rabb and MacKenzie had finally got together, Rabb was even more protective of the people at JAG, including AJ. Not that the former SEAL needed protecting. "Have a seat, Webb. Tiner will announce you." "It will be just a few minutes, Mr. Webb." Tiner pleaded and then turned his attention to the phone at his ear. "Miss Paretti! It’s Petty Officer Tiner. Remember me? The Admiral wanted me to get you for him. Yes ma’am. One moment please." Harmon Rabb had seen many expressions on Clayton Webb’s face - astonishment, anger, disgust and fear. None of them came close to the look that flashed for one brief moment when the deputy director heard Tiner speak into the receiver. Whatever the look was, it was quickly replaced by the bland expression the spy had cultivated over the years. "Sure, Rabb. I’ll wait right here. I’m sure AJ won’t be too long." "Good. Tiner, I’ve got to be in Norfolk Monday and Tuesday." "Yes, sir. I’ll put it on the calendar." As Rabb turned away, he heard Tiner gasp, "Mr. Webb!" By the time Rabb turned back around, the door to AJ’s office was closing and he heard the lock snick. "Son of a bitch!" Rabb muttered. "I hope the Admiral breaks his nose again." :: :: ::
"{{Darling, it’s been a long time. How are you?}} AJ smiled into the phone. {{Papa. I have wonderful news.}} His smile faded when he noticed his door swing open. He was just about to tell Webb to wait outside when the spy locked the door and walked to the chair where Rabb normally sat. His eyes grew darker when he noticed the very angry look on Webb’s face. Glaring at the spy, his happiness at talking to Francesca was suddenly replaced by an anger and anxiety. . Remembering that Webb spoke little if any Italian he quietly asked his daughter, {{Sweetheart, I got your message. What’s your exciting news?}} {{Papa! I’m getting married!}} "Married!" He shouted, completely forgetting Webb was sitting there. "Baby, to whom?" "Oh, Papa. János is a wonderful man. Very handsome. Very kind. Very proper." She sighed resignedly at the last description and AJ found that he already liked the boy. "Papa, I want you to meet him. Can you fly to Budapest this weekend?" "Budapest? This weekend?" "Si, Papa. János is a Professor of Political Science at Central European University. I am already looking for a job on several magazines here." "Well, I guess I have to meet the man stealing my baby’s heart." "Oh, Papa. No one can steal my heart from you." Scowling at Webb, AJ reverted back to Italian. Clayton Webb studied the man before him. [[This little visit could easily cost me my job. Of course, it could cost you your life, AJ.]] Clayton Webb had always prided himself on the cool distance he kept from the people he worked with. He had no idea how the men and women of JAG had managed to work their way past his defenses. He trusted Rabb and MacKenzie more than he trusted most of the operatives under him. He respected AJ more than any man besides Tim Fawkes. That was one of the reasons why he was here today. He knew that AJ would have worked to free Tim from the clutches of the thugs holding him for ransom - with or without Webb’s assistance. As AJ wound up his conversation with his daughter, Webb didn’t bother to fight the urge to rub his fingers over his nose. [[Shit. I’ll be lucky if that’s all he breaks today.]] AJ hung up the phone replacing the silly looking grin on his face with a deep scowl for Webb. "What?" "So. She wants you to come out and meet him, huh?" AJ studied the man before him. In all the years he had known the spy, never once had Webb made personal conversation with him – except for the Tim Fawkes case. He knew that Webb had done favors for Rabb. Even the time the spy had worked to free him, Mac and Roberts from that Marine holding them hostage, Webb had been helping Rabb. "What do you want, Webb?" "To save your life, Chegwidden," Webb snapped back. AJ was shocked but fought to remain in control. "Well that’s nice, Webb. How?" "By trying to keep you from falling into the hands of your terrorist daughter and her lover, AJ." The room seemed to spin for a moment then everything was colored a strange shade of red. [[This must be what a stroke feels like.]] Leaning back in his chair, he just waited. [[Shit. I was afraid of this.]] Webb forced himself not to look at his wristwatch. He wished for Mac’s perfect since of time. [[Yeah, like those clowns can even keep to their own schedule.]] "You gonna explain yourself, Webb?" The question was low and hard. Webb took a deep breath. "Yeah. But not here. We don’t have time." "Make the time, Webb." AJ sat forward and rose in one fluid motion. He moved in front of Webb in the time it took for Webb to refocus. He towered into Webb’s personal space. In a voice so deadly calm he could have been asking what time the last Metro train left from L’Enfant Plaza, he demanded, "What. Did. You. Mean?" "János Vajda recruited your daughter into his little band of terrorists six months ago using the age old method – he…[[no, not even I’m that brave]] made her fall in love with him." "And exactly what terrorist activities is she accused of committing?" AJ’s control was slowing slipping away. Webb shrugged, really trying to move a little further back from the harsh breathing. [[This is the sight the matador sees right before he dies.]] "Nothing particularly violent. Right now he just has her carrying money from Budapest to Milan to Geneva. AJ pushed off from the arms of the chair and paced away from Webb, who quickly looked at his watch and inwardly groaned. "Does she know?" AJ asked softly. "Sure she does AJ. Why do you think she called you? You honestly think she wants you to meet her lover?" "She said they were getting married!" AJ’s roar seemed to rattle the windows in his office. They both heard the doorknob twist. "Admiral? You okay, sir?" Tiner’s squeak was barely audible through the thick wood door. Webb stood. If this was going to work he had to move AJ out of his office – now. "Look AJ. Vajda is married. He’s been shacking up with Francesca for the past six months. Whether she’s in on it or not, we think the only reason why Vajda picked her was because she’s your daughter. Think about it, AJ. Think about the blackmail potential." He waited a beat. "The FBI already has." "What?" Webb could barely hear the whisper. "They’ll be here soon, AJ. You want to help her or not?" AJ pushed him aside and ripped opened the door. He found Tiner, Rabb, Mac and Meredith all standing in his outer office, all with looks of fear and concern on their faces. "Uhm…Admiral?" AJ ignored Tiner and reached out to touch Meredith’s cheek. "Babe, I’ve got to go out of town." "But sir!" Tiner insisted. "What!" The roar silenced the few people in the bullpen not already staring at them. "Sir. Kelly at the guard shack just called up. There’s an FBI deputy director and three agents on his way up to see you." "MacKenzie, you’re acting." Without another word, AJ, followed so closely by Webb that the spy pushed Rabb out of the way, hurried out into the bullpen. Instead of going to elevators though, he purposefully stalked down the hall to the back staircase. "Admiral?" "Not now, Singer." He pushed open the door and hurried down the metal stairs, Webb’s steps joining his in an eerie echo floating upward. They exited out the back and for a moment AJ looked perplexed. "Over here." Webb pointed to a non-descript Ford Taurus. "I’ll drive." AJ glared but got into the passenger seat. :: :: ::
"What the hell?" Mac looked down the bullpen. She felt Harm grip her above the elbow, stirring her into the Admiral’s office. "Harm?" "Sssh." He glanced at Meredith and motioned for her to come in too. "Buy us some time, Tiner." "Yes, sir." Rabb closed the door, and Mac waited. Meredith didn’t. "Harm? What the hell just happened out there?" "I don’t know, but maybe I will in a second," Rabb said as he opened the small square of paper Webb pressed into his hand as he pushed him out of the way. "Son of a bitch!" "What?" the two women demanded in unison. He held out the note to Mac, who read it and groaned softly before handing it to Meredith. "Anacostia 639 – by 5:30 or we leave without you?" Meredith read aloud. "It’s a seldom used Navy Airbase southeast of the city. ‘6-3-9’ is the runway designation." Rabb explained over the loud knock on the door. "Damn it." "Admiral Chegwidden, John Forbes, FBI." "Mac?" Rabb met her steady gaze. She sighed. "Go, damn it, but you better call and fill me in. I swear if you leave me hangin’ Harm..." He stepped up to her and pulled her into a quick kiss. "Promise, sweetheart. I swear I’ve learned my lesson." He opened the door and met the startled, "Who the hell…" "Excuse me, sir." Rabb deftly stepped between the man who could have stepped from the pages of GQ and his three agents who just looked like bad parodies of Men in Black. "The JAG will see you now." Mac gave Meredith a look that said, "Follow my lead!" John Forbes stepped into the office to hear a pretty Marine say, "Mer, it was really nice of you to stop by for lunch." "Oh, you know how much I enjoy it. Uhm…next week?" "Sure. See you then." Mac led the Admiral’s girlfriend to the door. Closing the door, she leaned against it and met the angry gaze of DD Forbes. "Now, sir, how can I help you?" "You’re not Chegwidden?" She ran her fingers over her hair and laughed softly. "You noticed." Grinning at her weak joke she walked behind the Admiral’s desk and sat down. "No, Mr. Forbes, I’m not Admiral Chegwidden, I’m Colonel MacKenzie. I’m the acting JAG. The Admiral had to go out of town on business." "Where?" he barked. She raised an eyebrow. "Now, sir, he didn’t tell me. I gather it was sudden. I’m sure he will be checking in. He always does. If you leave your card, I’ll be sure to have him call you. Now, if there is nothing I can help you with." "Colonel, you had damn well better find him. National Security, and his life may depend upon it." :: :: ::
Washington Beltway Between watching to see if they were being followed and looking over at Chegwidden, who hadn’t said a word since getting into the car back at JAG ops, it was a wonder that Webb stayed on the road as well as he did. Finally, he got off the Anacostia exit and pulled into an almost deserted, seedy-looking hotel. AJ raised an eyebrow and made no move to leave the car. "Come on, AJ," Webb gritted out. He had no desire to spend any time cooped up with the furious ex-SEAL. But he knew the plane wouldn’t be ready until nearly 5:00. He just hoped that Rabb and even MacKenzie would be there waiting for them. [[We need all the help we can get and hopefully Rabb still feels some little obligation to me for getting Sergei out of Chechnya.]] "Agency fallin’ on hard times, Webb? This the best safe house you can come up with?" "It’s not a safe house, AJ. I don’t want to involve our people in this." "Oh? Making this personal?" "Whatever. Come on." He led the way halfway down the row of rooms and opened a peeling door. Inside, the bed didn’t look like it would stand the weight of Webb sitting on it, let alone the sexual antics practiced by the sort of people to whom a place like this usually catered. The lone chair didn’t look much better. AJ waited until Webb closed the door before pouncing on the spy. Pushing him against the wall, his forearm pressing against his windpipe, AJ demanded. "Tell me." "Can’t breath." Webb tugged ineffectively at the arm. "Keep it up and you won’t ever breath again, Webb. Where are we going?" "Anacostia," he managed. "Why?" "Plane." "Again, why?" AJ could see Webb really was having a hard time breathing so he stepped back and held him in place with his stare. "Spit it out Webb, or I walk out the door, take the car, leave you here, and go find the FBI." "Not real smart if you want to save your career." "This is my daughter, Webb! You think I wouldn’t give up my career? There is no way she is a willing participant in terrorism. Now, you know something you aren’t telling me." Webb sighed, and took a step forward, but when he saw the look on the Admiral’s face he leaned back against the mildew-stained wall and closed his eyes. "The report came across my desk two weeks ago. I didn’t really believe it either, AJ. Not at first. But if she’s not part of it, she is one dumb lady." "Dumb, Webb? Or just not in our line?" AJ sighed and turned away. "Francesca was sheltered by her mother, but she’s seen enough of life to know when someone is using her. You know anything about what happened four years ago in Italy?" "AJ, Vajda and his buddies make the Sicilian Mafia look like the good guys. They’re conduits between the Russian Mob and BenLaden’s people. She’s in serious shit, AJ. She never said anything to you about Vajda before today?" AJ stood by the closed window curtain studying the pattern in it. "Things have been a little busy for everyone in the past year, Webb." It was no excuse, but it was the truth. He couldn’t remember the last time he had actually spoken to his daughter. His Christmas present to her hadn’t even been mailed until January this year. "Why are you doing this?" Webb chewed on his lower lip. "I figured when you heard what the FBI had to say, you would go rushing headlong into Budapest and drag her back here. That would accomplish two things, you would probably blow a mission I’m running over there and you would wind up dead. I don’t think I can deal with breaking in a new JAG just yet. I don’t like change when I can avoid it." "I see. What do we do?" AJ turned to face him. "Wait. I called in a couple of favors, got us a plane and a pilot to fly us over and hopefully we can scope out the situation, and you can make a decision." "You’re asking me to sanction the assassination of my own daughter, Webb? Are you really that sick?" "No, AJ. You can go in and figure out if she is being used or is really part of it. If she’s part of it, we can take her, keep her in a safe house over there until the mission is over. Afterward, we’ll find a nice safe prison for her." He walked as far away from the Admiral as the room allowed. "It beats the hell out of her dying when we take them out." "What’s the plan?" "Plan? What plan? I haven’t had time. I wasn’t going to do anything until I heard the FBI was getting involved." "Why are they involved at all, Webb?" "Seems that an NSA report went into the wrong envelope. Forbes desperately wants the Homeland Security Liaison post. He will probably be good at it, but not on your back." "Why? Because you figure you own this back, Webb?" Webb blushed and stomped into the bathroom, more to get away from the scrutiny than any urgent need. [[Two hours. I can do this. Rabb, you better be there.]] :: :: ::
JAG Ops Mac paced back and forth across AJ’s office. Once the FBI agents left, she told Tiner to keep the calls to a minimum. "And if I’m on the phone and Commander Rabb calls..." "Yes, Ma’am. I’ll interrupt you right away." Tiner tried his best to keep the curious from bothering her. Harriet stopped in quickly, but the young Lieutenant had enough of her own troubles to do more than ask simply, "Can I help?" "No, Harriet. Everything is…well, I really don’t know what it is. But, we’ll manage." "We always do, ma’am. I really need to leave on time today. Bud had another rehab session, and he’s always tired after that." "I know, Harriet. Leave early if you need to." "I won’t. But thanks." Singer tried to figure out what was going on. Mac had become adroit at dealing with her though, and merely raised the same eyebrow she had lifted at Forbes. "Fine." Singer stomped out. It was 1642 when the phone ran. "Colonel MacKenzie." "Hey, Jarhead, its me." "Where are you?" "Right where the note said to be. There’s a Gulfstream sitting on the runway. The ground crew just finished servicing it. I don’t see Webb or the Admiral anywhere." "I’m coming out there." "Mac! You’re acting. Let me figure out what’s going on first." He groaned. ‘I’m acting and I can name a replacement. I’m scared, Harm. Something’s going down, and I’m afraid that Webb is going to get the two of you in trouble." "So you want to be part of the fun, right?" She could hear the amusement and acceptance in his voice. "I want to watch your back," she whispered. "I’ll meet you out there. You got your ready case?" "Sure do. What about you?" "Yep, just repacked it two nights ago. A Gulfstream? What kind of range does that have?" "This one?" Rabb looked at the long sleek jet. "Oh, how do you feel about China?" All he heard was a heartfelt groan before she hung up the phone. She punched the intercom button. "Tiner?" "Yes ma’am." "When is Commander Turner expected back from court?" She looked up to see the door open. Sturgis stepped inside at her wave and waited for her to explain what the hell had the bullpen in an uproar. Instead she stood and quickly asked, "I need a favor." Sturgis gave her a wary look. "Am I going to loose my stripes over it?" "No, Sturgis. No. I just need you to be acting. You’ve done it before, and I need to get away." "Will you at least take Lieutenant Singer with you?" he muttered. She smiled and then her eyes lit up. "No. But I might be able to help you out." She showed him the request for a JAG lawyer that had just come over the computer. "Oh that’s cold, Mac." Sturgis’ grin matched hers. "Well, we go where we’re needed." She started picking up her briefcase and shoving case paperwork inside of it. She had no idea where they were going, but if it was on a plane, hopefully she could prepare a little for her case on Monday. "Yeah. You know they say winter is really holding on down there, she might not make it back for a while." He sounded almost wistful. Mac grinned as she opened the door. "Yeah, but just think of all those poor sailors stuck with her on that ice cutter." She stopped at Tiner’s desk, told him to post the change in acting and almost made it to the elevator when she heard Singer call out to her. [[Shit!]] "Yes, Lieutenant?" "Leaving early?" The blond smirked. "What’s going on?" "I beg your pardon?" "Oh, come on. Something’s up. Or are you and the commander just heading off for a little…" Mac stepped right into the woman’s personal space. "You know, your face really never looked quite right after Harriet blackened your eye that time. It looks kind of, oh, I don’t know – off? I wonder what I could do to balance it?" "You wouldn’t dare." Singer glared. Mac was spared the need to explain exactly what she might dare by Turner’s voice. "Lieutenant Singer. A moment, please." Singer glared back at Turner standing at in AJ’s doorway. By the time she turned around to say something else to the Marine Colonel, the elevator doors were closing on Mac’s triumphant smirk. :: :: ::
Budapest, Hungary Francesca Paretti had never been happier in her life. She couldn’t believe how lucky she had been to run into János Vajda in Stockholm that day six months ago. Literally. She shouldn’t have been acting as gopher for her photographer, but there had been no one else. So there she was rushing across the street, her hands full of equipment. She hadn’t been looking where she was going and the next thing she knew, she was sprawling in the snow. Vajda helped her to her feet, picked up her equipment and helped her carry it the rest of the way. He had stayed and watched her from the sidelines. His smile was so nice. All her friends were terribly jealous of her. Most of them dated either starving actors whom they had to help support or old men whom they had to…well János wasn’t like that. Not at all. Ever. She was standing in the bedroom of his apartment overlooking Vacas Park. She felt rather adventurous just standing here. János had taken her out for dinner that first night. He had romanced her and kissed her so lovingly. He had never taken it further, not even when she had let him know that such advances would be welcome. {{No, darling. You are very special to me. I want you to know how much I cherish you. We will wait.}} And they had. Even when they traveled together, it was always in separate train compartments. He never flew, saying he had always had a fear of flying. They never talked politics, even though she rather enjoyed such lively discussions. But he explained patiently that as a professor of political science he talked about little else in class and with his colleagues. It impressed her that he spoke almost flawless Italian, as well as German, French and Polish. She was rather intimidated by him really. He was always in such control, always picking the perfect places to go. On the other hand, he made sure she spent plenty of time with her friends, only occasionally introducing her to his group. "Darling, you cannot revolve your entire life around me." He was really very insistent about that, too. She wondered if he would be happy or angry when she surprised him. This was the first time she had ever ventured back here though she had been to his apartment a few times. [[Happy]] she thought. He had been after her to invite her father to visit this very weekend so they could meet. "I want him to like me, ‘Chesca." She heard the door of the apartment open. Quickly she made her way to the bedroom door. She would never be sure why she waited for a few moments. Perhaps it was a tiny fear at what he would say about her being in his bedroom. Whatever the reason, she waited longer when she heard him talking. "Don’t worry Ernö, I can handle to stupid bitch. She said she was inviting him this weekend. I will - how do the Americans say it – kill two birds with one stone. Then you and I can be together again." She saw him pull his best friend, Ernö Balog, into rough embrace and kiss him with more passion than he had ever shown her. Her euphoria melted in a puddle, and her world shattered like glass. She swung open the door and rushed him, her fists flailing, screaming at the top of her lungs. The punch to her jaw sent her flying across the room. As she lost consciousness, the last thing she heard was his wild laughter. :: :: ::
Bide-A-While Motor Inn The heat and the silence in the motel room grew stifling. Neither man looked at the other during the hour and a half that they waited. When he wasn’t in the bathroom taking whispered phone calls, Webb would pace the length of the room, part the drapes to glance out the window; turn and pace back to the sink at the other end. AJ just lounged against the wall trying to make some sense of what the hell was going on. He wouldn’t believe his daughter could get involved with a terrorist organization. Maybe fall in love with the wrong man [[Lord knows it wouldn’t be the first time]]. But if she had, there would be no way she would blithely call him and announce her wedding plans. He took a deep breath and went to open the door. "Where are you going?" Webb demanded from the sink. "Outside, Webb. Don’t worry, you have me where you want me – for now. But I’m out of here. I need to walk this off and I refuse to pace with you." "Oh, shit. Come on. We’ll be a little early, but…damn it, come on." Webb quickly followed him out the door, praying that one or both of the other two members of the team would be waiting for them. :: :: ::
Anacostia Airfield "Oh, wow. This is nice." Mac took in the plush leather seats, the bar against one wall; there was even a bedroom. "Where the hell is everyone?" Harm asked as he carefully checked every door of the plane. The hanger that this plane normally sat in was empty. He had watched the ground crew follow the fuel truck north toward the only gate. He hadn’t really been surprised when the guard at the gate checked his name off a roster, saluted and waved him through. He fought the urge to ask just who else’s name was on that roster. [[Oh, I don’t want to be you, Corporal, if a certain Marine Colonel’s name isn’t there.]] Of all the bumps in the road that they had gone over to reach this rather nice juncture in their lives, accepting her as an equal had been the least of his problems. He already knew her strengths and his macho flyboy side really had no problems with her coming along. He just wondered where ‘along’ was and if Webb would throw a fit or expected her to come too. Of course, the Admiral would go ballistic. "Sweet Jesus." "What?" She looked out from the galley. "Nothing. Thinking out loud. Turner okay with all this?" She smiled and brought out a sweet roll. "Well, since I got rid of Singer for a while, he's just fine with it." "What do you mean?" "The USS Stoval needed a JAG officer to investigate a series of strange occurrences on board." "The Stoval? Never heard of it." "Ice Cutter out of Pearl." "Ice Cutter?" "Yep. They’ll copter her out from the Nimitz, which is near NZ." "Christ, Mac. It’s winter down there." "Almost past it, actually." She smiled sweetly. "There’s bottled water." "You know guys, this really is very nice." Meredith said as she walked out of the lavatory. "Yes, Meredith, but you have to leave as soon he gets here." Mac insisted, ignoring Rabb’s exasperated snort. "Oh Harm. I know you’re angry with me. But I don’t know. I just had to come and make sure he didn’t need me." Meredith bit her lip and turned away. They had no idea how much she wanted to be like them. She had never even told AJ of her dreams as a girl growing up in Omaha. ‘Girls’ didn’t become cops or spies or fighter pilots. Not good girls. Not in the sixties. By the time she finished college, J. Edgar Hoover had died and they accepted the first woman into the FBI academy. It was too late for her by then. Besides, she really did love English and Shakespeare. Really she did. "Don’t worry. He won’t let me go. Besides. Look at the bright side. I can take Mac’s Vette back. Nobody wants your ol’ SUV, but the Vette." Mac poked her friend. She had tried to keep the older woman from coming with her, but in the end, Meredith had refused to get out of the passenger seat and Mac had been afraid she wouldn’t make it in time. She had broken every traffic law on the books anyway to get there in time. She had been rather surprised when the guard at the gate had saluted her. "You’re expected Colonel, just follow that road right there." "Mer, honey, that worked with me. Harm’s not buying it for a minute." "Hey. There’s a car coming." Harm went to the hatch and waited. Mac decided to stay with her friend. "Is he going to be very mad at you Mac?" Meredith whispered, suddenly very unsure about what she had done. Never had she intruded on AJ’s Navy life. Occasionally, they went to Navy functions, but they bored her more than they bored him. She heard heavy feet hit the steps, and Mac went to meet her CO. Without really thinking about it, Meredith stepped into the galley, thinking [[I’ll wait here and when he’s settled down, I’ll kiss him, wish him luck and drive Mac’s car back.]] She never got the chance. "What the hell are they doing here, Webb?" AJ roared as soon as he saw Mac and Harm inside the private jet. "I told you I needed a pilot." Webb pushed past AJ. "Come on Rabb, we don’t have much time." "Me," Rabb hissed as he followed Rabb forward. "You want me to fly this?" "Why not? You can, can’t you?" "Well yeah. But…" "Look, Rabb, I’ll explain once we’re in the air. I think the FBI might be following us." "FBI?" Rabb fought to keep the squeak from his voice. Fighter pilots didn’t squeak. "Has it been checked out?" "Should have been." "Mac! Get up here and run this flight list with me!" Rabb called. "Me?" She squeezed past Webb, completely forgetting about Meredith. "Yeah, babe. Just read it off to me." He handed her the clipboard and she started from the top. Webb tried to look over their shoulders, but he felt a heavy hand jerk him back into the cabin. "Webb." AJ’s face was beet red. Webb didn’t think the former SEAL could get any angrier than he had been before. "What the hell is going on here? So help me God, if this is some kind of weird ass plan to get me and my people involved in one of your schemes, you won’t come out of the hospital for a month." The whine of the engines momentarily cut off the rest of what he was going to say. "Look AJ, wait until we’re airborne. I’ve got to close the hatch." He ran back the length of the plane and flipped the switch. Just as he turned around to find AJ standing in the middle of the aisle, hands on his fists, glaring at him, Webb noticed the curtain shielding the galley move suggestively. Instinct brought his gun out. "Move." He mouthed and thanked God that AJ didn’t argue. He had just reached the curtain when he heard Rabb yell, "Webb! We’ve got company!" "Shit!" He pulled back the curtain. "Oh, for Christ Sakes!" He pulled her out, pushed her at AJ and went into the cockpit. "Meredith?" It was too much. AJ, whether from the acceleration of the plane or the shock, stepped back, twisted his ankle and fell into one of the plush chairs. Meredith, already moving from Webb’s push, fell forward. AJ had to reached out and pull her into his lap to keep her from sprawling face first onto the floor of the cabin. In the cockpit, Webb was hanging onto the backs of Mac and Rabb’s seats, trying to angle himself so he would fall into the flight engineer’s seat. "Go Rabb. Go or they’ll keep us here." "Why is the FBI following you, Webb?" Rabb shouted over the whine of the jets. He really couldn’t waste the time though, he had to maneuver around the two cars and keep checking the last of the flight list. "This isn’t right." "Ya think?" Webb sat back hard in his seat and slipped the seat belt on. [[I’ll never reach Ferihegy Airport. AJ is going to open the hatch and drop my ass over the Atlantic. What the hell is his girl friend doing here?]] Rabb struggled with the plane for a bit but soon managed to level them off. "Webb. Please tell me that you filed a flight plan." "We’re good, Rabb." "Why doesn’t that make me feel better? What the hell is going on?" Webb thought about lying but the time for all that was over. He took a deep breath. "Don’t ask any questions, not yet. As soon as we’re over the Atlantic and you can put it on autopilot, come back and I’ll explain everything. If AJ doesn’t kill me first. Why is that woman here?" Rabb’s look told Mac she was on her own. "Long story, Webb. Ask her, why don’t you?" "Terrific." Webb sighed. He thought briefly about just staying up here, but he half expected to see AJ’s face soon, anyway. Releasing the seatbelt, he pushed out of the seat. "How long?" "Before we’re over the Atlantic? Thirty minutes. Where are we going?" "It’s all there." Webb pointed to the map sticking up in the map case. 'The course is already laid in. But for God’s sake check it out." Rabb raised an eyebrow at their destination and then cocked his head at the spy. "I’m touched you trust me so much, Webb." Webb blushed and didn’t say anything. Pushing the curtain aside he stepped back into the cabin. :: :: ::
Budapest János Vajda replaced the receiver, an evil smile kissing his lips. Walking over to the chair where Ernö had tied Francesca, he lifted her head by her hair. "Wake up." His slap was stinging and she cried out in pain and fear. "Bastardo," she spat out. He slapped her again. "Don’t make me mark you, Chesca. You want to be beautiful for your father don’t you?" "He’ll kill you with his bare hands." She was so angry. The sharp shrill bell of the phone had awakened her. She hadn’t lifted her head though. She wanted to hear anything she could to help her papa. [[How could you have been so stupid? Stupid, stupid girl. Poor Momma. She tried to warn me that he was just too good to be true.]] She listened carefully. He was speaking Polish, a language she didn’t speak very well, but could understand enough to be very frightened. {{You’re sure he’s not there? He left suddenly on business. Well, well. I guess we know why my sweet little fiancée was here then. Yes. Watch the airports. Oh, I don’t think I will have any problem in getting dear Francesca to tell me exactly what I want to know. Yes. Soon we will have him. He will tell us anything we want just to keep her alive. Yes, yes I know he used to be a SEAL. That’s all she talks about. Papa was this and Papa was that and my papa is the best papa in the world. Stupid cunt. We’ll see what she thinks of her papa when I am done with him. What the hell do I care that he has friends in the CIA? They don’t know about us. We were too careful.}} She had tried to pretend she was still unconscious but his slap hurt too much and she cursed him. After the second slap she just concentrated on not crying. She wouldn’t let him see her cry. "You talked to him, didn’t you my dear? He’s coming to see you. He’s coming to meet me, isn’t he Francesca?" He fisted her hair and pulled her head back. His breath on her cheek was almost caressing as he purred, "I won’t slap your face again, Francesca. I don’t need to leave a mark – on your face." She cried out in pain as he roughly pinched her nipple. "Oh, you don’t like that? I thought you wanted me to do things like that to you? Should I find out all the things that make you cry out, Francesca?" "Please don’t touch me," she begged. "But we’re engaged, Francesca. Don’t you want me to make you mine?" He squeezed her breast until tears were flowing down her face. "Would you like to see some of the toys that Ernö likes me to use?" "Please don’t." She whimpered in pain. The door swung open and Ernö poked his head around it. {{Magda called from the airport. A flight plan was just accepted into Ferihegy. Consular clearance.}} {{She didn’t find his name on any commercial flights?}} {{No. Unless he his taking military hops, which we can’t track, this has to be it.}} {{No. Not military hops. Even an admiral has to wait for those. According to what we know, Chegwidden has enough pull with various agencies, including the CIA, to divert a consular plane. You have his picture; go and make sure it’s him. But, Ernö make sure that Magda keeps checking everything.}} {{Of course. You take me for an amateur.}} Vajda face softened. {{No. Never you.}} He turned his attention back to the girl crying softly. His face hardened again and he knelt down in front of her. "I will hurt you until no man will ever be able to please you again, Chesca." He moved his hands roughly up her legs. As she tried to clinch her thighs together he just became rougher. "Tell me what you planned." :: :: ::
Somewhere over the Eastern Seaboard AJ knew he had to keep his temper. There was nothing he could do about Meredith but leave her someplace safe as soon as they landed. [[Sweetheart, if it’s possible, you won’t leave the plane.]] Gently, he moved her off his lap into the chair beside him. "Stay here, darlin’." He kept his voice gentle too. He would find out later what she was doing here. From Webb’s earlier reaction, he knew Meredith wasn’t part of the plan. He just started to go to the cockpit when a hand brushed the curtain aside and Webb warily stepped out. "Have a seat, AJ. I’ll be right there." He sighed as AJ kept coming toward him. Stepping into the galley he opened several cabinets and pulled out a couple of small bottles. "Scotch, okay?" "I want to stay sober, Webb." "I need you to stay sober, AJ. Scotch?" "Fine." "How about Dr. Cavanaugh?" "Excuse me?" AJ had felt her presence just behind him. He really would have to have a conversation with her about the difference between having to ‘obey’ someone (which he knew he didn’t have the right to expect) and respecting someone’s request (which he really didn’t think was too much to ask). "Meredith." He sighed. "Look AJ. I know you’re mad a me. Really, I didn’t mean to be on the plane when it took off. I mean it. I just wanted to come and find out what was going on. I read Mr. Webb’s note…" "Oh. Mr. Webb sent you a note?" His purr was like a jungle cat right before
it pounced. "I never did." Webb retorted angrily. "No, AJ. The note he passed to Commander Rabb in Jason’s office." "Just terrific." Webb peeved. "Scotch!" AJ gritted out. "Dr. Cavanaugh prefers white wine." "Actually, Mr. Webb, I would really like a scotch right now." Webb gathered up the tray of tiny scotch bottles [[Hell, will twelve be enough?]] balanced a bucket of ice and three plastic rock glasses on top. Carefully he made his way to the seats. AJ had already turned the two seats in front of his row to face them. Meredith figured out how to raise the table between the four seats. Sitting the tray down, he turned. "Webb." "In a minute, AJ. We have eight hours. Rabb!" "Two minutes, Webb." Rabb remained standing. "Hey, I’m it. I hope to hell I don’t hit my head or anything," he said as he kept glancing back at the now empty cockpit. "Believe it or not, Rabb, I can land this thing. It won’t be pretty, but I refuse to be in a situation that I don’t have a fighting chance of escaping. I started taking lessons two years ago, when I had the time." Webb settled back in his chair and studied the four people, already trying to work Cavanaugh into the equation. [[You use what you have.]] He took a deep breath. "How many times have I lied to you over the years, AJ?" "Too many to count, Webb." "You’ve always known it, though, right?" "Eventually." Webb snorted and looked up at the lawyer standing, dividing his attention between the conversation and the open cockpit. They were flying into the setting sun and Webb knew he was nervous. "You with us here, Rabb?" "Just talk, Webb." "I wasn’t being completely truthful back at your office, AJ." "Gee, Webb. I wouldn’t have guessed." "Oh, the FBI part was true. They are all hot to trot to get you to a safe house. We’re not sure why Vajda wants you. He’s not saying. But he thinks you’re the key to something important. Just so you know, he and Kabir Atef were close – really close, lovers." "I thought you said he was married, Webb?" "So?" "Okay, fine. What does it have to do with anything?" Webb shrugged. "Nothing that I know of, but with this guy you can’t tell. Maybe he wants you because he thinks you should have done more to get Atef off. I do know that he hates you and that he is going to use Francesca to get to you." "She doesn’t know he’s a terrorist, does she?" "Not that I can tell." AJ grew very quiet and leaned back to sip his scotch. He glanced at Mac who looked like she was coming to same conclusions. Rabb looked like he was thinking about it, but he walked back to the cockpit to check the readings. Meredith just sat and watched them all. AJ waited until Mac’s eyes widened in understanding before he spoke. "This information didn’t come across your desk, did it Webb?" The spy sighed in relief and a little trepidation. "No." "Just who does Vajda think you are?" AJ demanded. Meredith made a small sound of triumph, letting AJ knew she was on the same page. "You’re a spy, aren’t you Mr. Webb?" His sigh was her only answer. "Vajda thinks I’m Denys Verwat, a Dutch banker. There’s a huge problem right now with a lot of the banks in Amsterdam – other countries too, but Amsterdam is hip deep in terrorist banking. I’ve had dinner with him a couple of times to discuss transfers and such. That’s how I first heard about Francesca. I was really glad I didn’t recognize her name. Thank god she uses Paretti and not Chegwidden. If I had heard that, I would have choked on my goulash. Not good form." He sipped from his drink. "I did some digging and came up with a test. There’s a lot of money being transferred from Amsterdam to Budapest to all manner of places and most of it is done by wire transfers. Most of it. But there comes a time when cold hard cash has to change hands. Francesca had no clue what she was carrying. She thought it was a baby gift for his brother in Turkey. She has such an innocent…" Webb stopped abruptly. AJ hadn’t noticed that his voice grew softer; Mac was stretching to see if Harm needed her in the cockpit, only Meredith cocked an eyebrow. "She just waltzed through three train checkpoints. I’m sure the airlines would have checked more carefully." "She knows you, Mr. Webb?" He tried to ignore Cavanaugh’s question, but it had alerted AJ. "Well, Webb?" "She’s met me, AJ. That’s all." "She thinks you’re this banker too?" "Yes, AJ. She DOES NOT work for me." "How long have you known she was in danger, Webb?" AJ leaned forward and Webb leaned back a little. "I don’t KNOW that she’s in danger now. But I do know that as soon as he has you, Vajda will use her to get to you. Trust me, AJ; I know how he will use her to get to you. You don’t want that. [[I don’t want that.]] "Hey Webb!" Rabb’s voice had him out of his seat and in the cockpit in five strides. He could hear AJ right behind him, he figured Mac and Cavanaugh were too. "What?" "Sit down there." He pointed to the co-pilot’s seat. There’s a message coming in for you." Webb settled into the seat and started to put on the earphones, but AJ slapped his hand away. "I want to hear it too." "AJ. Not everything I do is about this." "Don’t care, you can shoot me later." Rabb didn’t wait for Webb’s agreement to flip a switch. Webb sighed and picked up the microphone. "Go ahead, this is Huntsman." Mac and Meredith covered their mouths but their giggles could be heard. Rabb snorted derisively. Only AJ had no trouble maintaining his composure. [[Obnoxious little shit.]] "Huntsman this is Mirror, come in." "What have you got, Mirror?" "Confirmation that they know Prince Charming is landing at the forest." "Good, anything else?" There was a pause and AJ could feel Webb’s tension grow. "I repeat – anything else?" "We’re not sure but…" "What, damn it." "Snow White went into the castle and hasn’t been seen since. It’s after midnight here. She never stays that late." Webb stared out the window into the black night. He bit his lip until he tasted blood and then brought the mike back to his lips. "Is there any indication that she is there against her will?" "We don’t think so." "Well then I guess they decided to celebrate their engagement." [[God I hope that’s what they’re doing. Please don’t let him hurt her.]] "Yeah, probably. We’ll have a car waiting for you at the mines. How many of the dwarves came with you?" "Dopey, Doc and…" he thought for a moment and then added, "Bashful was a last minute addition." "Bashful?" "Over and out." Webb carefully replaced the mike. "You’re a real stitch, you know that Webb?" Rabb growled. "Doc? My code name is Doc?" Mac demanded. "Hey!" Rabb whined. "What makes you think I’m not Doc?" Mac and Webb snorted in unison; the tension broken for a moment. It returned full force when Webb turned and saw AJ’s face. Webb pushed between Mac and Meredith and walked back into the cabin. [[I have to keep it under control. He’s going to be a bull in the china closet. I can’t let it go.]] Deciding that taking the offensive was he only course of action he turned and demanded. "So, AJ, where and when?" AJ was taken aback for only a moment. He knew exactly what Webb was doing and why. [[I have to stay in control. There’s nothing I can do about it here, and if all she’s doing is sleeping with a man who is trying to use her to get to me, then I’ll deal with it later. Please don’t let him hurt her.]] "I assume you mean where and when did we set up the meeting?" "Yeah, AJ." Webb stood there his hands on his hips and waited. The ride had been fairly smooth but he knew that there were storms over Europe. He wanted everything settled before they landed. "I told her I would call her when I landed." "She knows for sure you’re coming in this weekend?" "Yes. At the time of our conversation I thought I would be taking a commercial flight, Webb." "No, that’s good. I wish I would have thought to book a seat under your name, but I would have had to pull Chase off a mission for it to have worked." "Who’s Chase?" "Your look-alike." Webb replied smugly. "When this is over, Webb." Webb sighed and flopped down into one of the seats. "When this is over, Chegwidden, you can break both my arms and my legs. Frankly, I could use the rest." He turned his attention to Meredith Cavanaugh. "You might as well use the bedroom, Doctor. I know better than to suggest Mac go back there, though I plan on spelling her for a bit." Meredith touched AJ on the shoulder. "If you are going to help her, you need to get some sleep AJ. Come on…Prince Charming." "Webb, what’s the plan?" Webb snorted. "I’m workin’ on it. But I’ve got Intel. You can look at the stuff now or in the morning." AJ let Meredith lead him to the back cabin. The bed was barely full size, but he slipped off his shoes, shirt and pants. Hanging his clothes up, he turned to find her shaking out her skirt and blouse. "Not how I thought we would be spending the night, Mer." "Oh, really?" She pulled her pantyhose down and walked into the tiny little lavatory. He pulled back the sheet and climbed into the bed, not even bothering to turn off the overhead light. A few minutes later he looked over as the door opened. She stood there naked. Walking over to the door to the cabin, she threw the lock and light switch. They were high above the clouds so the moonlight was unfiltered. "You need to relax, sailor." "Mer. Honey. Not tonight." He needed to stay focused. [[Why? We won’t land for another six hours.]] "I’m uhm…really tired." "I know." She purred and pulled the sheet off him. "AJ Chegwidden. You haven’t worn your underwear to bed since I’ve known you." "I haven’t gone to bed with Webb in the next room, Mer." She knelt at his feet and began to caress his legs. "So? Mr. Webb doesn’t strike me as the type to like men. [[Besides I rather suspect you would prefer him to like men when you figure out whom he does like.]] She caressed up his legs to his thighs. Her fingers hooked around the waistband of his briefs and pulled them down. "That’s not very encouraging, AJ." Before he could say anything she sucked him deep into her mouth. Before meeting him, she hadn’t liked this very much. Most of the men she had pleasured this way were just too rough and always lost control, usually ending up gagging her and spoiling the mood – at least for her. AJ was different. He always let her set the pace, and he always remained in complete control. He had never come in her mouth. [[Maybe I should let him tonight.]] Gently she worked him until he was hard. He groaned and stroked her hair. "Oh Meredith, honey, so good. Feels so good. She released him with a pop and blew lightly over the head of his penis, before licking down to his scrotum. Cupping them, she took one heavy ball in her mouth and sucked. "Jesus!" He arched off the bed. She slowly licked her way back to the tip of his cock. "Come here, woman." She sat back on her haunches and studied him. He saw what she was thinking and while the very thought of her swallowing his come made him harder still he needed to hold her tonight. He might not get the chance ever again. At this moment in time, he was suddenly very glad she was with him. Sitting up, he crossed his arms and pulled his tee shirt over his head. Grabbing her, he captured her lips and lay back down, bringing her with him, dragging her core over his sex. "AJ, please," she begged, but he flipped her over and began kissing his way down her body, kissing each spot that made her groan, caressing tight little circles around her clit, just the way she liked it. She was whimpering, moaning and thrashing her head back and forth by the time he entered her. Reaching up, she pulled him down until he covered her. She loved to feel his weight against her. Lifting her legs, she held him tight, offering him what little comfort she could. They buried their lips in each other’s shoulders, muffling their almost simultaneous climaxes. She wouldn’t let him roll off her for a moment. "Stay here darling. Let me hold you." :: :: ::
Mac yawned and glanced over at her lover. "Once more into the breach, huh?" "Once more into one of Webb’s little missions, you mean." "You love it." She chided him. "Well to tell you the truth, I was looking forward to spending this weekend with you." "I know, you couldn’t wait to go to the paleontology exhibit at GWU." He flipped the autopilot on and pulled her gently until their lips met over the console. "Sarah, you are the only person I would look at old bones with, but I would have enjoyed it. I enjoy everything we do together." She pulled back briefly then kissed him again. "Okay. So we can go antiquing next weekend?" He groaned and took the plane back off autopilot. "Anything but that." They laughed softly and she leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "Damn." "What?" "I guess you won’t be inducting me into the mile high club this trip. You promised." "I promised to induct you the next time we were on a commercial flight together. This isn’t like making out in a car, Mac. I just wouldn’t feel right." She reached for his hand and he grasped it tightly. "I know, Flyboy. But when this is over, Mr. Webb can get the plane back on his own. I want that commercial flight." "You got it, Ninja Girl." :: :: ::
Clayton Webb stared out the window. The moon made the top of the clouds look like fog floating on water. He tried hard to think of anything but her. It was useless. It was more than useless, it was impossible. [[Oh yeah. The fashion editor and the spy. What are the chances? Shit! Clayton Webb and AJ Chegwidden’s daughter. Sure.]] All he wanted two months ago was to figure out who the new chick of Vajda’s was and how bad of a threat. Vajda liked men better than women. In fact, if Webb were a psychiatrist he would say that women intimidated Vajda. Vajda’s file showed that he had used young women – girls really – in the past. He would seduce them for a quick assignment and then he would kick them out onto the street or sell them to a slaver. As soon as Webb met Francesca he knew something was different. When he had the background check done on her the first thing he noticed was her age – thirty. Way too old for the forty-year old Vajda. Of course, as soon as he found out who her father was nothing else had mattered. As pretty as she was, there was no way he was going to risk life and limb by going after AJ’s kid. Maybe if he had, they wouldn’t be doing this now. Maybe he had just got her away for an evening, laid everything out for her and sent her away…[[Vajda would have tracked her down.]] János Vajda had a thick dossier with the Company and with all the European counterintelligence branches. He couldn’t get a job anywhere outside his home country. No one really knew much about his life before he joined the university. But he had a reputation for being one nasty son-of-a-bitch. Webb hoped they could get this done before Vajda hurt her. He knew that if they didn’t, AJ would blame him. [[Who the hell are you kidding? It will be my fault and I will never forgive myself.]] :: :: ::
Budapest Light was streaming in through the apartment window and Francesca tried to turn away, but her hands were tied to either side of the bed frame rendering her immobile. She couldn’t believe he hadn’t raped her. He had done far worse. He found some poor homeless girl on the street and raped her instead, making Francesca watch. She shuddered and looked down at the blood-splattered sheets. Tears of rage and fear began to fall again. [[Papa, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. Please be strong enough to save us both.]] She remembered what Vajda had told her as Ernö dragged the body out of the bedroom. "That’s what will happen to you, Chesca, if you don’t help me." The door opened and she tried to close her eyes, but he caught her. "I brought you breakfast." "I’m not hungry." She didn’t think she would ever eat again. Vajda took out a long knife from his belt and she whimpered. But all he did was cut the cords holding her down. She sat up, rubbing her wrists. They were sore but he had put pads between her skin and the ropes. "Mustn’t let my future father-in-law think his darling daughter is into kinky sex." She wanted to lash out at him, but she knew he would hurt her if she did. She could see it in his eyes and she could see that he knew exactly what she was thinking. He put the tray on her lap and then caressed his finger down her cheek. "Eat, Francesca." Shuddering, she did what she was told. Later he pushed her into the bathroom and watched as she peed and showered. He never touched her but she felt so dirty even after standing under water much hotter than she normally used. Someone, Ernö probably, had gone to her apartment and returned with a pretty dress for her to wear. She shuddered at the thought of Ernö going through her undergarments and it seemed to her that the crotch of her panties smelled of him – cigarette smoke and whiskey. She forced herself to dress and sat on the edge of the bed. Finally, just before noon, her cell phone rang. Ernö was there instantly and held a knife to her throat. Vajda picked up the phone and grinned as he read the cell phone’s face. "How sweet. ‘Papa.’" He sat on the bed next to her, put his arm around her to hold her close and opened the phone on the fourth ring." {{Hello?}} {{Francesca?}} {{Hello, Papa.}} {{Honey, I got lucky and hitched a ride with a friend who dropped me off at Ferihegy.}} {{So, you’re here?}} {{Yeah, honey. I’m here. When can I see you?}} Vajda had already told her where and when. {{SÖRÖZO, Papa. All the cab drivers will know where to go. It’s downtown. Two o’clock?}} {{That sounds fine baby. You sound a little tired.}} Francesca cringed and felt the blood drip down her neck. {{Oh, János and I stayed up late last night talking about the wedding.}} A tear tracked down her cheek. {{Well, I can’t wait to meet this…young man of yours, Francesca. I’ll see you both at 1400 hours, baby.}} Vajda closed her phone and threw it on the bed. Then he pulled her even tighter and kissed her on the lips. {{See, darling. That wasn’t so hard.}} He looked up at Ernö. {{Bring her a towel and a bandage for her neck.}} She had hoped that they would leave her, but they dragged her out to the living room and tied her to same chair she had sat in most of last night. She started to cry but Vajda grabbed her hair. "Don’t Chesca. I don’t want you to have swollen eyes. And don’t even think about trying to warn him. I will kill every person in that restaurant and anyone on the streets. You don’t want to be responsible for their deaths, do you my love?" She stared at him in horror and he pulled her hair tighter. "Do you, my love?" "No János." "Good girl." He brushed his lips across hers laughing at her disgust. "Ernö, I think she is jealous of my playmate last night." Before Ernö could respond another cell phone rang. Vajda reached into his pocket and studied the caller ID. {{Hello? Denys! What? You have it. Damn. I’m busy today. What? Shit! Well if you must. Meet me at SÖRÖZO. Do you know where that is? Great. I’m meeting someone at two, can you come earlier?”}} "Shit!" Vajda jammed the phone back into his pocket. Ernö came up and took his hand. "What’s wrong?" "That fucking banker has the paperwork we need. But he’s only in town for a few hours. We will have to meet him. I have to get that money to our friends in Iraq or things will get sticky." "So what’s the problem? He’s one of us?" "Please. He’s a fucking banker, in it for the money. Be prepared to kill him if you have to. Call in everyone." He looked at Francesca and giggled. "Remember, Papa is a former SEAL." Home :: JAG Index :: e-mail |