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The Real Estate Connection Ch. 02

By: kiwiwolf



Stevie sighed as she snuggled in under my arm. I looked down to see a small contented smile on her face. She looked so peaceful curled on the couch, feet drawn up under her, lying across my lap. It felt very natural and very comfortable. With a jolt I realised that I was starting to get used to being around people. So much for the big loner thing. It shook me for a moment but it took me seconds to figure that maybe this is what I needed. After all maybe this is what a normal life is supposed to be like, sitting with good friends wrapped in nothing but towels and enjoying quiet togetherness.

Having no real frame of reference as to what a "normal life" was made this one huge learning curve and I was starting at the very bottom. I had a lifetime of opinions, experiences, and values to reset or relearn and what better place to start than with good friends and a potential great partner.

Looking over at Matt and Becky cuddled up on the other couch I caught Matt's eye and smiled. They looked so content… not a care in the world. It was as if the events of today had never happened. The smile faded from my face.

"Guys, we have to talk about what happened today." This drew a theatrical groan from Stevie as she pulled herself upright on the couch next to me.

"Look, I don't want to piss on the party but we have to talk about this. I don't know all the details behind what went down today but I'm worried. I've been here for less than a week and all of a sudden there isn't just me to worry about any more. I have you to consider and frankly that is a pretty scary proposition. These guys were loaded for bear and from the looks of them and what I do know they were pretty professional."

"They got caught. That doesn't sound professional to me." This from Matt. At least I had their full attention now. I shook my head, regretting the one too many Scotches I had downed earlier. Stevie stood as if reading my mind.

"Hold on honey and I'll put some coffee on." Her voice was full of concern which again shook me. The feelings that were sweeping through me were confusing to say the least. For the last 8 years I had been as self sufficient as a man in my profession could possibly be. Sure, in any combat team you have to rely on the man next to you but I had been exceptionally good at separating my work from my private life. My down time had been spent in solitary pursuit of whatever interested me at the time. On the rare occasions I had chosen to socialise with my team mates it had always been a strained affair. We functioned well as a team because they respected my ability and leadership, not because they liked me. I could get the job done with a minimum of risk, and in our business that was a precious ability.

I was still doing my introspective navel gazing when Stevie came back into the room with the coffee pot, cups, and the trimmings balanced on a tray the salesman had thrown in when I bought my kitchenware. She had made a detour to the bedroom and was now, for want of a better word, dressed in an old denim shirt of mine. I have to say it looked better on her than it ever did on me. 

Matt was sitting watching me, a look of concern on his face. Jesus… they must think I'm losing it. I waited until we were all sipping on hot fresh coffee before speaking.

"Matt you're right. They did get caught. That doesn't mean they aren't pro's. I've known their kind for years on both sides of the equation. They got caught because I'm a bit paranoid by nature and because I have pretty damned good instincts. Luck, paranoia, ability and instinct kept me alive for 8 years when a lot of guys around me died. Underestimating these people just because they got caught is wrong, dangerous and stupid." Maybe I laid it on a bit thick but I needed to get the seriousness of the situation through to them. I carried on.

"I made a hell of a lot of enemies down there in the last 8 years. I cost them a lot of money… millions in wrecked labs, shipments burned, planes and boats destroyed… I had a free reign and hit them whenever and wherever I could."

"These folks have long memories and fat wallets. I always knew that there could be repercussions when I left mercenary work, but I was always convinced that I would only have to worry about me. You people have gone and changed that dynamic quite drastically. I came here to melt into the background and be as anonymous as I could, to catch up on some of the luxuries of life that up 'til now have only been pictures in books or topics of conversation. That's all changed now."

"Are you saying you don't want us here?" I turned and was shocked at the expression on Stevie's lovely face. She looked scared, angry and shocked. 

I sighed. "I don't know what I want at the moment baby. I need to find out what is happening first so that I know what I am up against. I need to know what the threat is before I can figure out how to react to it and protect you all." 

"Craig, I can only speak for myself, but I'm damned sure I'm not going to abandon a friend in his time of need. Shit that sounded pompous. Look man I hardly know you but I'm pretty sure that if the tables were turned and it was us in trouble, you wouldn't leave us in the lurch. What makes you think that we would leave you to it?" Matt looked at me with a bemused look on his face. Becky was nodding her lovely head at his side.

"As usual, my man is long winded but correct. Besides, there is definitely strength in numbers isn't there?" Matt grinned and pulled her close.

I turned to Stevie. Her eyes searched my face for some sign of encouragement. I sighed and pulled her into a hug. I could see that this was a battle I wasn't going to win.

"Okay. You win… but we play this my way. Everyone needs to take some extra care until we find out exactly what's going on here. I'm going to pay a visit to Langley tomorrow. If the CIA had me red flagged then I want to find out why and what they know. In the mean time I think it would be better if everyone set up camp here. From what I've seen of the place so far it is going to be pretty easy to defend if it becomes necessary. Plus Becky's safety in numbers argument holds a bit of weight."

Stevie's grin was a thing of beauty. With a bounce and a whoop she was perched in my lap busy plastering my face with happy kisses. This lady didn't know how to do things by halves. 

"Well I'm tired guys. Hope you don't mind if I grab my man and retire for the night. You kids play nice now and remember to lock up before you go up to bed."

This drew a thunderous laugh from Matt while Becky burst into a fit of giggles before putting on a mock severe look and speaking. 

"Craig I think you are well and truly snared. This might be your last chance to escape intact. Take my advice and run… run while you can." 

I laughed as Stevie dragged me to my feet. "I think I'll take my chances. Good night you two."

Their goodnights followed me as I trailed upstairs behind Stevie. I stayed a couple of stairs below her to take advantage of the magnificent view she was providing. When she had put my shirt on she had obviously neglected to replace her panties which were still lying out on the deck next to the hot tub. I briefly wondered if she realised what an incredible show she was putting on before she removed all doubt.

"Like what you see baby?" she murmured. "Do you like that ass honey?"

I felt it was about time I got a bit of control back.

"In about 30 seconds I'm going to be burying my tongue in that ass lover." I growled as I took two quick steps and swept her up and over my shoulder. She squealed as I ran up the remaining stairs and into the bedroom, kicking the door closed behind me. Laughing I dumped her unceremoniously on the bed and gazed down at her.

She lay with her hair fanned out around her head on the pillow. Her arms were up above her head and the shirt had rucked up around her lovely slim hips. Licking her lips sensuously she slowly spread her long legs.

"Put your money where your mouth is big guy." She purred. Her eyes were hooded, her cheeks flushed and her lips full and moist. I could honestly say I had never seen a sexier sight. Without a word I bent and grabbed her by the ankles. With a heave I dragged her over so her ass was resting on the edge of the bed. Still holding her ankles and looking deep into her eyes I dropped to my knees between her thighs. My hands slipped down her firm calves until I was holding her behind her knees. Firmly I pushed up, out and back, spreading her wide and rolling and raising her hips up off the bed. 

Maintaining eye contact I slowly lowered my head until my lips gently grazed the inside of her thigh near her ass. My tongue slid out and slowly swept upwards toward her knee pulling a small moan from her beautiful lips. Slowly I trailed my tongue back toward her pussy, then just when I was about to touch her moist lips I switched legs and trailed upwards again. I could feel her heat and smell her clean fresh scent as she moaned and wriggled as my tongue found a sensitive spot behind her knee. I let my tongue play there for a while before sucking the soft flesh of her leg into my mouth and laving it with my tongue. Her arms whipped forward and her fingers wound their way through my hair insistently pulling my lips toward her wet pussy. Being the gentleman that I am, who was I to refuse her. With a sudden lunge my tongue was buried in her soaked hole, my nose pressed against her clit.

"AAAARRRGGGGHHH!" Her scream was guttural and loud enough to let Matt and Becky know exactly what was going on behind our closed door. Her hips started a rhythmic thrusting on my searching tongue as her hands left my hair and grabbed her own knees, spreading and opening herself even further. This freed my hands up for more enterprising tasks, and I immediately set them to work. As I lapped at her pussy my left hand slid up her flat firm stomach and over her hard nippled breast.

My right hand moved down and momentarily cupped her hard butt. I loved the way her skin felt, hot and smooth with a sheen of moisture. I slid my thumb up, sliding it between her butt cheeks, over her puckered asshole and into her wet cunt alongside my probing tongue. Stevie moaned as she felt the invasion then whimpered as I swirled it around getting it as wet as I could. 

"Oh fuck baby… God I want you!" Her breath was coming in ragged gasps and stringing words together was becoming a major mission for her. I shifted the angle of my attack and slipped my tongue out of her pussy and started sucking on her engorged lips, my nose still sliding back and forth across her swollen clit. My thumb was now wet enough. Without further ado I slid it out of her and moved it slowly downwards.

Stevie immediately figured out where it was headed.

"Yesssssss!" It was a long drawn out hiss that told me exactly what she wanted… and where she wanted it. My thumb arrived at her asshole and slid back and forth over the puckered tight ring, exerting a little more pressure at every pass.

"Oh fuck yes!" Her moan was louder and her hips were bucking against my lips and tongue. My face was slick with her hot juice which was now freely flowing, trickling down the crack of her ass and adding to the lubrication I was spreading around her tight ring. From my position I watched as her stomach muscles started to flutter with tiny spasms as small orgasms started to jolt her. It was time.

My lips clamped down on her engorged clit sucking it and the surrounding flesh as far into my mouth as I could, while my tongue went to work lashing the firm little bundle of nerves. Simultaneously my thumb pressed steadily inwards against the rubbery resistance of her tight sphincter. With a minimum of opposition my thumb popped past the muscle and slid deeply into her hot tight depths.

Stevie froze for a heartbeat… then… she went ballistic. Her whole body flexed, legs flying out straight and as rigid as boards. Her body arched as her heels dug into the mattress. Her fingers were suddenly wound through my hair again as my face was mashed against her spasming pussy. A massive orgasm ripped through her with a violence which would have been shocking if I hadn't been expecting it. Her tight asshole clamped down on my invading thumb as she slid deeper into the most spectacular climax I had ever witnessed. Stevie's juices were free flowing, soaking my lips and chin, as her body contracted in spastic jerks, an explosive grunt accompanying every contraction. 

It was getting hard to breathe. My mouth and nose were completely enveloped in her crotch. Just as it was getting to the stage when oxygen was a must have, she gave a small strangled scream and slowly sank back onto the sheets gasping. I could breathe and did so, sucking as much air into my lungs as I could before collapsing onto the bed beside Stevie. 

I rolled over and pulled her into my arms, holding her as she panted, trying to get her breath back. 

"My God! I'll have what she's having!" My head whipped round, automatically tracking the source of the voice. Becky's voice. She was leaning against the door jamb with Matt firmly pressed up behind her. His hands were cupping her gorgeous naked breasts, her bra creating an attractive green lacy pool at her feet. Her right hand was busy between her thighs, thrust down the front of her G-String. Her eyes were hooded with lust whereas Matt's were filled with amusement and something else as he scanned Stevie's body. Obviously I hadn't closed the door properly.

"Jesus you two!" Stevie gasped, "Is there no privacy here in my own home?"

"Your home?" Matt burst into laughter which almost instantly took the heat out of a very promising erotic situation. I joined him.

"Your house eh? So what did I sign in your office?"

"Oh don't worry baby, you can stay here. I'll need a cabana boy."

"I have a Cabana?" I really was going to have to fully explore my property. 

The whole situation was very strange but not uncomfortable. Here we were, four attractive naked, or near naked adults, throwing jokes back and forth as if nothing was amiss. It was a lifetime away from what I was used to and for a moment I wondered if it was all real. Stevie's hand sliding over my thigh and grabbing my semi hard cock dispelled all doubts. Something that felt that good could not be a dream.

"Matt… take that lady and be gone from our presence. Pressing matters are rising that need my full attention." She punctuated her statement with long slow strokes of my rapidly hardening cock. "See you in the morning."

"C'mon stud… let's leave them alone. I have some matters of my own that need attending to.' Becky blew us a kiss as she withdrew her hand from her panties and dragged Matt out of the room and down the hall. The door closed after them with an audible click.

"Baby we stink of chlorine. Come and scrub me lover." Flipping me a wicked grin she stretched languorously, rolled over, grabbed my hand and dragged me after her into the bathroom. I sat on the bathroom counter as she bustled around organising towels and getting the water temperature just right. As I watched her I realised that she was indeed acting like it was her house… and on reflection, I didn't mind one bit. She looked comfortable and that in turn had put me at ease. It hit me that it was this easy familiarity that all three of my new friends were exhibiting that was making it easy for me to slip into my new situation with a minimum of fuss and stress. 

The shower was a relaxed affair. Both of us were tired from the activities and events of the past couple of days and the process of washing each other was performed more with cleanliness in mind than as a precursor to another bout of mattress wrestling. There was a lot of kissing and exploring along with quiet murmured conversation as we soaked and scrubbed the grime and cares away. Soon enough the hot water started to run out, our signal that it was time for bed. We dried each other in a warm companionable silence then hand in hand we headed into the bedroom. Despite the earlier sexual frenzy we both knew that tonight was for sleep. 

I climbed in and Stevie slid in after me. After years of sleeping on jungle floors and narrow army cots I didn't actually have a "side" as such but the way Stevie arranged her long smooth limbs around my body told me how I'd like to sleep from now on. It just felt right. Soft kisses and caresses were exchanged as we drifted softly into sleep.

The next day dawned warm, clear and sunny. That, in itself, would have been enough to send any mortal man into raptures. I had an extra reason to thank god for the new day.

I awoke to find Stevie crouched over my cock, hands on my chest for support, riding my morning hard on. The rising sun was behind her throwing her into silhouette, but I could see enough to tell she was enjoying herself. Her eyes were closed, lips pursed in an "O" of delight as her tight, hot, wet, pussy slid slowly up and down my hardness.

Stupidly my first thought was, "How the hell did she manage to sneak up on me like that?" Then all rational thought was driven from my mind as Stevie started to swivel her hips on every down stroke. The feeling was indescribable. Suffice to say I'd never felt anything like it before. Stevie appeared completely unaware that I was awake... until she moaned and spoke.

"Are you going to lie there and let me do all the work baby… or are you going to roll me over and fuck me hard." she managed to get out in between gasps. Reaching up to grip her hips I answered her.

"I'm going to let you do most of the work." I growled as I hauled her down hard on my cock, burying myself as far as I could in her hot, velvet depths. Her firm hard nippled breasts bounced beautifully as she paused and ground her pussy against my pubic bone before slowly rising up onto her haunches then slamming herself back down onto my erection.

I released her hips and moved my hands up over her hot flanks and around to her heaving breast. Softly I trailed my fingertips over the underside of the lovely orbs and her ribcage, content for the moment just to watch her ride. Her eyes opened and she smiled down at me as she wriggled her way toward what I guessed would be her first orgasm of the day. Yes, I could think of a lot worse ways to start the day. 

As I filled my hands with her breasts Stevie reached for my nipples and started to pinch them with her manicured nails. I'd never, before this moment, considered my nipples as an erogenous zone. Man was I wrong! It was like tiny electric shocks, shivers took over my body in time with every tweak. Almost of their own volition my hips started moving in concert with hers… slowly at first but gaining in force and speed as Stevie sped towards her climax.

I cupped her breasts and started rolling, squeezing and pulling on her nipples. The hard rubbery nubbins were an angry coral red now and standing up like sewing thimbles. Stevie grunted with every down stroke as she fucked me faster and faster. I realised I was just along for the ride this time and laid back to watch her go into orbit. It didn't take long.

With a long deep moan Stevie crashed headlong into her orgasm. Her whole body tensed and the rhythmic undulations of her hips became uncoordinated and frantic. I felt the walls of her pussy contract around my hard straining cock, and this was enough to send me over the edge along with Stevie.

"Oh fuck… I'm cummmmming… FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCK!" If Matt and Becky weren't already awake they would be now. Stevie's bellow rang through the room as she drove herself down fully on my shaft just as I lost control and sprayed her insides with my hot load. While I remained rigid and still, Stevie was shaking like a patient with the Malaria Tremors. Finally with a small wail she collapsed on my chest panting. 


The Real Estate Connection Ch. 02



We lay there slowly getting our breath back still joined at the genitals. My lovely lady was laying soft kisses on the skin of my chest while I was stroking her back and hair. This was a world away from my old life which I missed not a bit. Thinking about my past existence brought the events of yesterday back to mind. I had to get a few answers today and to do it, I figured a trip to Langley was in order. But that could wait. I was busy enjoying what I was beginning to hope would become a regular morning thing.

"So what is on the agenda for today honey?" Stevie's question broke me out of my navel gazing.

"Well lover, first we start with a good home cooked breakfast. Then we progress to the shower where we cleanse ourselves of this morning's debauchery and prepare ourselves for the day to come. After that I have to organise a phone line or two, an alarm system, and run a few more errands. Then I think you'd better take me shopping. I'm rapidly coming to the limit of my available civilian clothing and have no idea where the landed gentry shops for threads in this town. You game to help me in that area?"

Grinning, she looked up at me and said, "I think I can handle that. Now get going on breakfast before I wither away to skin and bone." 

"No way babe! I did breakfast yesterday. It's your turn today… and I have my eggs sunny side up and runny okay?"

A mock look of horror crossed her face and she rolled off me leaving my cock to flop wetly against my belly as we uncoupled.

"Me? Cook? God man what do you take me for? First you lure me here and ply me with liquor, then you have your wicked way with me… not once… but twice! And now you demand sustenance? How could you… you brute!" The look of indignation on her face was priceless. I struggled to contain my laughter as I put on an air of indifference.

"Yeah yeah. Come on wench. The lord of this manor needs feeding… and it's your turn." I threw her an evil grin which was met with a withering stare. Leaning down I spanked her sexy upturned butt quickly before she could figure out what I was up to. "Food wench, and make it snappy!"

One minute she was looking shocked and sweet, the next I was wrestling with a spitting, snarling, bundle of warm sexy flesh and muscle. She pounced without warning and grabbed my wrists trying to pin me to the mattress while her gleaming white teeth snapped inches from my nipples… the same nipples she had been teasing mere moments before. This will be easy I thought as I moved to push her off and over using my superior weight and strength. How wrong I was. Straddling my hips again, she now had her legs wound around mine effectively removing the strength and weight advantage. I had no leverage. I could, with some difficulty, push upwards with my hands until I had control of her hands. She couldn't let go of my wrists or I would have complete control of the situation in no time. She fought with a fierce, quiet, concentration and I was finding it hard to gain the upper hand through fair means. So I did what any decent gentleman would do. I cheated.

Rearing up suddenly, I lightly nipped her nipple with my teeth. Stevie shrieked and let go of my hands, covering her breasts to protect them from further attack. As quick as a striking snake I flipped her onto her back and leapt on top of her pinning her to the sheets… or at least that is how it should have gone. In reality it was a lot different. I did manage to grab hold of her waist and start to flip her. That is the point where I discovered that she had elbows… and she wasn't scared of using them. 

When my vision cleared she was perched back on top of me and now had a much better position. She wore a ferocious grin and I was about to submit when there was a laugh from the doorway.

"I guess you two have managed to work up an appetite. I hope so anyway or this breakfast is going to go to waste." Becky and Matt walked into the room carrying two trays. Stevie apparently had managed to develop a sense of modesty which hadn't been evident last night. With a shriek she collapsed on my chest and dragged the covers over us.

"Modesty sis? It's okay we've seen it before." Grinning they put the trays down on the bed and climbed on with us. "Don't wait for us… dig in. We've had ours. We just thought we'd check in and see what the plans are for today."

I recapped what I had discussed with Stevie as we ate. Matt volunteered his services to get a couple of phone lines installed and help with the alarm. After a quick huddle with Becky, Stevie announced that I'd be accompanied by both women on my clothes shopping trip. God help me. 

"First thing on my agenda is getting the computer set up ready for connection when the phone lines go in. Matt could you help me with that buddy?"

"No problems man. Let me make a call and see if we can get the phone lines fast tracked. I have a contact who sold his house through me. He said I could call on him if I ever needed a telecommunications favour. Craig can I also suggest you get yourself a cell phone? You have no idea how handy they can be."

"Way ahead of you there buddy. I used satellite phones in the jungle for secure comms. When I left the job I managed to liberate one as a bonus. I'm pretty sure it is in a box still in the car crate."

"Boys and their toys! While you boys are doing manly man stuff Becky and I will start setting things up properly. It's not something you can leave to men is it Becky?" Stevie was getting right into this whole house business. 

"At the risk of killing the happy mood folks, I also have to find time to get to Langley. I need some answers about what happened yesterday and I don't think the Richmond PD is going to be able to help me with the most pressing ones. With that in mind I think we had better move ass people."

Soon Casa Del Miller was a hive of activity. In no time the girls had the desk positioned just right in the library. Apparently it was positioned for optimal flow and view. It was then up to Matt and me to set up the computer as Stevie and Becky searched out other minor adjustments to make to my humble abode. Matt made his phone call and was delighted to tell me that my phone would be up and running by mid day. The service would include high speed internet hook up which would be a bonus after the snails pace dial up modem connection I had suffered with in Colombia.

Finally I could put it off no longer. It was time to get on the road and head for Langley. Stevie wanted to come but I didn't even know if I was going to get through the gates. Having a passenger might just be too much. After much spirited discussion and cajoling I managed to get my way. To make up for my abandonment, I had to promise to take her to dinner. Grabbing my keys I headed for my car. 

My day came crashing down around me as I opened the door. I didn't need to go to Langley, Langley had come to me. For 10 seconds I stood there mute, gaping at the man standing smiling on my doorstep. He was movie star handsome with an athletic models frame, clad in an expensive suit. Gleaming perfect teeth radiated out of a deeply tanned face which was framed by a perfectly arranged full head of surfer blonde hair. Christopher Simmons. The last time I had seen his face had been through the scope on my rifle. I should have squeezed the trigger when I had the chance. Emotions rocketed through me, warring for supremacy. Confusion, shock, and rage. Rage won.

With a bellow I was on Simmons in a heartbeat, a right cross catching him slightly off target on his left temple. He went down with a surprised grunt and I followed him down, fists flying. I was completely oblivious to anything and everything else around me. Destroying the face in front of me was my number one priority.

He was stunned and flopping around like a gaffed fish as I paused in my assault on his facial features. His throat was exposed and I knew instantly that I could finish this now. One hard punch and I could crush his hyoid and larynx. I could lay a lot of ghosts to rest with just one hard punch. Shifting my weight slightly, I drew back to deliver the killing blow and put him out of my misery.

"DON'T DO IT BOSS!!!" Four words delivered by a voice belonging to a man who had died 18 months ago. My head whipped around and I came face to face with two of the ghosts that had tormented me for the last year and a half. I rose shakily to my feet and stood stunned.

"Don't do it boss… it's not worth it brother." Sergeant Sam Roberts stepped up to the step with Sergeant Hemi Wallace at his shoulder. Both looked scared… both looked embarrassed. Both looked alive and both were supposed to be dead.

According to the man at my feet.

For the first time I became aware of the rest of my audience. I turned to find Stevie and Becky huddled in the doorway, ashen faced and looking very shocked. Matt was at my shoulder looking ready to dive in and assist me if assistance was needed. Suddenly I was in need of a place to sit. I turned and walked past my friends heading for the first available couch. I made it and collapsed staring down at my hands resting on my thighs. When I looked up Stevie was standing in front of me with a worried look on her face. Becky and Matt were looking on concerned but wary. Matt kept throwing looks towards the three newcomers who were in the doorway, Simmons being supported by Hemi and Sam who looked decidedly uncomfortable. A million questions were bouncing around in my head but I had no idea where to start. I was at a total loss. 

Stevie sat down beside me and took my hand in hers. This simple gesture was enough to tell me that things would be okay between us, although I was under no illusion that I would have hours of explaining ahead of me when we were alone… or sooner. Becky and Matt grabbed the other couch leaving our interlopers standing. Simmons was starting to regain his senses and I had the almost irresistible urge to launch another assault on his already bloodied and battered face. 

"You two are dead." It came out as a croak, my throat and mouth felt like it was full of sand. "What the fuck is going on here? Eighteen months ago this piece of shit told me that you had hit an ambush and not come out of it. He said that you had fucked up. He said that there wasn't enough of you left to bury. Told me you had hit a string of claymores." My eyes closed as I relived the moment I had been told about the claymore ambush. The 700 ball bearings packed in C4 explosive made a mess of anything within range and I had gone through agonies imagining my friends torn apart by these lethal devices. Now the ambush victims were standing in front of me apparently unscathed. Stevie got up and left the room quickly. I thought I had upset her until she returned holding a bottle of water from the fridge. I took it with a nod of thanks and took a big gulp.

"You guys owe me some answers… now! Start by telling me why you're here with this piece of shit!"

"Watch your mouth Miller." Simmons snarled through broken lips.

"You shut the fuck up if you want to be able to walk out of here when this is finished. You tried me on in Bogotá and failed. What makes you think you can beat me now?"

"Listen to the man and shut up Simmons." It was Hemi speaking. He had always been the leader of the two. Sam was the technician. Sam figured the plans out… Hemi carried them through. As Sam lowered Simmons to the floor Hemi turned to me and started speaking.

"Boss we knew you were coming home and were going to come out and see you anyway. What happened yesterday sort of sped up the timetable. We would have come alone but Simmons has a bit of info you need." He stopped and rubbed his massive paw across his face. With a huge sigh he continued. 

"Craig, we've been working for the CIA for the last 5 years. Eighteen months ago they decided they needed us in the Middle East. In their infinite wisdom they decided to fake our deaths before pulling us out."

"We didn't like the idea boss," said Sam. "But we had to go along with it. For a start we already felt like we were betraying you by working for the Company. Then we had to tell you we were accepting another job… the whole thing was dirty but we had no choice."

"You guys were friends! You had all the choices laid out in front of you! Did you really think I would flip out if you told me the truth? For fucks sake… we were mercenaries! I mourned you motherfuckers when I heard you had died!"

"Very touching Miller. Now if the tears and violins are all finished could we get on with business?" Simmons clambered to his feet and after a bit of swaying steadied himself and sneered at the three of us. 

"Say what you came to say then fuck off." I just managed to conceal my shock as Stevie spoke up for the first time since our visitors arrived. Simmons eyes narrowed as he threw her a look of dislike. 

"Charming." He turned back to me and walked over until he was standing just out of kicking range. "You are no longer officially dead Miller. Pablo Montoya caught one of Steve Bennett's boys. He gave you up pretty quickly. Montoya knows how and when you got out, and where you are now. As you can probably imagine he's still pissed at you and from what we've learned he has a price on your head… again." The smile on Simmons face was genuine. He was loving this. I was betting that he would love to be able to collect on the contract himself.

"Carmichael figured we owed you a warning and now that it's been delivered we'll be going. Have a nice life… or what's left of it." With that he turned and walked out. Sam and Hemi stayed where they were. A moment later we heard the door slam and then a car start up and roar away from the house. I felt every eye in the room on me as I sat and digested the information I'd just been given.

Montoya was one of the biggest of the drug Lords of the cartels in Colombia. He was also undoubtedly the most brutal. I knew that the man who had given me up had died slowly and horribly, I had seen the results of a Montoya interrogation on occasion. It wouldn't have been a case of if he was going to give me up, but when. 

Still… something was wrong. Something bigger than Montoya's contract was happening here. There was too much coincidence. Sam and Hemi were field operators, not office weenies. Why were they here? And of all the people to send to warn me why send Simmons. He and I had history that was well known throughout the agency. I couldn't see the Deputy Director of Operations, Carmichael, sending Simmons. It just didn't add up. I had nothing but questions and only a short time to ask them and make sense of the answers. The failed attempt by Montoya's monkeys would not be the end of it. Not by a long shot. Added to the mix were my three civilian friends. If it was just me I had to worry about I would have been a lot happier. Time to start asking questions. I raised my head and stared at my two colleagues.

"How do you two fit into this?" I raised my head and stared at my two colleagues. Both looked very uncomfortable standing there.

"Craig it's complicated man and I'm not sure how much we can tell you. We're leaving tonight and this visit was a way for us to set the record straight. Both of us feel really shitty about what happened down south, but believe me brother we had no choice." Hemi never broke eye contact with me once while he was talking. I knew he was telling the truth… in as much as what he was saying was true. But what wasn't he saying? He could see the questions in my eyes.

"Craig, don't trust Simmons. You might be able to trust Carmichael but be very careful man. There are other agendas at work here. We don't know the whole story but I get the feeling you're bait. I think Graham was sacrificed to get the news of your resurrection and relocation to Montoya to get him out in the open. Remember he swore he was going to finish you himself. I can't see him backing down on something like that man. He'd lose too much face."

"Jesus… I need a drink." This from Stevie who rose to her feet. "Anyone care to join me for coffee?"

"Coffee sounds good Ma'am… that is if Craig is going to let us stick around for a while…"

It was an easy choice really. They had been friends and comrades for a long time and their reappearance from the grave had stirred up emotions and questions. I at least owed them the chance to explain fully. 

"Yeah coffee sounds good honey." Becky followed Stevie out to the kitchen and immediately Matt spoke up. 

"Okay what do we do?" He moved over and sat down beside me, leaving the other couch for Hemi and Sam. With nods of gratitude they sat and made themselves comfortable. I made the introductions and we sat waiting for the ladies to return. I needed time to think. To straighten it all out in my head. I needed a plan. 

When the girls returned and everyone was settled in with coffee I introduced Stevie and Becky.

"How long have you been here man? A few days? Some of what we have must have rubbed off on you in the bush brother. Stevie this guy here was the shyest guy you would ever hope to meet when it came to the senoritas. Just hopeless. And here he is now with only a few days of civilian life under his belt and he's managed to snare you. He must have been taking notes on how we did it." Sam always did get straight to the point.

"Who says he snared me?" she said with a cheeky grin from her perch next to me on the arm of the couch. Her arm slid around my neck and she played with the buttons of my shirt. This drew a chuckle and the atmosphere seemed to lighten a little, which I was grateful for. 

"Okay Matt asked what we can do about this. There are real common sense ways to minimise the risk to you three. The first and most obvious is that you break all ties with me and let the cops know what is going down." I held up one hand to halt Stevie's impending interruption. I needed to get this said. "You need to know that just by being associated with me you are in danger. Montoya doesn't fuck around… he'd have no hesitation in hitting you guys to get to me. I'm sorry if that shocks you but it is supposed to. It's real… it's a fact of life when you're dealing with this sort of shit."

"So what you're saying is that because we are friends of yours he might come after us to get to you? In that case even if we do cut all ties we will still be in danger right?" Reluctantly I nodded. 

"Okay then… that settles it. I'm sticking with you. From what I've seen so far I'll be safest here. You look pretty able to take care of yourself and those around you, and neither Matt nor myself are strangers to handguns. Matt's dad taught us how to use them and we're both pretty good shots." It was pointless to argue with her. I don't think I could have been able to change her mind even by pointing out that printed paper targets don't shoot back. In any case, her safety in numbers argument did have merit. 

Matt was nodding in assent, but Becky looked unsure. I could see fear and concern in her eyes as she looked at us. 

"In a way I agree with Stevie and Matt. The only thing I'm worried about is that taking care of us might make it more complicated for you. Oh dammit… I'm not explaining this well. If you are busy worrying about us it might distract you and give the bad guys a chance to get at us. Does that make sense?" It did and was part of what I was worried about. Sam and Hemi sat silently watching the interchange, sipping quietly on their coffee. 

"Okay I'll think about it. First thing we need to do is let the Richmond PD know about this. Second… I'm gonna need a home arsenal." I turned to Hemi and Sam. "Guys I need some hardware. Any ideas?"

They exchanged a grin and Sam got up and headed for the door.

"Boss… have I got a deal for you. I'll be right back" Hemi just grinned.

"So where are you guys off to tonight?" 




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 02



"We have a gig in the Middle East that we have to wrap up then back here for some R & R. Looking at this set up I'm actually starting to think about retirement myself. You got any sisters Stevie?" he asked tongue in cheek.

She laughed. "Sorry babe… I'm an original. And if all goes well I'm off the market." Her arm tightened around my neck as she leaned down to kiss my cheek. I actually blushed which drew a roar of laughter from Hemi just as Sam returned clutching a long blue nylon gear bag. It was about the size of a dive bag, and I knew immediately what I would find when I opened it. The bag hung heavily from his large fist. Carrying it over to me he dropped it heavily to the carpet.

"Here you go man. It's amazing what you can pick up on the Home Shopping Network. I even got a free set of steak knives with these little beauties… hope you don't mind but I think I'll keep those." he joked. Leaning forward I unzipped the bag.

And stepped right back into my old life.

Weapons and ammo. At a glance I could see 2 handguns and 3 automatic weapons with boxes of ammo and spare magazines for each. Slowly I reached inside and started to unpack the bag. 

The handguns came first. A matching pair of Beretta 98 FS Brigadier. My weapon of choice. The 9mm calibre ammunition was readily available and the fact that they were the same meant the magazines were interchangeable between weapons. Another bonus in our current situation was that these puppies carried 15 rounds in a magazine. With one round already in the pipe that gave each weapon a carrying capacity of 16 rounds. On close inspection I could see they were agency specials. The serial numbers had been removed. That meant they were untraceable. Hemi and Sam were having a muttered conversation on the other couch as I continued laying out the small arsenal on the carpet. As I reached into the bag again Sam again left the room.

Next out of the bag came an old friend. The Colt M4 Commando is an umistakenly businesslike weapon. Basically a cut down jungle carbine version of the M16 it is capable of spitting out 5.56mm rounds as fast as you can acquire a target. Two Heckler and Koch 9mm MP5N Submachine guns completed my care package. These were the weapons favoured by the Navy's elite SEAL teams. I looked up at Stevie, Matt, and Becky noting the expressions of interest on their faces. At least they didn't look shocked or horrified. That was a step in the right direction. Maybe they were starting to accept the real gravity of the situation. 

Sam stepped back into the room carrying the one item that would make my home armoury complete… a 12 gauge Benelli M3 shotgun and a box of ammo. We were now loaded for bear. Which lead to more questions.

"Guys it looks like Christmas has come early to the Miller household. But how did you guys just happen to be cruising through Virginia with enough firepower to overthrow a small banana republic? It's not that I'm ungrateful or anything like that… it just seems that you two know more than you're letting on." 

"Like we said boss… we got the story from Carmichael and figured you might need a little fire support. Anyway brother we have to get going. We leave in less than 6 hours and we still have plenty to do." Sam passed me a piece of paper. "You can get hold of us on these numbers. Both are for satellite phones and both are encrypted. I figure that you probably managed to liberate one yourself down south. If the shit hits the fan give us a call. We might be able to help. In any case we should be back in a few weeks. If it's okay with you, we'd like to come out and visit. I'm pretty sure you have plenty more questions." 

"Yeah I think I'd like that guys. We have a bit to sort out and questions to be answered. Look us up when you get back."

Goodbyes were said, hands were shaken, and both were hugged soundly by Stevie before they climbed into their Ford Taurus and drove off. As they were disappearing from sight a van cruised up the driveway and pulled to a halt. Stevie quickly raced in and disposed of the weapons in the lounge. The phone guy had arrived. Matt walked him through what I wanted done, including phone plugs in all the bedrooms and other strategic sites through the house. He set to work and two hours later I had phone and internet access. After a brief consultation between the phone guy and Matt I had the name and number of an excellent home security company. A quick phone call and the promise of a big bonus ensured that my security system would be installed by the end of the next day. They would be arriving first thing in the morning. 

As the phone man left I wandered through my house. The events of the morning had taken their toll on me. I wandered into the lounge and collapsed on the couch I had been sitting on earlier. Ten minutes or so later Stevie found me there, eyes closed trying to get a handle on what had transpired.

"Hey lover," she said softly, dropping to her knees beside me. "Are you okay baby?"

"Yeah… just a bit overwhelmed I reckon. It's been one hell of a morning hasn't it baby?" 

She laughed. "No one can ever accuse you of being the boring type Craig. Honey… we need to talk. Make no mistake that I'm with you one hundred percent, but things were said this morning that need explaining." The look on her face was a mixture of concern and puzzlement. I needed more time to get my head around things before I could give my lover and my friends the explanation they deserved. They had a right to know it all. 

"Okay. That's more than fair baby. Let's all head into town and do the shopping and other things we had planned. I'll buy dinner tonight and I'll lay it all out for you guys then. Sound alright to you?" 

"Okay Hon… I'll grab the others and we can get going." She leaned in quick and kissed me hard and passionately. "One more thing… do you mind if I bring a few things out here from home? Nothing major, just a few bits and pieces that a girl needs on a day to day basis. I get the feeling that I'll be spending a bit of time here?" This last sentence was presented as a question. There was a look of hopeful expectancy in her eyes.

"My God woman… where will it end? First you molest me sexually then you want to move in! All right… but only the bare minimum? No more than 5 suitcases okay?" She grinned and blew me a raspberry before flouncing happily out of the room. It had been an easy decision really. I wanted her around.

Ten minutes later found us packed into the suburban heading into Richmond. Everyone seemed to want to put the events of the morning behind us, so there was an air of gaiety as we pulled up outside the Mall Stevie recommended. As we entered I realised that none of us had eaten since breakfast. The aromas from the food court assaulted us as soon as we walked through the door.

"Let's grab a bite before we deplete the Miller coffers any more. I have a weakness for good Muffins that I haven't been able to indulge for years. Come on… we'll try out this place. Killer Muffins… it sounds promising. My treat guys."

The food was great, the coffee magnificent and the service was superb. All in all it was a fun experience and I made a note to come back as often as possible. 

After lunch it was an all out assault on the clothing shops with two very enthusiastic and opinionated guides in Stevie and Becky. I would have been happy with a few new pairs of jeans and a couple of shirts, but the ladies weren't having any of that. In no time I was laden with bags containing, chinos, cargo pants, dress pants, shirts, jackets, sweaters, and sports gear. 

"Jesus at least in the jungle no one cared if your cammo gear was old and out of fashion." I grumbled good naturedly. 

After piling all my purchase into the back of the Suburban, Stevie said she and Becky had a few 'private errands' to run. Matt and I arranged to pick them up at Killer Muffins after we had made another trip to the furniture store. I needed a few bits and pieces including a couple of chairs for the lounge. I could see that setting up this house was going to be an ongoing exercise.

As Matt and I walked through the door the salesman who had served us the other day leaped to his feet and hurried over. Obviously they guy had a good memory for wallets. No browsing was necessary today. I knew exactly what I wanted and had seen all the items on our previous visits. Twenty minutes later I was the proud owner of a couple of leather chairs in the same design as my couches, a couch for the library, a credenza and a long low cabinet with built in file drawers also for the library, and two coffee tables, one for the lounge, the other for the library.

A quick call to Mike to arrange delivery of the furniture and we were heading back to the Mall to pick up the ladies. Halfway there it struck me that I still needed to catch up with the Richmond PD regarding our friends in the sedan. Matt got hold of Stevie on her mobile and we arranged to pick the ladies up at Stevie's place after we had finished. Matt and I would get changed at his house before picking the girls up and go straight to dinner from Stevie's. Matt had a nice private table reserved for us at La Principessa's, an up market Italian restaurant. 

Lee Stowers, our saviour from the previous day was available and soon we were sitting sipping squad room coffee out of paper cups as he updated us on the status of the would be hitmen.

"They were moved last night under a federal warrant. All three of them were taken by a car load of suits from god knows which government agency. They were loaded into a van and gone by 9.30 last night. All record of what went on is to be sealed and if anyone asks, it was a SWAT training exercise. What the fuck is going on here Craig?"

I spent the next 30 minutes laying it out for Lee. Matt got to hear everything I was going to explain to them at dinner in advance, and from his reaction I suddenly wasn't sure that explaining it all over dinner was going to be a wise idea. He was shocked to say the least. Lee took notes until he couldn't keep up at which stage he produced a tape recorder and taped the rest of the interview. At some stage a senior detective and Lee's boss joined us and the interview restarted from the beginning. As a result by the time we arrived at Stevie's house we were running late. 

In reply to my knock on Stevie's front door, we were told to "Come into the study…" the voice coming to us with a tinny quality through the intercom. What we found in the study excited the pair of us beyond all reason.

They were standing with their arms around each other locked in an erection provoking kiss. As we entered the study I heard Matt's gasp of surprise, which was quickly followed by my moan of arousal. From the look of it, this wasn't the first time these two had played tonsil hockey together. The eroticism of the moment stopped Matt and I in our tracks and for the moment we were quite happy to play voyeur. 

As we watched Becky's hands drifted down Stevie's back and slid lightly across her firm buttocks before cupping them and pulling her closer. Stevie moaned and from where I stood I could see her tongue working frantically in Becky's lovely mouth as she ground herself harder into Becky, her fingers wound through the other girl's long lustrous hair. From the corner of my eye I saw Matt adjusting the hard on distorting the front of his pants. I took the opportunity to do the same before it got painful. We stood goggle eyed as the girls kiss grew more passionate and frantic, then… 

With a final grope they separated suddenly.

"Shall we get going boys?" Stevie was breathless, her face flushed as she walked over to me. Her lipstick was smeared and her nipples were hard bullet points which she proceeded to lightly drag across my chest as she wrapped her arms around me and kissed me. I thought I could taste Becky's lips as we kissed. I could see that Matt was getting similar treatment from Becky. The clinch that Stevie had me in wasn't helping my hard on go down but then I wasn't really complaining was I? As if on cue the ladies stepped back and told us to relax while they fixed their make up. Easier said than done when you are sporting an erection hard enough to cut diamonds with. As the ladies disappeared to effect running repairs to their war paint Matt and I collapsed wordlessly onto the couch.

In a few moments the ladies reappeared, still flushed but with make up in better repair than when they had left. For the first time since we had arrived I took note of the way our dates were presented. It was obvious what 'private errands' the girls had run while we were otherwise engaged.

Stevie and Becky were wearing halter neck dresses of identical design, Stevie's in cobalt blue and Becky's in emerald green. The dresses were tight fitting and cut low in the front presenting a mouth watering amount of cleavage, and rode high on the girls sleek nylon clad thighs. Stiletto heeled shoes matched in colour to the dresses completed the ensembles. They were truly gorgeous. Matt and I rose and went to our partners. Light kisses so we wouldn't re-smear their lipstick and we were on our way. Stevie had a small bag clutched in her hand as we trooped to the car which I assumed contained the 'essentials'. As Matt and Becky snuggled in the back Stevie laid her hand on my thigh, half turned in her seat chatting to me as I drove. I was a happy man.

The restaurant lived up to its billing. The meal was beautifully prepared, cooked and presented, although if you were to ask me an hour later what I had to eat I wouldn't have been able to tell you. My attention was firmly on Stevie. Tonight she was a different woman to the wild creature I had come to know over the last few days. From the moment she got into the car at her house she had transformed into this quiet demure lady sitting across from me. I made a decision then and there not to spoil the mood of the night with the explanation I had promised. I knew that there was a good chance that it would be a downhill ride if I spilled the beans.

"Listen guys. I know I promised that all would be revealed tonight at dinner but with the way things are going tonight I'm pretty sure it would just kill the party. I have a plan for tomorrow and the telling of the tail will fit in nicely with what I'd like us to do. I know that you have been very patient so far and I thank you for it, but I need you to trust me for just a few more hours. Tomorrow is Sunday so we have all day to do what we have to do without work commitments intruding. Is that all right with you guys?"

"For god's sake Miller… do you always get so long winded and pompous when you're pontificating? You should go into politics." Matt said with a grin. "It's cool with me if it's okay with the ladies. So far you've been pretty up front and I think we can trust you."

"Yeah you've got my vote too babe. I think if you wanted to do away with me you could have done it any time over the past few days. Tomorrow will do. Besides… I have plans for you tonight." Stevie's grin was the perfect picture of evil. I knew I was going to need all my energy so I summoned the dessert trolley. 

"Craig I think you have more to fear from Stevie than she has to fear from you. Never mind… Matt and I will be there to help nurse you back to health, won't we baby?"

"I just hope we're up to the task. Rumour has it she can do lots of damage in a very short time." Matt grinned and ducked as Stevie took a good swipe at his head. "So what is it you've got planned for us tomorrow Craig"?

"Oh you'll see." I said in my best sinister Vincent Price voice. 

The rest of the dinner went beautifully. Soon we were all piling back into the Suburban for the trip back home. This time I hadn't forgotten the tip. 

As I drove I kept casting glances over at the gorgeous lady next to me. In the light from the dashboard instruments I could see her lips moving as she reclined on the seat singing along softly with Leanne Rimes on the stereo. Her eyes were closed and she looked so peaceful I resisted the urge to reach over and stroke her thigh, a good portion of which I could plainly see. As I looked she grinned and gripping the hem of her dress in both hands, pulled it down her thighs. Dammit. 

In the back Becky and Matt were deep in a heavy clinch. I should have made Matt drive home. Soon enough we were pulling up to my front door. I parked so that the lights from the Suburban would illuminate as much of the front of the house as possible, and turned them on high beam. 

"Stay here guys. I'm going to check it out. If you hear anything out of the ordinary, get the hell out of here. Drive to the cops. Don't stop on the way. Do you understand?"

"Got it honey." Stevie was all business now. The playful kitten had disappeared leaving a very determined woman in its place. "Be careful Craig."

"I'll come with you." Matt was climbing out of the car. He had a gun in his hand. "I picked it up while we were at my place. I figured if I was going to be carrying then I may as well carry a gun I know. I've had this for a few years and I'm not bad with it."

'This' was a Glock 31, a very handy weapon indeed. I nodded and climbed out pulling my Beretta from under the seat as I did. I checked to see that it had a round in the pipe and moved for the house, thumbing off the safety as I did.

As we moved forward I heard Stevie climbing into the driver seat. This was merely a precaution, but I felt better knowing they could make a quick get away if necessary. I didn't think that Montoya would have another team on the ground this soon after the failure of the first, but I had survived 8 years of mercenary work by never taking unnecessary risks. It was a habit I wasn't going to break now. 

"Matt when we get inside do exactly as I say. Don't ask why… you won't have time. Just trust me and do what I say. You understand?"

"Gotcha boss." The 'boss' reference was an echo of this morning that briefly unsettled me, but at least he had the message. 

It took only a few minutes to clear the house. As I figured there was no threat there, but it was better to be safe than sorry. While Matt went to get the girls I put the coffee machine on. At the restaurant I had been concerned about ruining the mood with my explanation of my situation. Now I was pretty sure the mood was hammered to bits by the commando display that Matt and I had just put on. I walked through to the lounge expecting to see sombre faces and serious discussion. Instead Matt, Becky, and Stevie were charting and laughing animatedly. My puzzlement must have shown. Stevie got up from the couch and skipped over to me in her high heels, throwing her arms around my neck and planting a loving kiss on my astonished face.

"Honey we're not going to let this affect us more than we have to… okay?" It made sense to me. With that Stevie pulled away from me and walked to Becky holding out her hands. Becky allowed herself to be pulled to her feet and with a matching pair of wicked smiles the ladies left the room hand in hand. From where I was standing I could see them making their way up the stairs. Stevie turned at the top and called down to me.

"Are you going to make us wait all night lover?" Coffee was forgotten. 

"I think it would be a mistake to leave them waiting don't you Matt? Do you have any idea what's going on buddy?" 

"None at all but I have the feeling we're going to like it." Wearing identical silly grins we trooped up the stairs. We followed the sound of giggling into the master bedroom and found the girls had taken up where they had left off at Stevie's house.

The soft lamp light lent an ethereal quality to the spectacle unfolding before us. I wished the couches I had purchased today had arrived so we could sit in comfort and watch as these two goddesses stroked and kissed each other with an ever increasing urgency. Matt had the answer. He walked over and sat down on the bed staring up in obvious arousal at the girls. I stayed where I was and watched in wonder as Stevie's wandering hands moved to Becky's nicely rounded ass and once again pulled her hips in tight to her own. I leaned against the wall behind me as Stevie opened her eyes and stared straight at me, her face partially obscured by Becky's long hair. There was a wanton gleam in her eye as she turned the other girl so that Becky's back was to me, and Stevie's was turned to Matt. Slowly and without breaking the kiss or eye contact with me, she lifted the hem of Becky's dress. 




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 03



"Craig it doesn't really matter to me what you used to do. What matters is what you do and who you are now." Stevie's interruption gave me a bit more hope that this was going to turn out the way I wanted. All of a sudden, the good opinion of my new friends meant a hell of a lot to me. 

"Stevie I have to finish this. I've never talked about this with anyone before. I figure it might be therapeutic." I took a breath and continued.

"We hit him bang on the arranged time. As we launched the attack I knew it was a major fuck up but we were committed. We swept into the camp to find three times the number of men we were expecting and these guys were switched on. They were at least as good as us. We were cut to pieces. A lot of us were wounded and I lost 5 men out of the 18 I had available in the initial few minutes. I had no choice but to order a fighting withdrawal. Out of the 23 men including myself that went in, I came out with 11. Of those 11 only 3 weren't carrying wounds. On my way out, I made a decision that I would run one more mission then retire. I'd just seen too much death. My final hurrah was going to be an assault on Montoya's compound. I was going to get that fucker if it was the last thing I did." 

I got tired of pacing and sat down on top of the ice and soda filled cooler chest. There was an air of anticipation now. 

"I learned later that Montoya had been tipped off about our attack. He'd brought extra men in and put them in a system of holes and short tunnels similar to those used by the Viet Cong during the Vietnam War. I suspected that Simmons was the leak but I couldn't prove it. Anyway I got busy planning the attack on Montoya's compound. There were very few details that we didn't check and triple check and this time I relied on my own sources of intelligence. After watching him for 5 weeks we figured that a Wednesday between the hours of 10 am and 2.30 pm would be the best time to hit him. His wife and kids were always gone for that 4 ½ hour period. Wife took the kids and the nanny shopping and to McDonalds. That would massively reduce the chance of us taking out an innocent... a non combatant."

"We hit them... hard. We used a three ton truck to take out the front gates, while my second team used breaching charges to get through the back wall. Snipers took out most of the guards we could see, while we mopped up as we barrelled up the drive in 4x4's. It was a massacre. In just a few short minutes we were at the house... then we were inside. We swept through killing everything in our path." I stood and walked to the edge of the pool. With my back to my friends I finished my story. I couldn't face them. 

"Montoya wasn't there. His wife and two daughters were though. They were all dead. They'd been taken out by a rifle grenade. I'd killed them... I'd killed innocents. True, I didn't pull the trigger but it was my operation. I was responsible for the actions of my men. I fell apart on the spot. My men got me out of there and back to the base. What followed was a nightmarish blur. My controllers decided that my decision to retire was a damned good one, and suggested that I "die". I figured that was a good idea as I knew that Montoya was not going to rest until he had my balls on a plate. A fake ambush was run and a corpse matching my description and physical characteristics was left at the site. It had enough of my personal effects on it to allow Montoya to believe I was dead. I ran. The rest... well I ended up here." I took a deep breath and turned to face the friends I might have lost.

Stevie stood and walked to me. Her face was unreadable. Behind her I saw Matt and Becky getting to their feet too. Stevie stopped just inches from me looking up into my eyes. She brought her hands up and cupped my face, gently bringing my lips down to hers. It was the slowest most soulful kiss I had ever experienced. I knew in an instant that Stevie and I were going to be okay. As we parted I looked into her beautiful eyes and saw understanding, tenderness and something deeper that I couldn't really fathom. It was all good though. 

"Baby it was a different time and a different place. You were in a situation where you thought you had a chance to erase a truly bad guy. What happened wasn't deliberate, and while it doesn't sound nice, it was Montoya who put his family in harms way by choosing the life he did. I can only speak for myself in saying that it doesn't change a thing between us. Okay?"

"Craig, as the owner of this palatial estate, what is your policy on skinny dipping?" It was Becky. One look at her and matt and I knew that I was going to keep my friends. Matt grinned and slapped me on the back. I wasn't going to fuck up the smiles I was seeing with more talk. If they wanted to know more then I would let them know more... but they were going to have to bring it up. 

My voice was a little choked up when I replied. 

"As the landlord, I thoroughly support and encourage the practice. As a horny male I need to see some skin... quick. What do you reckon Matt?" 

Clothes flew in all directions as we got naked. In minutes we were splashing around naked in the pool; the cool water taking the edge off the heat of the day. After the events of the last few days there was no shyness. Breasts bounced, dicks swung and a good time was generally had by all. Inevitably the couples paired off and soon I found myself sitting on a semi submerged boulder with Stevie snuggled into my lap. No words were spoken; none were needed. Her fingers were idly tracing patterns on my back when they stopped. She had found my scar. 

"What's this honey?"

"That's where I was wounded in the attack on Montoya's camp. It was a through and through wound. The bullet went in my lower right hand side and came out my back. The entrance wound is down here where your appendix would usually be." She gave the scars a good examination then looked up at me with a twinkle in her eye.

"Do you mind if I kiss the boo-boo?"

"Go right ahead", I laughed. "Make sure you get them both." She bent her head and I felt her hot breath on the coolness of my still wet skin. Then her tongue flicked out and swiped across the scar on my back. She slowly slid off my lap and into the water until she was crouched before me. Stevie leaned in and around to lick my scar again, her breasts dragging across my thighs; the nipples hard nubs against my wet skin. My cock lurched and started to rise as her hot tongue played in the knotted scar tissue. She moaned as my hardening cock nudged her chest and brought her hand up to wrap around my shaft. I looked across to where Matt and Becky were engaged in a similar past time. Matt's cock had all but disappeared down Becky's throat as he played with her large firm breasts.

"Hey mister! Get your mind on the job!" Stevie had caught me peeping and gave my hard cock a playful squeeze. 

"Job? You view this as work?"

"Yeah... it's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it. So you like what she's up to do you? Would you like me to do that baby? Do you think you'd like me to wrap my lips around this gorgeous cock of yours? Would you like to feel it slide into my throat? Would you like to feel the contractions of my throat as I swallow your cock?" She was pushing to see how far she could tease me before I cracked. She'd gone past my threshold. Grabbing a handful of her wet hair I pushed her head roughly into my crotch; my cock head nudging her lips.

"Shut up and suck." I growled in my best tough guy voice, praying at the same time that she wouldn't take offence. Her reaction shocked the hell out of me. With a loud mewling moan she opened her mouth wide and engulfed my cock in one long smooth swoop. I let go of her hair and leaned back on the rock supporting myself with my hands. This was obviously an error on my part. Stevie reached for my hand and pulled it back to her hair. I got the message real quick. Grabbing a handful of her hair again I began to direct operations. Lifting her by the hair I paused with just the head of my cock in her mouth, then I pushed her back down until I felt my tip pressed against the opening of her throat. She looked up. Her eyes were filled with a wildness I hadn't seen before. With our eyes locked she gave her head a little bob, slipping the head of my cock slightly into her throat then back out. I got the message. As her fingernails dug into my thighs, I pressed down firmly and steadily until my pubes were crushed against her nose. True to her word I could feel the contractions of her throat as she swallowed. Her tongue thrashed back and forth against my shaft as I lifted her head clear of my cock so she could take a gasping breath. Before I pushed her head back down she moaned and gasped out, "Fuck my face baby. Use me!" This was definitely a new aspect of the lady I was falling for. Still instructions are instructions. I got a better grip on her hair and rammed her mouth back down on my cock... this time sinking the head deep into her throat in one thrust. One hand left my thighs and slid back between her thighs. As I watched and fucked her mouth, I saw her hips start to undulate. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what her fingers were up to.

Hearing a splash I looked up to see Becky swimming towards us. I couldn't have stopped if I had wanted to. Instead I sped up the motion of her head on my shaft. I knew I wasn't going to last long but I was going to obey her request... I was going to use her. In a matter of seconds Becky was standing beside Stevie watching the action, one hand on Stevie's ass, the other playing between her own long legs. Stevie didn't miss a beat. She was so tied up in what was happening that World War Three could have started in the middle of the pool and she wouldn't have noticed. As I watched Becky's hand moved down between Stevie's ass cheeks, searching... probing. Stevie started to moan around the cock that was plunging back and forward in her throat. The vibration pushed me to the edge and it was only with a supreme exercise in will power that I managed to hold off my orgasm. I knew that my eruption was only moments away.

"Oh my god... this is sooo hot! Her pussy is so wet and tight. Jesus Craig... I'm going to come. Kiss me!" With that Becky leaned forward and locked her lips to mine; her tongue working inside my mouth. She leaned her hot body against mine as she started to come. At the same time I felt Stevie buck and a whining noise issued from her full throat. The vibrations of Stevie's orgasmic wail drove me over the edge and I started to come. As the first thick rope of cum jetted from the engorged tip of my cock, Stevie pulled free of my grasp and pulled my pulsing, erupting cock from her mouth.

My first blast caught her across the lips, some splashing into her mouth. The second burst was directed by Stevie onto her cheek and chin. I groaned as I watched blast after blast of semen coat my lovers face, directed by her own hand. It was like something out of a porn movie. Becky's tongue was still duelling with mine and she was still convulsing as waves of orgasmic pleasure washed over her. Stevie's hips were still bucking as my eruptions petered out and she popped my cock head back into her mouth where she laved it lovingly with her tongue as she moaned softly. I felt Becky collapse against me as I slowly slumped forward. The three of us were gasping, ragged, wrecks, unable to move or speak. Stevie looked up at me, her face coated in my cum, and that deep unfathomable emotion in her eyes. Reaching down I lifted her up and softly kissed her semen frosted lips. Her arms slid around my neck and she clung to me; her body pressed tight against mine. 

"My god! That was incredible!" It was Matt. We had been so deeply involved in our little threesome that we had simply forgotten about him. "It's times like these I wish I had brought the handycam." 

Becky blushed and swam over to her man. The dribbles of cum trickling down his chest and stomach was evidence enough that he had decided to take matters into his own hands. Becky crawled up onto his chest and covered his face in soft loving kisses. The day was going well. 

The rest of the afternoon was spent swimming, lying in the sun and doing a little more shooting. I was satisfied that my friends at least had the basic skills to protect themselves if push came to shove. The question was... would they? It was one thing to learn to shoot at static targets; it was a totally different thing to pull the trigger on a living breathing human... even if he was trying to kill you. I was hoping that none of them ever had to find out. Late in the afternoon Stevie and I once again found ourselves cuddled up together on our rock. Stevie's words from earlier were bugging me. 

"Baby what did you mean earlier on when you asked me to use you?" She let out a small mortified moan and blushed furiously.

"Dammit man! I was hoping you wouldn't remember that. Would you believe me if I said it was a tiny innocent slip of the tongue?"

I wasn't going to let her off the hook that easy. Even if she did look adorable in full blush. 

"Sorry babe. You said it and I'm a naturally curious guy. I think you're gonna have to explain that one lover. I mean, it's not every day that a gorgeous lady begs me to use her. And then there was the hair pulling; the rough talk... do you have a secret side to you honey?" I grinned at her blushing face.

"Oh shut up! Okay I admit I like the idea of being dominated sexually once in a while. But not all the time. Sometimes I just get the urge to give up all control. The problem is... I never know until the urge hits me. One of my ex's took my occasional urges the wrong way and decided that I was going to be his permanent sex slave. He got a bit violent when I set him straight. He gave me a black eye. So I waited 'til he was asleep and cut off most of his hair. He was mega pissed when he woke up but by then I was out of there. I ended up having to take a protection order out on him. He wasn't one of my success stories." 

"I have to admit it was a real turn on honey. But I don't think you have to have any worries about me turning into an overnight Dom. I'm more of an equal partner type guy." With that matter settled and out of the way we decided to pack up and head back to the house. We were going to have dinner at my place then have a quiet night. Or at least that was the theory. As it was Sunday, Stevie and the others had to work the next day, and I had a few things to do myself. All this 24 hour a day hedonism had to stop sometime... for a while anyway. My first week as a civilian had definitely been one for the books. I couldn't wait to see what week two was going to bring. 

As we drove back to the house, I again marvelled at what I now had. The property was one thing but to have fallen into a friendship with these four people was special. The chatter was light and easy as we pulled up to the front door. That ended when we spied a police car parked in the driveway alongside the burnt out hulk of my truck. Looking down the driveway I spotted another parked at my gate. Not a promising sign. The front door of the house was open and standing in the doorway was Lee Stowers. He didn't look happy.

There was silence as we pulled up and got out of the truck. Lee walked over, head down with his hands thrust into his pockets and shoulders hunched.

"What the hell is going on here Craig? I have a dead body in a burnt out truck in the yard of a guy who has only been in town for a few days. The same guy is red flagged by the CIA and has a Colombian hit team following him earlier in the week."

"Dead body? Who? Lee I got no idea what's happened here. We've just got back from looking over my property. We've spent the day down at a swimming hole at the back of my land." I thought it prudent not to mention the shooting we had done down there and thanked god that we'd packed all the weaponry back into the bag before coming back to the house. The sight of automatic weapons on the back seat of Stevie's truck wasn't something I would have liked to have had to explain right then and there.

Lee took a deep breath before continuing. 

"Craig we got an anonymous call saying there was a car burning out here. Normally I would have just sent a patrol unit but with all the activity going on involving you I thought I'd come myself. I arrived here to find your truck alight and the charred body of a guy in the driver's seat. Now normally I'd ask you if you had any enemies, but I think we've already established that you do. So I'll ask you if you have any idea if you know who the dead guy might be. The body is on the grass at the other side of your truck. Feel up to taking a look?" I nodded and together we walked to the still hot hulk of Detroit steel. As we stepped around the front of what used to be a gleaming pristine Suburban, I got my first view of the body. I knew him immediately despite the damage the flames had done. It was Simmons. The sharp smell of petrol fumes did nothing to mask the odour of charred flesh. I was immediately slammed back into my past where sights like this had been commonplace after an attack on a coke lab. The chemicals used to process coca leaves were very volatile and many of the lab personnel often chose to take their chances with the flames rather than face us. I squatted next to the corpse and did a cursory examination. 

"He was dead when the fire was lit." I announced to Lee. "He has an entry wound behind his left ear from what looks like a large calibre bullet. I can also clear up his identity for you. His name is Simmons. Christopher Simmons. He worked for the CIA and was here yesterday. The bruising you can make out on his face was caused by me. We had a bit of a disagreement when he turned up yesterday. I guess this makes me a suspect." I stood and faced Lee. 

"Yeah Craig... you could say that. Look man, obviously there is more going on here than what you have told me. That was marginally okay before but now we have a dead body and I need to know everything. And I need to know it now. Is that going to be a problem?"

The decision was an easy one. Nothing I had been involved in was in the realm of national security and I wasn't covered by the official secrets act. "No problem at all man. I'd like to get these folks out of here and safe. Can we do this downtown?"

"Good idea. Let's get going. The coroner's meat wagon should be here soon to pick up the body, along with the crime scene guys. I'll have to stay until then but as soon as they arrive we'll get going."

"By the way Lee... did you find the house unlocked when you got here?" I was puzzled as I remembered locking the door and setting the alarm before we left. 

"Yep... it was standing wide open."

"Have you checked the house? I left it locked with the alarm set before I left." I looked across to where Stevie, Becky and Matt were standing in a hushed group next to her Bronco. Without waiting for an answer I headed to the truck and grabbed one of the Berettas and a spare mag. I loaded with one quick slide of the weapon and moved over to Stevie.

"You guys get in behind the Bronco. If anything goes down be ready to get the hell out of Dodge... fast! I mean it. No hero stuff okay?" They stared at me open mouthed. I had slipped back into Major Miller persona and the tone of my voice brooked no argument. Wordlessly they nodded. I spun and headed back to where Lee was standing gun in hand, ready to move on what had been my sanctuary. He looked briefly at my gun with a wry grin.

"I'm not going to ask." We moved to the open doorway. In the fading late afternoon light, the shadows cast an ominous gloom on the interior of my abode. "How do you want to do this Craig?"

"We'll clear the rooms' front to back then work upstairs. I'll take point... okay?"

"Makes sense... you know the place. Man I wish we had more men." 




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 03



"Ready? Let's do it!" I swung in through the doorway in a crouch and moved into the entranceway with my gun up ready to fire. A quick glance behind told me that I was in good company. Lee was covering me from the other side of the foyer. Instinctively I felt safe with him. We both moved smoothly, silently and swiftly through the house until we hit the kitchen. 

The alarm installation guy was on his back across the island in the middle of the kitchen. His throat had been cut in the traditional Colombian fashion known as the Colombian necktie. Blood had pumped in gouts from his torn, ruined throat and had coated most of the surfaces nearby in a gaudy arterial spray. My only consolation was that he showed no obvious sign of torture which meant that he had given up the alarm code quickly. His death had been fairly rapid and completely unnecessary. The blood had darkened as it cooled and dried, leaving reddish brown streaks and pools all over the kitchen. I looked across at Lee and saw him swallow repeatedly. He was trying hard to retain his lunch, and a small part of me said that it was a reaction I wish I could have experience. The truth is I was too used to sights like this for it to be any shock to me at all. Lee was staring at the corpse in horror. Using hand signals I told him to stay where he was and quickly moved off to clear the rest of the downstairs area. Within minutes I was certain we were alone in the house but I still had to check the upstairs area to make sure. Ducking back into the kitchen I found Lee talking quietly but animatedly on his radio. He was summoning reinforcements. Not a bad idea considering what we were dealing with. He still looked pale and shocked but had a grim look of determination on his face. He was good to go.

"Downstairs is clear. We still need to check the upstairs rooms. You up for it?" With a nod he was at the doorway. The man had guts in large doses. Checking the rest of the house took only a few minutes. As I expected, the rest of the house was clear. Wordlessly we made our way downstairs and outside. As we emerged from the house into the waning evening light, I could see that the reinforcements had arrived... en masse. Uniformed and heavily armed cops swarmed all over the yard. The driveway was choked with police and coroner's vehicles. My friends huddled in a small forlorn band next to the Bronco. Sliding my gun into the waistband at the back of my pants I walked over to them. 

Stevie flung her arms around my neck and held me tight, her face buried in my chest. I held her tightly for a few moments then gently disengaged. 

"Are you guys still happy to be around me? Simmons and the alarm guy from this morning are both dead. Murdered by the folks who are after me I think. You guys have to be sure that being around me is worth the risk. I can't guarantee your safety either way. Maybe your best shot would be to go to ground. Get police protection... although I'm not sure that you will be given a choice there."

There was silence for the longest time, then Becky spoke up.

"Craig we're in this whether we like it or not. It's something that has happened and it's not going to stop until this bastard is dead is it? We know that you didn't want this. We know that you'd stop it if you could. We also know that the cops have to act within the framework of the law, and that you can sort of circumvent a lot of the rules. We have talked about this and we figure that we will be better off with you. Is that okay with you big guy?" A quick look at the faces before me confirmed that they were all of the same mind.

"Okay then. I have to go downtown with Lee and sort this out. I want you guys to come with us. While we're at the police station, I want you all to apply for a permit to carry. I want you all armed all the time. In the meantime, I'm going to call in a couple of favours. I'm going to get us some extra protection. Sometimes it's good to have friends in low places. I heard that an old friend of mine, Glenn Barrett, is in the security game. I might look him up and see if he can help out." 

Lee joined us a few minutes later and agreed that permits to carry would be a good idea. He made no mention of the gun he'd seen me with but I knew the subject would be coming up. Especially since I was a suspect and Simmons had been killed by a bullet to the brain. The trip to the police station was a sombre drive accomplished in complete silence. Once there Lee separated us and put us each in an interrogation room. This was sound police practice and I knew that it wouldn't take long to establish that I couldn't have had anything to do with Simmons death or the death of the alarm guy. I felt bad that I didn't even know his name. 

It didn't take long before Lee walked in and shut the door. He was carrying two mugs of coffee and looked a lot more relaxed than when we had arrived. Passing me a mug he sat, pulled out a pack of cigarettes, and lit up with an engraved Zippo. The smell of the smoke triggered a desire I had buried for a long time.

"Can I have one of those? I gave up about 5 years ago but at the moment I could really do with one." He grinned and passed me the pack and his Zippo. As I lit my smoke I admired the Zippo. It was silver and had the Marine Corps crest engraved on the side. Something about the lighter touched off a chord in the back of my mind but I couldn't quite get hold of the associated memory. As I slid the cigarettes and lighter back across the table to Lee he spoke.

"The others have given you a rock solid alibi for the day, but I want ballistics to run a round from that Beretta you were carrying earlier just to make sure. I'm getting pressure from all sorts of people to throw you all in lock up until we can sort this out. Can you give me a good reason why I shouldn't do just that?" I took a long drag on my smoke before answering him. 

"Logic says you should lock us up but preservation demands that we go free. Lee these folks don't fuck around as you've already seen, and they have almost unlimited resources to use to get at us. If we're locked down we're sitting ducks. I've got a few resources myself and a couple of friends who might be able to help out. Buddy the last thing I want is more bloodshed but one way or another it's going to happen. My main concern is to keep Stevie and the others safe. Trust me when I say that this would be the best way. We need to be able to move when we have to. Besides... if we are out of the town area there is less risk to any innocent members of the public." 

Lee looked at me thoughtfully then rose and left the room without another word. I sat and smoked and drank my coffee while waiting for his return. The coffee tasted like shit but I welcomed the heavy caffeine dosage. It had been another long day. Lee returned after about half an hour and sat down heavily. I could tell he wasn't happy. 

"Okay Craig... we're cutting you guys loose. I've talked to my superiors and to Stevie, Becky and Matt. It seems like it's unanimous. They all say you'd be safer on the outside." He paused and lit a smoke, passing the pack and lighter across unasked. I lit another without comment and waited for him to continue. "Craig you had better be fucking sure about what you're doing. These people are friends of mine... Christ, Becky is my cousin! If you're hot dogging and something happens to them, I'll cut your balls out! Is that clear?" 

"It's clear." There was no point in getting upset with what he said. He was right. He didn't know me from a bar of soap, and he was, in effect, entrusting the lives of his cousin and friends to me. I would have said the same if I were in his shoes. "Can we go now Lee?"

He sighed and stood. I got up as well. "Yeah you can go Craig but for God's sake be careful. If you need any help, call me. And I want to hear a regular update from you man. Understood?" 

"Understood Lee. Look why don't you come out to the house sometime this week? You can check up on the security arrangements and we can get to know each other. Whatta ya say?"

"I'd like that. Catch you soon man. Hey we'll have to hang on to that gun of yours for a day or two. Can you lay your hands on another?" This was delivered with a wry knowing grin.

"I'm pretty sure I can find one lying around", I deadpanned back.

"I figured as much. Go on... get out of here. And be careful."

Stevie, Matt, and Becky were waiting in the booking area when I finally emerged. They looked about how I felt. Tired. The problem now was where we should go for the night. My house was still officially a crime scene and it would take a fair bit of cleaning before I would be able to move in again. A loud rumbling from my belly also reminded me that it was half past dinner time. None of us could be bothered cooking so after a brief discussion with my fellow fasters, we decided to try La Principessa's again. Then we would head to Stevie's place to settle in for the night. Before leaving for the restaurant, I loaded the other Beretta and slipped it into back of my pants. The drape of my jacket ensured that it wouldn't be too noticeable. 

We managed to get a table at La Principessa's due mainly to Becky's unlimited supply of charm and the proprietor's great nature. As with our previous visit the food was magnificent and the service superb, and although the mood was hardly festive this time around, we all managed to relax and enjoy the dining experience. Still, something was bugging me about the whole interview with Lee. I couldn't help but think that it had been too easy to remain out of police custody. If I had been Lee there would have been no way I would have given up that quickly or easily. There were other agenda's at play here and I needed to find out whose agenda we were dealing with and what it was. I felt uneasy not knowing who all the players in the game were. 

Our arrival at Stevie's house after dinner brought with it the final surprise of the day. Leaning on the trunk of a government sedan was Brian Carmichael, Deputy Director of Operations, CIA. A quick look around revealed no bodyguards but I was under no illusion that we were alone. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up as I realised we were probably covered by snipers. 

"Stay in the truck." It was an order and they were smart enough not to question it. I got out and walked slowly over to Carmichael. We had actually got along quite well in the past but after the events of the last few day's I was taking nothing for granted.

"Gee Brian, if I'd known you were coming I would have dressed up a bit better. Right now you CIA types aren't in my top 40, so what do you want?"

Carmichael smiled and pushed himself up off the car. "Craig, I lost an officer today. An officer that came to give you a warning and got the shit kicked out of him in return. This officer died in your truck, at your house. I feel it's only reasonable that I come and talk to you about it."

"Talk to the cops. It's their investigation. Oh, and by the way... next time you have a warning for me, send someone I don't hate. You knew that Simmons and I had a history. You knew I hated his fucking guts! You fucking knew I was going to do my damnedest to kill the prick! Why the fuck did you send him?" I was almost yelling now and as I spoke I was advancing on Carmichael. He was backing up and trying to get around the car when I spotted movement in the shadows near Stevie's gate. I pulled up immediately and raised my hands, palms out. Nothing could surprise me any more, not even the sight of Hemi stepping out of the shadows with a drawn handgun at the ready.

"Short trip was it Hemi? Weren't you supposed to be leaving last night? And what's with the gun man? Are you going to use it on me?" I spun on my heel and looked into the shadows across the road. "Come on out Sam... where there's one, there's always the other." Sam stepped from the shadows sheepishly holstering his weapon as he did. 

"You know... I'm sick of this shit. If you want to talk then come out to the house tomorrow morning. All of you. In the meantime, my friends and I are going inside and trying to put this shitty day behind us. And I figure the fact that you're here Carmichael, means that you need my help. If that's the case, you'd better assign these two as my permanent bodyguards. Goodnight gentlemen."

With that I turned, waved to the others to follow me and strode purposefully up the path to Stevie's front door. The man on a mission image was slightly spoiled when I had to stop and wait for her to bring the key which she duly delivered with a barely concealed giggle. Once we were inside she slammed the door and bust into laughter. Matt and Becky followed suit. I stood there puzzled until Stevie turned to me.

"Feel better baby? You're such an angry beast aren't you? Should I be scared of you lover?" she cooed as she ran a well manicured fingernail gently and teasingly down my cheek.

"Only if I don't get breakfast in bed tomorrow wench. And I want my eggs over easy!" 

"I've got news for you tough guy... it's tomorrow already. I don't know about the rest of you but I need sleep. Shall we retire?" Hooking her arm through mine she pulled me towards her bedroom as goodnights were exchanged and Becky and Matt headed to the guest bedroom. This time Stevie remembered to shut and lock the door as we entered the bedroom. 

I think it's fair to say that sex was the last thing on our minds as we tumbled naked into bed. Still it's amazing how biology can often overcome common sense. I lay on my back one arm around Stevie's shoulders as she snuggled into my chest. The warmth and closeness was enough until she threw her leg over mine, her warm silky thigh coming into contact with my flaccid cock. All of a sudden my little head was making a bid for Big head status and the sheets were starting to do a marquee impression. Stevie giggled when she felt my reaction.

"It looks like he's pleased to see me. I didn't think that you'd have the energy old man."

"Shut up and kiss me woman." I growled in my best threatening voice. The menacing effect was ruined by the continued expansion of my cock; however she complied with my order, her lips spreading softly over mine. Her hand drifted softly down over my stomach to cup and massage my balls. I wound my fingers through her hair, gently massaging her scalp as her fingers played havoc with my blood pressure. 

"Lie back and relax honey." She murmured softly as she rolled on top of me. Legs spread either side of mine she slid her body back and forth, her moistening pussy leaving tracks of heat and dew on my skin. Her firm, round warm ass cheeks filled my hands as I pulled her gently against me, feeling my fully erect cock slot into her hot, wet pussy. We both moaned as she slid slowly down the length of my shaft, stopping only when our pubic hairs were meshed. We both stayed nearly motionless for the longest time. The only movements were the soft kisses we traded continuously. Soft loving nibbles accompanied by gently probing tongues. Then Stevie started to move. A slow sensual rocking movement followed by a wicked swivel of her lovely hips. She drew her knees up alongside my chest so she was straddling my hips and rode me slowly staring into my eyes. We both knew that this was a new step in our relationship. We made love slowly and silently with soft kisses and lots of gentle stroking. It took only a short time until I felt her start to spasm as she went into her orgasm. This triggered mine and we shudder together to out climaxes. Slowly she collapsed onto my chest where she lay panting. 

After a few moments we disengaged and Stevie rolled over to snuggle back into my chest. Bringing her lips to mine for one last kiss she snuggled back in and murmured something so softly I couldn't quite make it out. I could have sworn I heard the word love though. Then she faded off to sleep. 

As I lay there on the edge of sleep myself, the days events kept running through my mind. I finally had it figured. I knew why Carmichael, Sam and Hemi were here. And I knew why Lee had released us without so much as a thorough interrogation. By rights I should still have been down at the police station answering questions over and over. I had the answer now. It hit me just as I was dropping over the edge of the abyss into dream land. They needed us to draw out Montoya.

We were bait.



The Real Estate Connection Ch. 04



Author’s Note: This chapter is dedicated to two very exceptional people. The first is KillerMuffin, an incredible writer and good friend. Her writing and encouragement inspired me to set sail on this story. It is my fondest wish that one day I may be able to write as well as her… or close to it. The second is my editor, WildSweetOne. Without her guidance, encouragement and attention to detail, my characters would be speaking gibberish out of their asses. Ladies, I thank you both.

“Good morning baby. Breakfast is served. If I remember correctly, and I always do, you take your eggs over easy, and since I’m such a loving girlfriend I have taken the liberty of adding toast, hash browns, bacon and grilled tomatoes.”

“What? No coffee?” I mumbled without opening my eyes. I’d never really been a morning person.

“Coffee and juice go without saying. I have even brought you the morning paper. Don’t get used to this though buddy. This is a one off experience which I fully expect to be able to bring up and use against you at any time in the future as it suits me.”

Rolling over, I finally managed to persuade my eyelids that it was time to open. As the light hit me I winced and shielded my eyes. The curtains were open and the bright sunlight was streaming in. From the angle of the few shadows I deduced that it must be mid morning. Damn! I’d slept in. I was supposed to be meeting Carmichael, Sam and Hemi out at the house this morning. “Fuck it!” I thought with a grin as I struggled up to a sitting position in Stevie’s bed, pulling the pillows in behind me to support me as I ate. “It’ll do them good to wait.”

Stevie was standing at the side of the bed holding a tray laden with breakfast goodies, though looking at her, she was the most attractive thing on the menu. She was dressed in a crimson satin robe, tied loosely at the waist. It came to mid thigh reminding me once more what mind blowing legs she had. As she bent to lay the tray on my lap I was treated to the sight of her magnificent breasts; the nipples puckered and hard.

“This breakfast better be bloody good woman.” I groused good naturedly as Stevie laid the tray on my lap.

“Oh yeah? And what if it’s complete crap?” she asked as she leaned in for a quick kiss. 

“You’ll be on the business end of a damned good spanking lady!” 

She laughed. 

“And the down side is…?” Jumping into bed beside me she reached for the paper. “I had a look through the paper this morning and as far as I can tell… none of what happened yesterday, actually happened. Two men did not die at your house yesterday. Now I concede that on any given day this newspaper can be considered a worthless rag fit only to line the bottom of bird cages, but Jesus Craig… even these jerks couldn’t miss that story! What do you think is happening?” She leaned over and deftly swiped a piece of toast from my plate. 

I didn’t hesitate in telling her the truth. Stevie, Matt and Becky were part of this now and deserved to know everything.

“Honey I think we are going to be live bait to draw Montoya out. Any mention of what happened yesterday in the paper could make Montoya back off. I’m pretty sure the powers that be have interceded in holding this story out of the papers. I’ll check with Lee later on today.”

She sat still for a while, the slice of toast halfway to her open mouth before she spoke. She slowly lowered the toast. 

“So if I understand you right, we’ll have this Montoya coming after us even though the cops and CIA know about him?” She was very calm but I could see that she was disturbed by this latest bit of info. Her brow creased and her face took on a very serious expression as she looked at me.

“Yes… he’ll still be coming.”

“But with the cops and CIA lurking somewhere in the background?”

“I think that will be the way they’ll do it. I’m going to have a long talk with Carmichael and the guys today. I’m going to let them know what I want from them in return for what we will be supplying them with… a target. They’ll play ball or they lose their best chance of getting Montoya. And that baby, is just not an option for those boys.”

Stevie took a bite of toast and munched thoughtfully as she processed the information I had just given her. Once again we had reached a cross roads. No one could blame her if she opted out now. 

“It makes sense Craig. And it might work out better for us. I mean we’re going to have protection from the cops and the CIA, and Hemi and Sam looked pretty capable. How do you feel about it baby?”

I took my time answering as I thought the question through. As I thought, I forked an egg and a couple of strips of bacon onto a piece of toast and topped it with a hash brown. Slapping another slice of toast on top, I had my sandwich. Stevie gazed on in amusement as I took a massive bite and munched happily. It was a brilliant breakfast. As I chewed I planned my day, keeping in mind Stevie’s question and how the need for a solution would affect my schedule. I swallowed and washed my mouth clean with a mouthful of incredibly good coffee before answering her.

“Stevie, until I’ve had a chance to talk to Carmichael and Co., and also to Lee, I really don’t know what’s going to happen. I’m not going to bullshit you… you need to know what’s going on and what to expect. Truth is baby, I don’t know what will happen. The wild card is Montoya. It really doesn’t matter what we do… he’s the man who’s in control right now. I think we should stay together again today. I know you guy’s have a business to run but conventional wisdom says there’s safety in numbers right now. Can you take another day off without killing your business?”

She stared out the window while she digested this last piece of information, then nodded. Grabbing my coffee cup she took a swig then spoke.

“Another day or two off isn’t going to kill my business baby. I can make calls from home and from memory we haven’t got anything pressing that needs our personal attention. We’ll have to call in and put a sign in the window or something but aside from that I’m pretty sure that we’re clear. You’ll have to check with Matt though. He may have something on the go.” With that she jumped up from the bed and headed for the door. “Back in a minute. I need coffee and yours tastes terrible without sugar.”

While she was gone, I took the opportunity to wolf the rest of my breakfast, and drink my juice. Again I reflected on the huge gap between the princely meal I’d just consumed and how different it was to the can of ham and beans washed down with tepid water that had been my morning repast for the previous eight years. I definitely had no regrets about my decision to retire. I was sipping the last of my coffee when Stevie returned with her coffee and a refill for me. Yep… I could definitely learn to love this lifestyle. She passed me the cups before clambering into bed. 

We lay there sipping coffee and chatting just like any normal couple with no worries on a fine weekend morning. Only this wasn’t the weekend, we had worries and I was old fashioned enough to not know the status of our relationship. I know it seems silly but this boy hadn’t asked the girl to go steady. And I had no bloody idea how to go about it. Anyway, now wasn’t the time for that. Still it was hard to keep my mind on the matters at hand with Stevie’s magnificent body cuddled up to mine. She picked up on my interest pretty quick. I think it had something to do with my rapidly hardening cock nudging her leg.

“Oooh! Is that for me? Maybe if you brush your teeth I might consider getting to grips with that large problem you have there.” She giggled when I checked my breath by breathing into my palm and taking a sniff. She had a point there. Morning breath is definitely not that attractive. I bolted for the bathroom, my semi erect cock waving in the breeze and leading the way. Her laughing voice followed me. 

“I bought you a toothbrush. It’s in the cabinet Captain Hardon.”

It took me no time at all to find the toothbrush and get to work polishing my pearly whites. As I brushed I looked up into the mirror and what I saw shocked me. Gone were the bags under my eyes; the bags I had carried continuously for years. The worry lines that had seemed so pronounced a couple of weeks ago seem to have softened. The guy staring back at me with a vacant expression on his weather beaten face seemed a lot younger than the one I was used to seeing. He also needed a shave. A quick look around showed me I would have to invest in a second shaving kit. I was going to have to do here, what Stevie was doing at my place… move a few essentials in. That’s if she felt that I’d be around for a while. Throwing some water on my face and running my fingers through my hair completed my morning ablutions. 

I sauntered back into the bedroom to find Stevie had started without me. She was lying with her legs spread, facing me, one hand squeezing and rolling an engorged nipple, the other playing between her thighs. Her head was thrown back and the tendons in her neck stood out. Her breath was already coming in gasps. As I watched, her finger parted the delicate folds of her glistening pussy, spreading the outer lips to display the flower like wet inner lips. Her index and ring finger kept her open while her middle finger slowly slid deeply into her core. Her head snapped forward as she bottomed out and her lust hooded eyes locked onto me. She was in a world of her own as she brought her other hand down to join the probing digits between her thighs. One finger sought and found her clit as the other still probed deeply inside her clinging wet lips. I walked slowly toward the bed, not wanting to break the spell. Her head turned to follow me but her eyes were way out of focus. She wasn’t seeing anything except the erotic images dancing inside her head. I stopped when I was standing beside the bed gazing down at the spectacle before me. Reaching down and grabbing my throbbing fully erect cock, I started to stroke. Her eyes seemed to focus on my cock and she moaned. This was the most erotic thing I had ever done… had ever seen. 

My hand moved in long, slow strokes, a few dribbles of pre-cum lubricating my hard shaft. Stevie licked her lips as she watched me masturbate while watching her. My gaze was locked on to the intensely erotic sight of her fingers playing in her pussy. The aroma of her juices wafted past my nose and I breathed deeply inhaling her essence. She moaned again and as I watched the little finger of her lower hand started to probe her puckered asshole. It was my turn to moan as I watched her finger slowly but firmly press inside and continue to slide in until it was buried up to her second knuckle. I knew I couldn’t hold off for long. I felt my balls draw up in preparation for my imminent explosion just as Stevie’s luscious body started to shake and her hips started to buck. She was starting to cum. 

“On me! Cum on me! Cover me baby… oh God! Cummmmminnnnnnng…” Her drawn out cry signalled the beginning of her orgasm. Her hips bucked in spastic abandon, her head thrashed back and forth as her juices flowed from her in a pulsing jet as she removed her fingers. That was it for me.

Leaning in I aimed the head of my cock at her heaving hard nippled breasts and let fly. The cum flew from me in powerful gouts; ropes of semen splashing on her breasts in rhythmic pulses. The next shots landed on her neck and chin and she moaned.

“On my face baby… on my face!”

I raised my aim to allow the last few jets of cum to splash on her cheeks and lips. My knees buckled and I sagged onto the bed as Stevie started gathering my cum and slipping it into her mouth. I groaned at the sight then rolled onto my side and reached for her. She slid, still panting into my arms and burrowed her sticky face into my chest.

“God you’re incredible,” I panted. “That was incredibly sexy darling.” 

Darling?! Where the hell had that come from? I had never used that word in my life before this day and here I was calling Stevie darling. Jesus… my old mates would die laughing if they heard me calling anyone darling. Then again… they weren’t here cuddled up with this incredibly gorgeous woman were they?

“I didn’t shock you did I?” She sounded unsure of herself.

“In the very best kind of way lover. Anytime you’d like to shock me like that in the future, you just go right ahead. Feel free.”

We lay there for a while just holding each other, the cum coating her lovely skin cooling and drying. Finally we pulled apart and sat up. 

“Shower time Stud Muffin.” There was no argument from me. We definitely needed one. Hand in hand we headed for the shower.

Half an hour later we walked into the kitchen to find Matt and Becky sitting at the breakfast bar. They were dressed casually. Obviously Stevie had passed on the message that there would be no work today. Grabbing another coffee from the pot, I sat down and explained what I had already told Stevie. As I was growing to expect, they were willing to go along with what ever made sense. In no time at all we had a battle plan devised and were ready to go. 

First thing on the agenda was a phone call to Lee Stowers to find out whether I could move back into my house. 

He sounded like he hadn’t had much sleep, but was friendly enough on the phone. My request to be able to go back to my house was met with a short silence on my end of the phone during which I heard Lee talking to someone else in the room. The conversation was muffled as if he had his hand over the receiver, but I thought I could recognise Hemi’s voice in the background. In a few moments Lee came back on the line and told me the crime lab would release my house in a couple of hours. I had more than a sneaking suspicion that Carmichael and the boys would put that time to good use. I thanked Lee and arranged to meet him at 3.00pm at Killer Muffins. Late lunch was on me. Before he rang off, he gave me the name of a cleaning company who would be able to help out with the removal of the grisly evidence of yesterday’s murders. He also gave me the number of a wrecking company who would remove the burnt out hulk of my Chevy Suburban. That also brought to the fore the matter of a replacement vehicle. While I could ride with Stevie for the moment, I was going to need my own wheels sooner rather than later. A quick discussion with Matt solved the transport problem. An old college friend of his owned a car dealership in town. We’d be calling in there after lunch with Lee. My dance card was filling up fast. 

A quick glance at the kitchen clock told me it was time to get out to the house. I was interested to see if we would manage to catch Carmichael and the guys up to anything dodgy. While I went to grab my jacket Stevie rang to arrange for the cleaners to come out to the house, and Matt organised the wrecking company. While I was in the bedroom I checked and loaded my Beretta. As I slipped it into my waistband at the small of my back, I reminded myself that I had to pick up the other one from Lee.

Minutes later we were all packed into Stevie’s Bronco and heading for my place. As Stevie drove I outlined what I expected Carmichael and his crew would be up to.

“They need to know what is happening at any time of the day, so they’ll be planting bugs all over the house. I’m thinking that’s one reason we were released so easily last night.” As expected their faces registered shock and disgust and I spoke quickly to head off the protests I knew were coming. “Guys I know this sounds hideous… real Iron Curtain, James Bond type crappy, but this can actually work in our favour. Let’s just wait until we’ve confirmed what I reckon is happening and then I’ll tell you my cunning plan.” I gave them a bit of an evil leer which took the tension out of the moment and once again they accepted what was going on.

Becky leaned forward from the back seat. “This means you two will have to tone down your morning activities for a while doesn’t it?” she asked sweetly. “At the very least, you’ll have to gag that potty mouth you’re screwing Craig.” She grinned sweetly at us both.

“You bitch,” Stevie laughed. “I suppose you two have been listening in with water glasses up against the wall. Actually I may just ask the bad guys for copies of the tapes so we can listen to them in our old age. It might save on Viagra for my stud here.”

I laughed. “Who says I’ll be around in your old age baby?”

“Oh you’ll be there. You just can’t resist me. You’re addicted to me baby and you know it. Besides, with the baggage that you bring to a relationship, who the hell else is gonna take you?” She had a point there. 

“You better not get old and grey on me then baby. Is there a Radio Shack in town Matt?” I was going to have to make a side trip before we reached the house.

“Yeah there’s one at the Chesterfield Mall. It’s on the way man. Wanna call in?”

“Yeah… I need to pick up a small item. A handy little toy that will come in very useful when we get to the house.” As I talked I was casually turned around facing Matt and Becky in the back seat. As we drove I kept one eye on the traffic. It wasn’t the most subtle way of checking for a tail but at the moment I really didn’t give a big rat’s ass whether they knew I was watching or not. Sure enough, I spotted a blue Crown Victoria about 3 cars back. It followed our lane changes as if it was attached to us by an invisible umbilical cord. So far they were playing the game by the universal playbook… of which everyone had a copy. I’d only get worried if they started writing their own plays. Their predictability was working in our favour.

Soon we were pulling into the parking lot of the Chesterfield Mall.

“Matt, can you give me a quick run down of the layout of the complex and where the Radio Shack is, then drop me on the other side of the mall. Then just keep circling the building and watch for me coming out. I’ll come out a different exit to where I go in so travel slowly okay?” 

Minutes later Matt slowed briefly at the entrance to the mall and I dived out of the car without it stopping. It took only a couple of minutes to find the Radio Shack and only ten to make my purchases. As I stood at the entrance to the mall waiting for Stevie to come around again I spotted the Crown Vic. It was driving in aimless circles. The two men inside were totally unfamiliar to me and were busy searching desperately for someone. Me. It looked like our little ruse had worked. Now all I had to do was get back into the Bronco without being spotted. In the end it was easy. The Crown Vic turned up a new lane of cars just as Stevie rounded the corner and slowed to pick me up. They were facing away from us as I climbed into the Bronco and Stevie accelerated away. I grinned at my companions. We had the makings of a fairly competent team here.

Twenty minutes later we were climbing out of the Bronco at my place. Carmichael, Hemi, and Sam were standing next to Carmichael’s government issued sedan looking as innocent as Little Bo Peep and her sheep. A blue Chevy Tahoe was parked near the garage. I grinned as I walked over to meet them. 

“Sorry I’m late guys. Hope you had enough time to finish up here.” Carmichael remained poker faced but at least Hemi and Sam had the decency to look slightly uncomfortable. That was interesting. 

“Good morning Craig. Or should I say good afternoon?” The barely veiled rebuke brought a fresh grin to my lips. “I think we should talk… in private.” 

Stevie, Matt, and Becky had joined me. “Whatever you have to say can be said in front of my friends Carmichael. They’re in this too remember. And I’ll be doing the talking. You’ll be listening and agreeing to anything and everything I say. That’s not up for negotiation. If you want Montoya, you need us, and from here on out it’s our way or no way. Do you understand Carmichael?” I could see him slowly coming to the boil. People like Carmichael were not used to being spoken to like that. His knuckles grew white as he clenched his fists and he took a step forward before being brought to a halt by Hemi’s large paw planted firmly in the centre of his chest.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 04



“Listen to the man Carmichael. He’s only been wrong once that I know of and that was because of shitty intel fed to him by your man. If you want Montoya, this is the best chance you have.” For Hemi this was a risk. He was, after all, employed by Carmichael. This was getting more interesting by the minute. “Carry on Boss. Finish what you want to say.”

With a nod to Hemi I continued. “We want protection. Plain and simple. If we’re going to be bait then I don’t want to be swinging in the breeze with our asses out when the shit hits the fan. Hemi and Sam for a start. I know what they are capable of and they know how I work. I want a ready response team standing by at all times, and don’t give me any shit about the CIA not being able or not allowed to mount paramilitary type operations inside the continental USA. We both know you can do it. Finally I want access to any and all intelligence you have on Montoya and his operation here in the States. If that means you have to share this with the FBI then so be it. Get it for me and get it quick. Then I don’t want to ever have to see you again. There was a time when I thought I could trust you, but that time is long gone. Do we have a deal?”

“You’re boxing above your weight Miller. You know that don’t you? You used to be a damned good operator, but you lost your edge.” He paused, considering my demands. “Okay you have a deal. It’ll take time to get the intel you asked for but you’ll get it today. I’ll have it delivered here. Keep me informed about any developments. I have to know what’s happening so that I can protect you properly.” With that he turned and walked to his car taking Sam and Hemi with him. There was a quiet conference then Carmichael got into his car, drove down the drive and out of sight. Sam and Hemi stood where they were awkwardly. Shuffling from one foot to the other they couldn’t seem to figure out where to look. Served them right. I thought about making them stew for a while but figured that having them at ease would be more advantageous.

I walked over and stood looking at them for a moment. With a theatrical sigh I shook my head and said, “What the hell am I going to do with you two? I suppose you’ll be wanting food and lodgings as well? I’m going to have to buy a couple more beds aren’t I?” We had been through a lot together and I was gambling that our shared experiences would be enough to sway their loyalties our way. However I wasn’t stupid enough to trust them with the whole battle plan from the outset. That would come if needed and if I had absolute faith in them. Hand shakes all round and we were all bestest buddies again. We joined Stevie and the others at the Bronco. Stevie, Matt and Becky were pulling overnight bags from the back of the Bronco. This puzzled me as Matt and Becky hadn’t had time or the opportunity to get clothes from their place. 

Stevie grinned sheepishly. “I thought I would bring a few things out with me. That’s okay isn’t it honey?” Mystery solved. Hemi started to hum a funeral march as Sam said “Another good man down. Hemi why is it that all the good ones seem to take the wrong path?” The ensuing laughter was enough to dispel any remaining tension and it was a happy group that trooped towards the house. The wrecker had obviously been. The only evidence of the burnt out wreck that had been there yesterday was the charred asphalt where my Suburban had sat. As we climbed the steps to the front door a van pulled into the drive and started toward the house. Hemi’s hand flew under his summer weight jacket and produced a 9mm Glock which he held close to his body. Sam planted himself firmly in front of the ladies, his hand also going under his jacket and producing a Glock.

“Relax guys. It’s the cleaners.” The markings on the sides of the van were those of the cleaning company. The guns disappeared as fast as they had appeared. A few minutes later I was explaining to the middle aged couple who emerged from the van, exactly what they would find inside and what I needed done. The description of what they would find in the kitchen didn’t faze them at all. Apparently they had worked murder scenes before. With that sorted out we entered the house and went straight into the Library. I looked around but couldn’t see any sign of Carmichael’s tampering. I needed to get some time alone to figure out the scope of Carmichael’s surveillance. Going back out to the Bronco I grabbed the Radio Shack bags and brought them inside, hiding them in the hallway cupboard. I needed to get rid of Sam and Hemi for a while so I could make use of my purchases. 

“Matt could you, Sam and Hemi do me a favour? We’re going to need some beds and I’m going to be tied up on the phone here for a while. Could you guy’s go in to town and buy them? I’ll arrange it through the place I got the other furniture and get Mike to deliver them this afternoon if he can. Is that okay?” Matt was quick on the uptake.

“No problems Craig. Come on you guys. This’ll give us a chance to get to know each other.” Grabbing Stevie’s keys he left followed by Hemi and Sam who both threw me puzzled glances. I waited until they had disappeared from view down the road before I retrieved the Radio Shack packages. The ladies looked at me in puzzlement as I unpacked the bags and laid out my purchases. Bringing a finger to my lips to indicate silence I quickly unpacked my first purchase. It was a box about the size of a cigarette packet with a small screen, three buttons and an aerial. Extending the aerial and switching it on, I moved slowly around the room keeping a close eye on the screen. As I suspected the room was loaded with bugs. The phone was rigged with a UHF bug and there were bugs transmitting on FM frequencies dotted throughout the room. The girls stood silently watching with a mixture of curiosity and apprehension as I swept the room thoroughly for a second time. Once the second sweep was finished I rang the furniture shop and arranged a temporary line of credit then rang Mike and organised the delivery of the beds. When I had finished I motioned for the ladies to follow me as I stepped out onto the deck. Once we were outside I walked a small way from the house and stopped. I had one of the bags from the Radio Shack with me. Reaching into the bag I pulled out three boxes and passed one each to the ladies before dropping the bag on the ground at my feet.

“Cell phones? But we’ve already got cell phones. What do we need these for baby?” Stevie was naturally curious.

“You saw me do the sweep in the library didn’t you honey? I found six bugs including one on the phone line. That means we have to be careful about what we say in there and on any phone line in the house. We also have to assume that they can run a trace on your cell phones… that’s why I got these. These are pre paid phones so there is no record of me buying them. I paid cash and they are all ready to go. I’ve got one for each of us. From now on, use your personal cell only for business calls or personal stuff that you don’t mind them overhearing. For anything sensitive, use the prepaid phones.” We stood in the middle of the lawn unpacking our cell phones and running through the process of activating them. Normally you have to charge the batteries for a minimum of six hours before you use the phone but I had spare batteries for all the phones and was willing to take the chance on the initial batteries lasting long enough for us to be able to charge the spares.

“I also have to assume that the computer in the library has been bugged. If it was me doing the surveillance, I would have installed a line trace and a key logger program on the computer. So I’ve also bought a laptop with wireless access. I’ll create a new email account with some obscure carrier and change it every day or so. We have to keep one jump ahead of these guys… and two ahead of Montoya.”

“So when are you going to remove the bugs?” Becky asked.

“I’m not sure if I will yet. I still have to check the rest of the house and have a think about what to do. In the mean time just be careful what you say… anywhere inside.” The girls exchanged a long look, then started to grin. I had the feeling they had a liking for this Mata Hari stuff. I carried on talking. “Becky, when Matt gets back, Stevie and I are going to go into town. I need you to give Matt his phone and tell him what we have just discussed. I’ll leave Sam and Hemi with you two so you’ll be protected. Is that okay?”

“Not really Craig. If those two are as good as you say they are then it’ll be hard to get my man far enough away to be able to tell him all about this. We won’t have any privacy.”

Damn it. She was right. Looking at my watch I figured we’d have to get moving soon or I’d miss my meeting with Lee. It was rapidly approaching 2pm and I had to meet him at 3pm. I mentioned this to the girls.

“Why not take Hemi and Sam’s Tahoe?” Stevie had the answer. “Let’s see if the keys are in it.”

The car was unlocked but there was no sign of keys. I’d known these guys for many years and knew something about their habits though. Popping open the petrol flap I found the spare key attached by a magnet to the inside. It took only a few minutes to lock the house and get going. I called Matt on his cell phone and asked him to meet me at Killer Muffins with Sam and Hemi. I’d be able to use our trip to the car dealer’s to ditch Sam and Hemi for a while. They could stay with the girls while I clued Matt in on the new arrangements. 

As we drove, I began to pick up on some strange sort of vibe between the girls. They seemed on edge and were obviously sharing some big secret. At one point Stevie was kneeling up on the passenger seat conducting a whispered conversation with Becky, the conclusion of which brought a gale of giggles and a few sideways glances at me from Stevie. My curiosity was piqued and I would have given my left nut right then and there to find out what they were up to. 

We made it to Killer Muffins with about 10 minutes to spare. As I glanced in the rear view mirror when I was parking, the field of vision was filled with Becky’s face. As I watched she winked and with a sultry grin, licked her lips. If her wish was to turn me on, then she was well on her way to success. Feeling guilty I glanced sideways to find Stevie laughing at me.

“What’s wrong baby? Is the naughty girl teasing you? Maybe you should spank her later.” She reached over and grabbed my thigh just below my crotch. Slowly she started to massage my upper thigh just inches from my hardening cock. Due to the distractions I was being put through I almost piled Sam and Hemi’s car into the car in front of me. With a sigh of frustration I shut off the engine and turned to the two grinning women. 

“Okay… what are you two evil wenches up to?” To my shock, Becky leaned over the seat and slid her tongue into my ear as Stevie stepped up her massaging and reached for my rock hard cock. “What the fuck…! Jesus Christ you two! Matt is sitting at a table 15 yards away. What the fuck are you up too?” I could see him sitting at a table in Killer Muffins, talking to Hemi and Sam. If he had looked out the window at that particular moment, he would have seen Becky wrap her arms around my neck and nuzzle my ear.

“Matt is going to Williamsburg tonight to wind up a deal he’s been working on. We discussed whether or not I should go with him last night and decided that I should stay here and help Stevie and I live out a mutual fantasy. Ask him about it.” 

“So you see my big stud… you’re ours tonight.” The chuckle that followed Stevie’s proclamation would have been at home in a Hammer Horror flick. God, at this rate I was going to have to start taking steroids or some other performance enhancing drug to keep up.

“So do I have any say in this?” I blurted as I disengaged myself from the arms, hands and lips that were roaming at will, and exited the car. I was as flustered as hell and trying unsuccessfully to hide it. I expected to develop a nervous twitch any second, and just hoped that the sweat on my brow didn’t show too badly.

“No.” I guess that was pretty conclusive. Willing my hardon to subside, I walked as casually as possible around the car to open the doors for the ladies. Who says chivalry is dead? Stevie hopped out and bounced into my arms, kissing me passionately then stepping back coyly to allow me to open Becky’s door. As I opened the door to let Becky out I looked in and saw her slide across the seat. As she did her already short skirt slid up her fantastic thighs. Slowly she spread her legs giving me a completely unobstructed view of her pussy peeking through a very skimpy yellow mesh G-string. So much for my diminishing hardon. I was hard in a nanosecond. And to think I had thought that Becky was the timid one. Time for me to have a bit of fun and maybe some revenge for the teasing at the same time.

My hand shot forward and straight in between Becky’s spread thighs. Her eyes opened wide and she gasped as my fingers came in contact with the warm crotch of her panties. She froze like a deer caught in headlights as my fingers wormed their way into her panties and stroked softly over her moist pussy lips. I heard Stevie gasp behind me as she crowded in and looked over my left shoulder at what I was doing to her friend. I felt her breasts flatten against my back as she pressed in for a better look. Running my left hand down her front and back up under the hem of her skirt, I cupped her pussy through the thin lace material of the panties she was wearing. Her answering moan told me that she really was okay with what was happening. Slowly I worked my middle finger deep into the rapidly moistening pussy before me as I slid a finger from my other hand back and forth along the groove of Stevie’s pussy. 

“Hey! Come on you guys. Lee’s here!” Matt’s voice broke our reverie. I casually straightened and withdrew my finger from his girlfriend as he walked over to the Tahoe. I could see by the excited grin on his face that he knew what had just occurred. We were going to have to talk about this. It was going to be a busy trip to the car dealer. Giving Stevie’s pussy one last stroke I coolly sucked the finger that had been inside Becky, tasting her sweet juices and smelling her musky aroma. Stevie moaned.

“Wait ‘til we get you alone baby. We are going to turn you upside down.” Of that I had no doubt and mentally added a rare steak to my dinner menu. I was going to need the iron. Right then I needed coffee and a muffin. 

Moments later we were crowded into a large booth. Lee had met Sam and Hemi and they were chatting like they were old friends. Then again I figured it wasn’t their first meeting. Soon the waitress arrived with our coffee and an assortment of muffins and pastries. When everyone was comfortable we got down to business.

I explained to Lee that Sam and Hemi were going to be helping out with security. He didn’t need any further explanations and that confirmed that he knew about the set up from the outset. I didn’t bear him any ill will but was moderately pissed off that he could have been so self righteous with me in the interview room the night before. I said nothing. Hemi was fidgeting a bit. 

“What’s the problem buddy?” He shot a look at Sam who shrugged before answering.

“Boss we bugged your house last night. Carmichael wants to know everything that goes on. And I do mean everything.” I couldn’t suppress the grin that sprang to my lips. “Phone, rooms, computer… everything Craig. What are you grinning at?”

“You could have saved me some time by telling me sooner. I spent the last hour and a half or so sweeping the library for bugs and organising fresh untraceable cell phones. I figured that would be one of Carmichael’s plays so we made a stop at Radio Shack on the way home today. I even got a new laptop with wireless connection.” Hemi and Sam laughed. 

“Carmichael keeps on forgetting that you used to run plays from the same play book he’s using. Brother we had no choice. We are, after all, employed by Carmichael. No hard feelings Craig?” Sam said extending his hand. We shook hands as I assured them that there were no grudges. 

“You guys are gonna have to show me the location of all the bugs when we get back to the house. And one of them is going to have to develop a bit of a malfunction before tonight.” I at least had the grace to blush as Stevie and Becky giggled, and Matt coughed through a mouthful of cappuccino. 

“I’m betting it’s the bedroom surveillance you want dropped. Am I right?” Lee was quick on the uptake. The rest of them laughed as I felt my blush deepen.

“I need somewhere private where I can ‘discuss’ things away from prying ears.” My attempted defence was truly feeble and was deservedly greeted with more laughter. I gave up while I was ahead. The coffee session meeting ended in good spirits and as we got up to leave Lee passed me a heavy paper bag. I had my other Beretta back. We shook hands and I promised to keep Lee up on the plays, although I still wasn’t convinced that he didn’t know them before me. 

Out on the sidewalk we split up again. This time Stevie and Becky went with Sam and Hemi while Matt took me car shopping. 

“No way! Not in a million years! Not even if you paid me! There is no way I am taking Stevie’s piece of shit Ford as a trade in!” This was the greeting from Matt’s friend Neil as he walked over to the Bronco as we pulled up. Obviously Matt had phoned ahead.

The lot was packed with gleaming Chevys’ which suited me perfectly. After the introductions were made, the rest of the business was over fairly quickly. During the drive into town in Hemi’s Tahoe I had made up my mind that I wanted one. I ended up settling on a Tahoe Z71 in Sports Red. The financial details were settled quickly and after arranging temporary insurance we headed back to the house in Stevie’s Bronco. I would pick up the Tahoe the next day when I had time to complete the licensing and other bits and pieces. It was time to have a chat with Matt. He beat me to the punch. 

“Craig, I guess you’re wondering about what Becky and Stevie told you on the way into town.” As a conversation starter it was a doozy. 

“Yeah I was wondering. I mean… well for God’s sake… oh shit. I don’t know what to say. I mean she is your girlfriend man and out of the blue I’m told I’m going to be having sex with her… tonight!” I was too embarrassed to look at him. 

“Craig relax man. Becky and I have a very open relationship and have had for a long time. Tonight I’m going to be sleeping with one of my ex’s. Becky and I talk about these things a lot. She finds you attractive and she’s never had a three way with another couple. It’s something she wants to do, but she says she’d be too self conscious if I was the male in the equation. So to help her get over the hump she has picked you and Stevie as her introduction to the wonderful world of the male-female-female threesome. As far as jealousy on my part goes… there is none man. I know who her heart is with, and am very comfortable with the whole thing. Still feel weird?”

“Look Matt I’m not even sure I can do this. The whole point may be moot. I’m pretty much a one woman man. I’m committed to Stevie… that’s if she’s interested.”

“What a stupid statement. Of course she’s interested man! Jesus Craig… I know you’ve been out of circulation for a while but man if you can’t tell when a woman is head over heels for you, you need serious help. Christ man, she’d probably marry you tomorrow if you asked,” he laughed. 

I grinned sheepishly. “I guess I have been out of action for a while.”

Matt’s cell phone rang just then interrupting any further discussion on the subject and saving me from more embarrassment. 

“It’s Stevie… she wants to know if it would be okay if we met for dinner here in town. They have a couple of errands to run and thought we could have an early dinner.” 




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 04



I had no problem with at all with that. I could feel my belly rumble as we discussed the prospect of food. We arranged to meet at Lukky Knight’s, a local restaurant renown for its incredible wine list. That would give us a chance to pick up a few more things we’d need at the house. With extra house guests my meagre supply of towels and linen just wasn’t going to be enough. I also wanted a Cappuccino machine. The coffees I’d been enjoying at Killer Muffins had really given me a taste for Cappuccino. 

The shopping took a minimum of time and soon we were pulling up to Lukky Knights a small but classy establishment near the Chesterfield Mall. The food was incredible and the restaurant did live up to its wine list reputation. The owner was more than happy to give his recommendations which perfectly matched the courses we selected from a well thought out menu. The conversation was light and everyone was having a good time. 

As we ate and talked I noticed a couple of ladies walk in and take a table not far from us. One, a short brunette with a body that would stop traffic and a face to match, took very little time to single out Hemi for a spot of one on one eye contact. It didn’t pass Hemi’s attention either and in no time at all the flirting was becoming an X rated event. In fact it was so intense that I almost missed the hand sneaking up my thigh… from the right. Stevie was seated on my left. Becky was on my right. Matt was sitting watching me from beside his girlfriend with the largest shit eating grin I’ve seen for years plastered all over his face. As the brunette slowly and blatantly licked all round the rim of her wine glass, Becky’s hand closed over my cock and started massaging the hardening lump through the fabric of my pants. I nearly choked on the mouthful of Robert Mondavi Cabernet I had just taken as Stevie’s hand joined Becky’s and started caressing my balls. Looking across the table I saw Sam staring at me with a questioning look on his face. Then his face split into a grin as realisation struck him. It was time we were hitting the road. Of course Stevie had other ideas.

“No way! This place is famous for its Black Forest Gateau and we aren’t going anywhere until I get a slice. Besides… I think Hemi is in love.” 

“Hemi’s always in love.” I grumbled. “I think it’s usually a viral type of love. You know… the kind that he recovers from in about 48 hours.” Sam laughed and Hemi kicked my shin under the table. He was well known as the king of the one night stand. In fact he used to carry a toothbrush with him when he went out nightclubbing when we were on leave or had down time away from the jungle. He tended to draw women like moths to a flame.

Hemi shifted the flirting into overdrive and fixed the brunette with a come-and-get-me stare. A small smile played across his face as after only a short time, she got up and walked across to our table. The manipulation of my gonads by Stevie and Becky continued as the brunette came closer, making me more than slightly uncomfortable but still as aroused as hell. This was getting out of hand but there wasn’t a snowball’s chance in hell that I was going to stop it now. I had begun to think that this was some kind of test and if I was right, I was determined I was going to pass. The brunette stopped beside Hemi and spoke.

“Are you going to make eyes at me all night or are you going to ask me to join you for a drink. I’m Joanne and you’re hot.” As a conversation stopper it was a doozy. Sam and I immediately started to grin as Hemi flushed. In encounters with the fairer sex, Hemi was used to being the aggressor. Joanne’s approach had completely ruined his game plan. He was flustered and it showed. I decided to step in and make the introductions as he was obviously unable to do so. The hard part was going to be ignoring the two hands massaging my rock hard member.

“Joanne, he’s pleased to meet you, and would love for you to pull up a seat and join us. His name is Hemi and usually he can manage words of more than two syllables. Sometimes he’s been known to string together full sentences, and on occasion he has even managed a real conversation. My name’s Craig, this is Stevie, Becky, Matt, and Sam. Why don’t you invite your friend to join us? The table’s plenty big enough.”

She grinned, turned and beckoned her friend to join us before grabbing a seat from an empty table and sitting down next to Hemi who was glaring daggers at me and mouthing the direst threats my way. All the while the manipulation of my cock and balls continued. By this stage I didn’t care if we were caught… I was locked into the experience and was determined to play it to the end. 

Then the girls stepped things up a notch. As Joanne’s friend got up to come and join us, Becky slowly unzipped my pants and a moment later was struggling to pull my hard shaft into the open air. The feeling of her small, warm hand wrapped around my throbbing cock damned near made me pop my cork right there in the restaurant. Visions of a geyser of semen splattering over the pristine white table cloth, and mentally reciting the National Anthem were all that saved me from embarrassment and a large cleaning bill. The thought raced through my mind that I was well and truly fucked if Stevie decided to join in. Thankfully I was saved from that possibility by the arrival of Joanne’s friend. Taller than Joanne, and blonde, the newcomer didn’t have Joanne’s looks but definitely had the body of a goddess. Joanne introduced the newcomer as Liz. I noticed her checking out Sam as she sat down beside him and saw that the interest was definitely reciprocated. I sighed. The old team were still in business… and business was looking good. They had always worked as a team, with Hemi doing the luring and Sam playing backstop, catching anything that swam around the edge of Hemi’s net. It had worked well in the past and it was looking pretty good for another double catch tonight.

During the arrival of Liz, Becky had kept up the slow gentle stroking of my still hard cock, while Stevie had left her hands in plain view on top of the table. I decided it was time I got in on the game. Dropping my hands beneath the cover of the table cloth I quickly and unsubtly grabbed two hands full of warm female crotch. Both Stevie and Becky jumped slightly and Stevie let out a small squeak as my hand pressed firmly against her moist panty gusset. From Matt’s position he had a perfect view of my hand burrowing into his girlfriend’s panties. What he did next shocked the hell out of me. With an evil grin he reached down and pulled the now wet crotch of Becky’s panties to the side, allowing my probing fingers access to her blood engorged pussy lips. Becky moaned low and long as my middle finger slid between her lips and deep into the clinging wetness of her cunt. Her hips made small spastic movements as I felt Matt’s finger start to strum her engorged clit. Meanwhile on my other side Stevie was shamelessly bucking her hips in a slow grind into my fingers, pulling her panties aside herself.

Across the table Hemi had rediscovered his voice and was chatting with Joanne while Liz had skipped a few steps and was leaning in close and whispering sweet nothings in Sam’s ear. Things were looking promising for the boys. 

Both Stevie and Becky were now concentrating solely on what was happening between their legs. My cock had finally gained the respite it needed and was settling back down to lay along my thigh, still semi turgid. Two fingers plunged and swirled inside Stevie as the hard ball of my palm pressed against her clit rhythmically with each rotation of her hips. She was rapidly coming to the boil as was Becky. The rest of the world just disappeared as I concentrated on bringing these two ladies to a climax, assisted quite ably by Matt who was still strumming Becky’s clit. It was hugely obvious that Becky was going to cum first. Her head had dropped forward and her hand was covering her mouth. Her hair had fallen forward like a curtain, concealing the faces she was pulling as she raced towards her orgasm. 

It hit her hard. Her hand barely muffled a strangled scream as her hips thrashed frantically against our hands. Her ass rose of the seat and I felt her pussy clamp down hard on my fingers at the same time as a small flood of hot juice flowed over my fingers and palm. Stevie followed her a split second later with equally spectacular results. Her moan came from somewhere deep within her and caused my cock to lurch upward. I felt the ripples I had come to know start deep within her clinging cunt as she came in waves. Just in time too as my fingers started to cramp up due to the extended workout. As the girls’ orgasms petered out I looked up for the first time since I had started to find Hemi, Sam, Liz and Joanne staring at us with a mixture of shock, embarrassment, and excitement on their faces. Thankfully the rest of the restaurant was nearly empty and the occupants seemed not to have noticed anything amiss.

“You’ll have to excuse Craig ladies… he has this Knight in Rusty Armour complex and feels the need to help damsels in distress anytime, anywhere. I figure he was helping them adjust their stocking tops and just got a little carried away,” Hemi said with a perfect poker face. 

“We’re not wearing stockings Hemi. He was helping us relieve long suppressed tensions. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. Besides, it was great. I haven’t had an orgasm like that for a long time. At least since this morning.” Stevie was quick with a come back. Liz and Joanne grinned and as I slumped back into my seat to rest my weary arms a brisk discussion started on the female orgasm. In the middle of the discussion, Matt stood.

“I have to get going guys. Liz, Joanne, it was great meeting you. I have a feeling that we’ll be seeing a lot more of you two so I’ll catch you soon. Becky, want to walk me out babe? Craig… have a nice night okay? But not too nice.” Goodbyes were said and Becky and Matt walked out into the evening. Stevie scooched over closer to me and slung her arm around my neck puling me close for a long slow kiss. 

“Let’s skip desert and get home baby. I want your cock in me.” It was a suggestion that I couldn’t say no to. 

“Folks, we’re going to get going while we still have some light to get those beds into the house.” It was as good an excuse as any, although I don’t think we were fooling anyone. “Hemi, you guys know the way out there… feel free to bring any friends you might find along the way. Oh and you guys can pick up the check.” 

Laughing, Hemi threw his napkin at me. “See you out there man.”

As we emerged into the warm evening air, Becky was waving goodbye to Matt as he pulled away from the kerb in a cab. He was going to pick up his car from his house and drive through to Williamsburg tonight. Dusk was just about over and it was getting dark fast. All of a sudden I was mindful of the exposed position we were in on the sidewalk. 

“Let’s get into the car and get going eh?” 

As we drove out to the house the conversation was light and deliberately non-sexual. On our arrival we found the beds had been delivered. The empty boxes were leaning against the wall of the garage but of the beds there was no sign. It was disturbing enough for me to get the girls to get back into the truck while I checked out the house. The note attached to the front door solved the mystery.

“Good evening Craig.

I took the liberty of having a couple of the boys assemble the beds. 

Thought it would save you some time and trouble when you got home 

tonight.

Carmichael.”

It was his not so subtle way of telling me that he was keeping his eye on us. Calling the girls from the car we entered the house and moved through to the lounge. 

“Drink ladies?” Stevie and Becky exchanged a look full of mystery.

“You could bring a bottle of wine to the bedroom if you want baby. We’ll see you there. Give us half an hour okay?” There was no arguing with the lady. I watched them skip up the stairs then went through to the refrigerator in the kitchen where I grabbed a bottle of bubbly. I had plans for the wine that wouldn’t require fancy crystal flutes so I grabbed three ordinary water tumblers. Grabbing a pot from the cupboard beneath the counter I filled it with ice from the ice dispenser in the door of the refrigerator. I’d need to buy an ice bucket at some stage. I mentally added it to the list as I turned off the lights and left the kitchen. Wandering through to the library I started to mentally plan where I’d put my books. I had a lot of shelf space and could foresee a few visits to Borders bookshop in the near future. 

I wandered around the room for the next half an hour taking advantage of the solitude. In the jungle it had been easy to withdraw into my own head. I’d been able to keep others at arms length quite easily in Colombia, but here in Virginia it was a totally different story. I didn’t resent the presence of my new friends, but it was nice to be on my own for a while. Finally I glanced down at my watch and realised that I had taken just over 40 minutes. I was late.

Carrying the wine and glasses I climbed the stairs to check the spare bedrooms. The beds were assembled and made up with fresh linen that Matt must have bought from the furniture store. Aside from the beds there was no sign that Carmichael had been in the house… no sign that I could see anyway.

My bedroom door was closed so I knocked and waited to be summoned. The reality of what was about to happen hit me when it was Becky’s voice, not Stevie’s that answered my knock. I had no idea at all of what to expect as I opened the door and entered the darkened room. In the light coming into the room from the windows I could dimly make out the naked figures on the bed. They were lying on top of the covers side by side, stroking each others’ bodies. As I drew closer one of them sat up and reached for the lamp switch. As soft light flooded the room I could see it was Stevie who was sitting up while Becky reclined on the bed in a totally immodest pose. Her left leg was flung out to the side of the bed while her right was entwined with Stevie’s left leg. Becky’s hand was slowly and languorously working at the apex of her lovely thighs.

Stevie noted the direction of my gaze and with a wry smile held out her hand. “Don’t just stand there baby… come and help us out here.” Her voice was thick with passion and her lustful expression wasn’t lost on me either. I was in for a long hot night. Not that I was complaining mind you. Putting the bottle in the makeshift ice bucket I placed it and the glasses on the bedside cabinet. Then still fully clothed, I climbed onto the bed and slid in between them. The lump in the small of my back reminded me of the Beretta. I quickly removed it from my waistband and placed it next to the ‘ice bucket’.

“Good evening ladies.” It was supposed to sound really cool but it came out sounding like Kermit the Frog with laryngitis. Stevie took care of the croakiness by leaning over, grabbing my face softly and kissing me. It was a soft but passionate kiss filled with warmth and tenderness, full of promise for the night to come. Again I wondered at my luck in finding a woman like this. As we kissed I felt Becky move in beside me and press up against my back. Her hands came around and slowly pulled the shirt out of the waistband of my pants and began to unbutton it. There was no hurry… we had all night. 

As my buttons came undone, Becky’s hands spread my shirt exposing my chest to Stevie’s warm hands. Her fingers swirled around my nipples which in truth I had never considered as an erogenous zone before. My attitude started to change as little bolts of arousal seemed to shoot straight to my balls. I felt my cock begin to harden in my pants as Stevie softly began to roll my nipples while she kissed me with a growing passion. Her lips gripped my lower lip and tugged gently on it as Becky finished unbuttoning my shirt and slowly drew it off my shoulders and down my arms. A moment later the shirt joined the girl’s clothes on the floor as Becky began to run her hands softly over my back. Her touch was feather light as her hands drifted across the sensitive skin at the base of my back… barely touching me and sending shivers of pleasure through my body.

My own hands had been idle up to this point as I realised that it was up to the ladies to set the pace. Now as we kissed, Stevie grabbed my hand and softly placed it on her full warm breast. As I cupped the soft flesh I felt the nipple crinkle and harden pressing outward until it was fully extended; a nubbin of coral red flesh jutting proudly from her firm mound. She moaned and kissed me harder as I brushed the palm of my hand back and forth over her nipple. Meanwhile Becky had abandoned my back and was undoing my belt. I had one hand free and figured I shouldn’t let it lie idle so I reached back and started softly stroking her warm thigh. I immediately noted the difference in how the two girl’s bodies felt. Becky had a more lush frame than Stevie. Her body was by no means fat but there was a softer quality to her body compared to the firm toned flesh of Stevie’s body. I had a pretty good idea that muscle tone wasn’t the only difference that I was going to come across tonight. 

Inch by inch I let my hand drift up Becky’s thigh until I felt the heat then the moistness of her aroused shaved pussy. As the back of my hand softly brushed her pouting pussy lips she gasped then moaned and thrust her crotch down against my hand. That seemed to be the signal for the girls to pick up the pace a little.

Stevie pulled away from me and turned my face to Becky who immediately took over kissing duties. Her kissing style was a lot different to Stevie’s. Her tongue swirled along the front of my teeth and slid in between my inner lip and gum line, tickling and probing. My hardening cock made a despairing lurch for freedom which Stevie thankfully picked up on. In a matter of moments my pants and shorts joined my shirt and the girl’s clothes on the floor and the cooling night air washed around the hot flesh of my erect cock. Not for long though. I moaned into Becky’s mouth as I felt Stevie’s mouth close over my cock and slowly slide down toward the root. As her lips slid down my length her tongue was busy fluttering over my swollen glans. It was a feeling nearly so intense as to make me pop my cork right then and there. Then I hit rock bottom. I felt the rubbery narrow opening to Stevie’s throat pushing against the head of my throbbing cock. She backed off and took a deep breath… then slid rapidly down my shaft again until with a groan I was in her throat. Becky wrapped her warm hand around the base of my cock and massaged my balls with her other hand. I threw my head back and moaned long and loud.

“Jesus… if you don’t stop, I’m gonna cum!” 

“I think that is the general idea Craig. Stevie and I thought that it would be a good idea after the teasing we gave you at the restaurant. We don’t want you going off too soon later on now do we?” With that she released my shaft and brought her middle finger to her mouth, sucking it in as if it was a cock. I watched hypnotised as she removed the wet digit then reached down behind me.

My fingers slid over her wet pussy lips then dipped inside her as she slid her wet finger between my ass cheeks. I knew what was coming yet was not prepared for the intense feeling as she slid her finger inside my asshole and probed gently for my prostate… the male G spot. I blew.

The tightest cock ring in the world couldn’t have stopped the geyser of cum that rocketed from the head of my cock just as Stevie backed off until just the head of my spurting cock rested inside her mouth. I saw her cheeks balloon with the force and amount of my ejaculation as a torrent of cum flooded her gorgeous mouth. Becky disengaged herself from my now limp nerveless fingers and dropped her head down beside Stevie’s as she watched Stevie swallow the first mouthful of my offering. She hovered expectantly until Stevie quickly pulled my still spurting cock from her mouth and fed it to her friend who immediately drew it deep and started sucking for all she was worth. She was rewarded with another geyser of cum as Stevie pulled my face down to hers and kissed me. I could taste myself on her tongue as it probed my mouth while my orgasm finally petered out. Becky kept up the sucking action on my slowly deflating cock until it got too sensitive and I had to stop her. I slumped back onto the pillows panting as Becky rose from her position and brought her lips to mine… and slipped me a gob of cum! It was a first for me but I swallowed what I was offered. The taste wasn’t unpleasant and besides, the ladies had both done it. The ladies picked a side each and snuggled into my body. It felt incredible to be totally surrounded by so much soft, warm, perfumed flesh. No one spoke and for a while we just lay there relaxing in the afterglow. The taste of cum lingered in my mouth and reminded me of the champagne.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 05



The morning dawned clear and warm. Of course I didn’t see the dawn. It had been a long and very pleasurable night lasting into the morning so it was well after nine o’clock when I woke. As I woke I became aware of the now familiar feeling of Stevie’s body moulded to mine. What wasn’t familiar was the feel of a second body pressed against mine. It was definitely female… the breasts pressed against my back were large, warm and firm. The night before came back to me in a rush and I grinned what could only be described as a shit eating grin. 

“Feeling pretty happy with yourself aren’t you honey?” I opened my eyes to find Stevie’s smiling face inches from mine. Grinning I pulled her head down to me for a kiss. Laughing, she pushed me away. “I love you honey… I really do, but morning breath is an instant turn off. Besides, I need to pee.” 

With that she slid out of bed, flounced across the floor, and disappeared into the bathroom, shooting me a saucy look over her shoulder as she went. I was tempted to follow her in but I still had a few puritanical morals left. Becky chose this moment to stir. I rolled to face her and smiled at the confusion on her face as she opened her eyes and my face swam into view. As her confusion cleared she smiled, a soft sleepy smile. 

“Good morning sir. You need a shave.” What was it with women and the morning ablution rituals of men? Grumbling, I rolled out of bed and stretched before heading naked into the bathroom. Becky’s laugh followed me all the way.

Stevie was brushing her teeth as I walked in and sidled up behind her. Her gorgeous naked ass was jutting out at just the right angle for me to lay my morning wood in the warm cleft of her buttocks… which of course I did. She grinned at me in the mirror and gave her hot ass a wiggle which only served to reinforce my morning hard on. 

“Careful lady or you’ll get a taste of what Becky got last night,” I told her with an evil leer and a wiggle of my eyebrows.

“Why sir, you wouldn’t think of butt fucking little ol’ me would you?” she asked in her best Little Miss Innocent Southern Belle voice as her face took on a mock shocked look.

“Damned straight I would,” I growled in my best Big Bad Wolf voice, and gave her an extra nudge with my hips. She laughed and passed me my toothbrush.

“Brush and we’ll see what happens lover.” With a peck on my nose she twisted away from me and skipped out to the bedroom, laughing again. With a sigh I put down my toothbrush and headed for the toilet. I needed to pee. The task was made difficult by the erection I was sporting but finally I managed to get a stream going… just as Becky wandered in. Now having a toilet with the traffic characteristics of Grand Central Station is not conducive to easy early morning ablutions. Finally I got a steady stream going and sighed with the relief that only comes with the draining of an overburdened bladder. Completing my morning piss I turned to find Becky leaning against the bathroom counter grinning at me. There was a hell of a lot of grinning going on this morning. Truth be told, I was a very happy lad indeed and I answered her grin with one of my own. I wandered back to the counter and washed my hands as Becky watched in silence. I got the distinct impression that she wanted to talk to me. Grabbing my toothbrush I began to polish my pearly whites while watching Becky in the mirror. Finally I could stand it no longer. Spitting the toothpaste foam into the basin, I rinsed my mouth out and spoke.

“Okay Becky, spit it out. You’ve been standing there fidgeting for the last couple of minutes honey… just say what you want.” 

She took a deep breath and started to speak in a slow measured cadence. “Craig, Stevie is the best friend I’ve ever had in my life. She’s more like a sister than a friend really.” She stopped and thought about the previous night’s activities and laughed. “Well more like a very, very, close cousin. The point is I don’t want to see her get hurt. You’re a hell of a nice guy, and you obviously have strong feelings for her, but then so did the last guy. He actually had stronger feelings for her money…” She let the sentence trail off as she looked into my eyes in the mirror with a mixture of uncertainty and defiance. 

Wiping my mouth on a washcloth I turned to face her.

“Becky I love the lady for who she is, not what she can buy me. I have no idea what she’s worth but if you really think about it, do you think I’m some penniless loser? Even after paying for this, I still have a net worth of over 23 million dollars. I made some damned good investments with the money I got from mercenary work, plus I inherited a few million when my folks died. I suspect that I’m probably ahead of Stevie in the cash stakes. I appreciate what you’re trying to do and really admire you for it, but there is no way in hell that I would ever intentionally betray or hurt Stevie… or you and Matt for that matter.” Drying my face on a towel I continued. 

“Becky the last thing I expected to find when I came back to civilisation was love. All I wanted was a bit of a holiday before I set up my security company. I just wanted to have a bit of solitude to try to forget the things I’ve seen and done over the last eight years. Instead I got some pretty damned amazing friends and a woman who I’ve fallen head over heels in love with. I have a beautiful house, and a great bunch of people. No way am I going to screw that up. Becky I really do love Stevie. I have no idea how it happened either. I’ve always thought that it takes a long time for you to fall in love with someone… this is a huge shock to me. Damned nice but still a shock.” I was rambling now and Becky was grinning again. To save me any further embarrassment she pulled me to her and hugged and kissed me. It was a warm friendly embrace lacking in any of the sexual overtones from last night. 

“That’s all I needed to know hon. She’s a special lady and you’re damned lucky to have her… and she’s lucky to have you.”

“I agree. He is damned lucky to have me. After all I’m pretty incredible.” Stevie had come to see what was going on and was leaning in the doorway, still naked, with a goofy grin on her face and tears in her eyes. She walked over to us and kissed us both after which we all enjoyed a group hug. My cock perked up at the feel of all that naked, firm, female flesh. The ladies teased me about that, then protested that they needed to be fed. I had no choice… it was two on one and to tell the truth I figured they needed a bit of ‘girl time’… plus I was famished. Pulling on a pair of jeans and a tank top, I headed downstairs to cook breakfast. 

I arrived in the kitchen to find Sam and Hemi rummaging through the fridge and cupboards. The smell of coffee wafted past my nostrils getting my salivary glands working. Grunted morning greetings were exchanged as I poured a cup and leaned against the counter watching the guys work. In a way it brought back memories of working with them in the jungle. Now instead of a small sheltered fire with a blackened and battered pot, we could play with a gleaming kitchen full of modern appliances. I moved to join them and soon we were chatting happily as we chopped and stirred ingredients into pans and pots. Omelettes and herb coated home fries were the order of the day, accompanied by fresh juice and a few gallons of coffee with a touch of chicory for extra flavour.

Inevitably the subject of the previous night came up. Hemi started it. 

“So what are your plans for today Boss? A bit of rest and recuperation maybe?” He gave me his patented wide eyed innocent look and carried on as I braced myself for the ribbing I knew was coming. “I mean you probably didn’t get too much sleep last night. You’ll probably need a big breakfast too… Sam, pour the boss another coffee will ya? He’ll need to replace those fluids.” 

“Yeah Craig, we were kinda worried about you last night. There was a lot of screaming coming from your room and Liz and Joanne were worried too. We had to calm them down… a couple of times.”

“Yeah I could see how that might happen. It was all quite innocent guys. I was helping them deal with the shit that’s been going on for the last few days. It was… therapy. Yeah, that’s it. It was therapy.” I gave them both a shit eating grin and turned in time to see Stevie and Becky enter the kitchen. 

“What was therapy baby?” Stevie asked as she came over and kissed me soundly. There was nothing reserved about the kiss; she put all her heart and soul into it. I didn’t hold back either although I knew I was giving Hemi and Sam a lot of ammunition for future sessions of Rag the Boss. Sure enough, when we surfaced for air they both had mile wide smirks on their faces.

“That was therapy honey,” I answered with a grin. “These clowns wanted to know what we were up to last night. I told him I was giving you ladies therapy to help you deal with the shit that’s been going down over the past few days.”

“Therapy my cute ass! He was fucking us senseless!” Becky’s declaration was greeted by a shocked silence from the guys and a hoot of laughter from Stevie. I laughed at the embarrassed looks the guys were now wearing. It was good to see the shoe on the other foot. For once they were speechless, a situation very rare in its occurrence.

“Actually guys, I have a busy day planned. I have to go in and pick up my car from the dealership, then straight back here. I’ve got a heap of things packed away in boxes in the container out front that I want to get organised. I’m also going to hit the bookstores.” I shot a meaningful glance Stevie’s way before continuing. “I’m not sure when I’ll actually get to read a book again but I suppose there’s no harm in seeing what I’ve been missing.” I got an evil look that promised I would suffer for that remark and an elbow in the ribs to reinforce the promise.

“Okay Craig, just let us know what you want us to do and we’re there buddy. In the meantime… breakfast is getting cold.” Hemi started dishing breakfast while Sam poured coffee. 

It was after 11 before we all piled into Hemi’s Tahoe and headed into town. We figured to split up after I picked up my car with Stevie and Becky going into the office to tidy a few loose ends with Sam as a bodyguard. Hemi would come with me. Because I wanted to talk to him about what else Carmichael might have in store for us, I was sitting up front with him. I also needed to pick up any info on Montoya from Lee. Carmichael had promised he would have the information to me by the end of the previous day. It hadn’t materialised. It was the first hiccup in what I expected would be a long list of them. Carmichael would plead administrative screw-up and I would give him a little more time. It was the way the game was played. I also knew that whatever intelligence I got would be heavily doctored, but from what was left, I figured I could make a fair assessment of our situation and possibly of Montoya’s plans. As we drove the chat flowed freely, the topics ranging from the baseball season to the few anecdotes we could share with the girls. Everything was going great until I noticed that Hemi had fallen silent and was spending a lot of the time checking the rear view mirror.

“Trouble brother?” Sam had the girls attention as he told a particularly risqué tale of a night on the town we had shared in Bogotá so my softly spoken query reached only Hemi’s ears. He nodded and indicated the mirror.

“We’ve got company boss. It looks government but I’ve got a weird feeling about that car. For a start, he’s trying real hard to stay with us… so much so that he stands out like Pamela Anderson’s tits. He follows our every lane change and won’t let other cars in between him and the car behind us. Plus… there are three people in that car boss. One up front and two in the back. That’s a hit formation.” 

I looked at the other traffic on the road. It was a typical weekday and the road was crowded. If these guys had a hit planned for us they would do it on a busy road, using the other traffic to hem us in and reduce our options. Innocent people would get hurt. I couldn’t allow that.

“Sam! We’ve got company! Get the girls on the floor and get ready.” I had them spotted now. It was the same sedan that had trailed us yesterday and they were definitely amateurs. “Hemi, get us off this road. Get us onto a quiet road. I don’t want civilians mixed up in this and it’ll give us some manoeuvring options. Becky, get on your cell phone and call Lee. Let him know we’re being tracked and keep him on the phone. If we can we’ll draw these creeps right to him. If we can’t, we’re going to have to deal with them ourselves.” Guns materialised as if by magic in both Sam’s and my hand. It took Hemi a couple of seconds to get his out as he was busy navigating us across three crowded lanes to an exit which would take us to a sub-division under construction. Becky had her cell phone and was dialling as she and Stevie dropped to the floor.

“Give me a gun. I can shoot… you know I can. Give me a gun.” Stevie’s voice held no trace of fear at all. She could shoot, and shoot well. “Hemi, do you have another gun in the car?” 

“Glove compartment Boss. But you better swap with her. The gun in there is too much gun for her. She’d be better off with the Beretta.”

Opening the glove compartment I agreed with him immediately. Passing Stevie my Beretta I pulled the gun from the glove compartment and ejected the clip to confirm a full load of .50 calibre rounds. I was holding a Desert Eagle .50 AE with a 10 inch barrel and 7 round magazine. Hemi was right. The gun’s savage recoil would have been too much for her… would have been too much for most people. 

“Where the fuck did you get this hand cannon from? Jesus man, you could drop a Jumbo jet with this puppy.”

“Actually it’s a gift for you. I picked it up in South Africa last year and thought you’d get a kick out of it.” The casual chatter belied the tension in the vehicle as Hemi finally got us onto a quieter street, and rocketed forward. A quick glance behind confirmed that our not-so-sneaky shadows were still with us and rapidly gaining. Becky had Lee on the phone and was giving calm directions, but I knew with certainty that we would have to deal with this on our own. I told Becky to relay that to Lee and then turned to Hemi.

“Find us somewhere to make a stand buddy. Since Sam is directly behind me, it makes sense to stop with my side facing them okay? Try to give us some cover and when we stop I want you to get the girls clear. Get them away from here and keep going unless you hear otherwise from me. Understood?” He nodded once and began taking streets at random, looking for a quiet stretch of road with a bit of cover. God it was good to be working with professionals. “Sam, you and me are gonna deal to the bad guys.” I was talking up a confident game but in reality I knew we would need more than a bit of luck to come out of this in one piece.

“It’ll be just like old times buddy,” came his reply. It felt good to be working with pros.

“Stevie, when we stop I want you and Becky to bail out and stick with Hemi. He’ll get you out of here. Do exactly as he says and do it quick okay? Stevie… I love you honey.”

“I love you too and if you get hurt I’m gonna be plenty pissed.” There was fear in her voice now which was good. The adrenaline would power her and give her the stamina to get the fuck out of here. I could already hear sirens in the distance but they’d get here too late to be of any help. 

“Okay… get ready!” Hemi had found the right street. Half finished houses lined both sides of it and more importantly it was dotted with dumpsters for the debris from the building sites and mounds of building materials. Most importantly, it was deserted; there wasn’t a builder in sight. It was as near to perfect as we were going to get. “Okay… HOLD ON!”

Hemi yanked the wheel over and we slid broadside in behind a large dumpster. As soon as the Tahoe rocked to a stop the doors flew open as we scrambled out; Hemi grabbing the ladies and heading from one place of cover to another as he dragged them clear. As the sedan slid to a halt, Sam and I immediately started moving forward to cut down our mystery guest’s options. Moving from one bit of cover to the other we advanced on the stationary car, guns up and tracking the targets which were… just sitting in the car watching with terrified expressions on their faces. We slowed our advance to a walk and moved to the car, covering the occupants. This was definitely no hit team. 

The driver was a young guy, probably in his mid-twenties, his goatee perfectly framing his yell of fear. Movement from the back seat grabbed Sam’s attention, and in two bounds he was at the door and ripping it open, his gun up covering the back seat passengers! 

“Fucking reporters! Shit! That’s all we need! What the fuck do you think you idiots are doing? Do you know how close you came to getting fucking shot?” Sam’s vocabulary gets pretty colourful when he’s pissed. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

I sighed and lowered my gun. This was definitely not what we needed but I guess it was better than a shootout with a car full of coked up Colombian gunmen. I took out my cell phone and called Stevie. Hearing a cell phone ring just behind me I spun around to find… Stevie peering around the base of the closest dumpster, gun in hand and looking ready for action. Hemi was standing a few feet to the side looking very flustered and slightly pissed.

“I couldn’t stop her Boss. She just said that there was no way her man was going to get hurt when she could do something to help. Then she just took off. Becky is back at the Tahoe. She doesn’t take instructions well either.” I could see that we were going to have to discuss this in depth later. In the mean time we had a different sort of crisis to deal with. Putting my cell phone away and slipping the huge handgun into the rear waistband of my jeans I walked over to the car. The occupants had clambered out and were huddled in a scared group. The driver was accompanied by a man and a woman. If I read the group correctly, the guy was the cameraman and the woman was the reporter. The fact that the guy was holding a camera sort of confirmed my genius deduction. 

“You followed us yesterday too, right?” Nods of confirmation. “You think we’re news?” More nods. “Do you have a group death wish?” Frantic negative head shakes. They seemed struck mute. “Why do you think we are news? And who the hell put you onto us? Do you know how much danger you’re in just following us? Do you have any idea what could have happened to you just now?” Still no answers. I was building to flash point and they knew it. The news crew’s stupidity could have got them killed and it had put us in danger too. 

They were saved from an outburst by the arrival of the police. Two cars loaded down with heavily armed cops lead by Lee Stowers pulled into the street and screeched to a halt. The doors burst open and men piled out in a hurry all searching for any sign of a threat. It was a hectic few moments until it was established that the call out was a false alarm. Lee organised his men to set up a safe perimeter anyway and wandered over to join me and Sam while Hemi took the girls back to his car. 

“What the hell went down here Craig? We got the call while we were running an exercise a couple of streets over. We got here as soon as we could buddy.” That explained the quick response time. I ran the situation down for Lee and then watched as he turned to the news crew. The chewing out he gave the silent news crew was worthy of a Marine drill instructor. They stood and took it. I think they were still trying to get over the sight of two armed men charging at their car. I left Lee to it and walked back to the Tahoe. I knew I was going to have to talk to Stevie about doing what she was told when it came to this sort of thing. It was probably going to be our first argument but there was no way I was going to leave her in any doubt as to the need for obedience if the faeces hit the rotary blades. She was going to have to learn. As I reached the Tahoe she forestalled any argument.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 05



“I know honey. I was stupid and I’m sorry. I just got a bit panicky… I had to make sure you were okay. Can you understand that babe?” 

“Yeah I can honey but the thing is… I’m the pro here. I know what I’m doing and I can get the job done a lot easier and safer if I don’t have to be looking behind me for you. If I have to worry about where you are hon, it could prove to be a fatal distraction. Okay so this time it was a false alarm. What if it wasn’t? You could have got your gorgeous little ass shot Stevie. From now on do what I say, when I say it. Okay baby?” She hung her head and moved forward for a hug. I just held her for the longest time stroking her back and hair as I felt the tension drain out of us both. After a few moments Lee joined us.

“Craig this is getting freaky man. These guys were given an anonymous tip about you and your merry band being involved in two murders and drug dealing.” That got my attention. It was definitely not Montoya’s style and didn’t make sense at all. Montoya wouldn’t want a news crew shadowing us. He’d want as much anonymity as he could get. A news crew would restrict his ability to get at me. Besides, it would bring him into focus on governmental anti drug radars. The DEA and other agencies would be forced to target him more thoroughly than they already were. I relayed this to Lee who digested it with a thoughtful look on his face. 

“We’re going to have to start looking at other possibilities Craig. There are lots of hidden agendas at work here, and until we can nail down exactly who is after you we are completely in the dark. It’s going to be harder to protect you folks now, you know that don’t you?” 

“Not really buddy. It’s still the same situation; unknown hitters coming after us. No matter whose paying the bills, we still have folks out there who want me dead. So as far as I see it there is no change to the game plan Lee. I’m going to call an old friend of mine who’s in the security business. He’s got a similar background to mine and really knows his shit and he’s got a couple of damned good men working with him. I’ll see if he can lend a hand here.” I could see he was still worried. “Look Lee, I have weapons, the advantages of knowing they’re coming and knowing the battleground better than them, and a group of good men on my side. We’re gonna be okay man.”

“Craig, up ‘til now we have been assuming that it’s you that they’re after. What if it’s not? Stevie’s a rich woman buddy. And what about Matt? He’s a pretty free spirited kinda guy. Maybe he’s pissed off a husband somewhere. Just don’t get too comfortable buddy. And call me anytime you need a hand or want to talk. I know when to take the badge off… okay?” 

With that he turned and walked back to the news crew who were starting to come out of their shock and looking for a way to get to us. I guess the story is everything. Lee’s men were having a great time running interference; putting their bodies between the camera and our little group as we piled back into the Tahoe and headed out of the subdivision. I figured I was going to have to throw a barbeque for the SWAT team in the near future. Actually it might be a good way to break in the pool I had yet to use at home. As we drove past the news crew’s car I saw one of Lee’s men cover the lens of the camera with his helmet. Yep… a barbeque was definitely going to be on the agenda.

We arrived at the car dealership 20 minutes later to find my Tahoe ready to go. It took only a matter of minutes for the final paperwork details to be cleared, then we were on our way with me and the girls in my new truck and Hemi and Sam following. Earlier in the morning the plan had been to take Hemi with me while Sam took the ladies to the office to get some work done. The drama with the news crew had wrecked that idea. Becky still needed to go into the office but Stevie had nothing urgent that needed her presence. We decided to go and grab some lunch before we split up so we headed to Killer Muffins. I was getting addicted to cappuccino and could think of no better place to get my daily fix than Killer Muffins. The atmosphere was great, the service awesome and the owner was very cool.

As we sat and chatted I reflected on the fact that since coming to Richmond my life had hardly been anything close to ordinary. Two men had been murdered; one an innocent. The alarm installation guy’s funeral was in two days and I made a mental note to learn as much as I could about him and to attend the funeral. He hadn’t deserved to die and I felt a lot of guilt over his death. All I knew about him was that his name had been Nelson Madden and that he was a single man with no family. That was a blessing of sorts I suppose but it still didn’t alleviate any of the guilt I felt. 

My reflections were interrupted by the arrival of an unwelcome visitor; Carmichael. The table had gone silent and I looked up to find him standing behind Sam looking over at me. I sighed. It had been inevitable.

“Tracking device on Hemi’s truck eh?” I sighed again at his nod.

“Good morning Craig, may I sit?” I nodded and he pulled a chair in from a nearby table and parked his ass. With an imperious wave of his hand he summoned the waitress to our table. Once he had ordered his lunch he sat back and regarded us with what I would term a fairly nasty smirk.

“So… how was your night?” There it was! The fucking bugs! I’d forgotten to make sure that they were deactivated in the bedroom last night. Carmichael had listened in to everything that had gone on between Becky, Stevie and me. My first urge was to leap the table and rip out his heart… with a spoon. But that wouldn’t have gone down well with the owner of Killer Muffins and I liked the place so I just leaned over and smiled back as I said, “Yeah… we had a great night. How ‘bout you? Listen to anything interesting Carmichael? Did you have fun sitting there in your cold little control room listening in to real people living real lives?” His secret was out and he knew it. Okay so I’d blown the usefulness of the bugs with a petty comment, but it was worth it to see his face flush and him start to fidget.

“What? Do you think I’m some sort of green amateur? You think I fell off the last freight train or something pal? You have to remember that I’ve been doing this shit for the last eight years. You’re guilty of underestimating me Carmichael, and I’m guilty of overestimating you. I thought you’d be better. I guess I was wrong.” 

I looked around the table at my friends, seeing a range of expressions and reactions. Becky looked shocked and embarrassed but looked determined not to let the fact that our playtime last night was all on tape in some CIA vault somewhere. Stevie was trying hard not to giggle while at the same time looked pissed off. It was comical to watch. Hemi and Sam looked a little uncomfortable. After all… they had been on the clock last night while they were screwing Liz and Joanne. Also I had asked Hemi to make sure the bug in the bedroom was deactivated. I grinned inwardly as I imagined the apologies that were sure to come when Carmichael was gone.

“So where are my intelligence reports Carmichael? I told you I wanted them yesterday.” He looked flustered. I think he expected to find us rattled from the deaths a couple of days ago and the fun and games this morning, which I felt certain he had been updated on.

“I want those reports by three o’clock today Carmichael. I also want you to remove all the bugs from my house. I want your cell phone number so I can call you any time, day or night. Until you’ve done all this, you and I have nothing to talk about. Tip the waitress on your way out.” With that I turned away from him to find the rest of the table staring at me in shock. They hadn’t expected me to climb into Carmichael the way I had. Hemi and Sam looked particularly worried, but they had seen the lone wolf side of me before so they should have been used to it. I did my best to look completely unconcerned as Carmichael rose and walked out… ignoring the waitress as he passed her. He looked like someone had pissed in his pocket. Not a happy chappy at all. I had called his bluff… now I just had to see how strong my hand was. 

“Jesus Christ Craig. Did you have to push him so far man? I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so pissed. What the fuck did you think you were doing?” Hemi was almost apoplectic.

“Listen buddy, I’m sick of having to jump through hoops for that clown. I used to respect him but that seems like a different life and a different man. I owe him nothing so he gets nothing. Unless he plays ball with me. I need the intel he’s holding so I can protect me and mine, and if this is what it takes to get what I need then so be it. Now you might have to bow and scrape to him but I don’t. Remember buddy, I don’t work for him any more. Now let’s just enjoy our lunch shall we?”

I got up and walked over to the waitress and cancelled Carmichael’s lunch order and apologised for his rude behaviour, then returned to the table where I got a very warm kiss from Stevie the moment I sat down. I grinned at her and kissed her back. Life was good.

After lunch we split up with Becky heading off to the office with Sam and Hemi. Stevie and I headed for the mall. I was determined to have a semi normal day. I wanted a spot of retail therapy to soothe my ruffled feathers and with Stevie as my guide I was sure I could have a successful session. She seemed like the sort of woman who could get a lot out of a shopping trip. I wanted to pick up some books and a few DVDs. There were a lot of movies made in the eight years I was in the jungles of Colombia and I figured it was time I did some catching up. My plan for the rest of the day was to shop, then head back to the house and start setting up my library.

“Ahh the illusion of domesticated bliss,” Stevie mocked me when I informed her of my plan. “Honey I have something I want to run by you later. I need your opinion about something I’ve been planning for a few years. Up ‘til now I guess I just haven’t had the guts to do it, but lately I feel like I could do anything. So what do you think? A quiet dinner, a good movie and a good conversation. Sound like fun?” 

“It sounds like a damned good plan baby. I suppose I can start setting up the library tomorrow. Let’s make this shopping trip a quick one. Borders, the supermarket, then home.” We drove the rest of the way to the mall in a companionable silence. The Tahoe had a very good sound system and the radio station the stereo was dialled in to was playing a selection of rock ballads. The mellow strains of Someday by Nickelback wafted through the car as we pulled into the parking lot at the mall. 

Borders was the sort of experience I had dreamed about for the eight years I was in the jungle. Peace and quiet even though I was surrounded by people. Books, CDs and movies as far as the eye could see. The minute we walked in the door I knew my credit card was going to take a serious hammering. When we left nearly three hours later, I had spent an embarrassing amount of money and it took us three trips to carry all our purchases to the truck. The trip to the market was completed in record time and by 4.30 we were pulling into the drive at my place. Dinner was to be pre-prepared salads and steaks done on the grill. I’d bought enough steaks for everyone although I had no idea if or when they would be turning up. Becky had mentioned meeting Matt at the airport so I figured they would want to catch up. Sam and Hemi would probably roll up after Becky was safely with Matt.

As we were unloading the truck Stevie’s original cell phone rang. I carried on unloading the bags from the truck as Stevie stood in the driveway and had a very animated and excited conversation with the person on the other end of the line. I could tell by the mile wide smile on her face that it was good news; a deduction that was supported when she finished the call, closed her phone and raced over to me and flung herself into my arms giggling. 

“I’ve sold it!” she screamed, kissing me all over my face. I was still none the wiser as to what she’d sold but caught up in the moment I kissed her back and laughed right along with her. Finally she calmed down long enough for me to pop the question.

“What have you sold baby?”

“My house! I’ve had it on the market for a while and there’s one guy who has been dithering over it for as couple of weeks. He’s finally bitten the bullet and wants to sign… tomorrow. Damn this feels good. I love my house but it was time to move on.” Linking her arm through mine she grabbed the last bag of books and we went inside. 

“Actually honey, it’s your fault that I got the itch to sell my house. I was looking for a place for you and started to think that maybe a place in the country was what I wanted. If you hadn’t bought this place, I would’ve. Now I’ll have to start looking all over again. Hell… where am I going to stay now? I could put my stuff in storage for a while I suppose.” She was starting to ramble so I let her carry on. It was so damned good to see her excited. Mind you, it seemed to be a perpetual condition for Stevie. The answer to her housing problem was as plain as the nose on my face, but was I ready to take the step of actually cohabiting with her? I guess there was only one way to find out. I’d ask her after dinner. 

While Stevie got the kitchen organised I started to drag a few boxes of books in from the container which was still creating an eyesore in my driveway. I was going to have to empty it and get rid of it. That would be a good job for Hemi, Sam and me tomorrow. I still had boxes of books, CDs and DVDs that needed to be unloaded. Down time in the jungle had given me plenty of time to do lots of catalogue shopping, and I’d discovered that Amazon deliver anywhere. My collections had grown but in a very haphazard way over the years.

“Craig, want to grab a swim before we have dinner? You haven’t tried out your pool yet have you baby? I had the pool man come in the day before you moved in and check it out. It should be okay to swim in but you should arrange for a guy to come and do regular maintenance on it.” 

That sounded like a damned good idea. There was still a lot I had to get used to with both my new house and my new life. In the jungle a swim meant setting up two watchers to keep an eye out for reptilian wildlife in the water. A caiman or snake attack could really tend to fuck up your swim.

“What about swim suits honey?” For some strange reason this brought a gale of laughter from her. 

“Yeah I suppose it wouldn’t do for you to see me naked, or for me to see your dangly bits would it?” She had a good point there. We shed our clothes on the way to the pool and in a couple of minutes we were splashing around naked in the cool clear water of my very nicely sculpted pool. It was laid out in blue with a diving board at one end and a dolphin pattern on the bottom. I could picture long summer afternoons spent lying on loungers sipping cool drinks and soaking up the sun. As we played Stevie babbled on about the house sale. The topics bounced from where she could store her furniture and other stuff, to where she could stay while she looked for a new house. She wasn’t making sense but it was great to see her this excited. I was so wrapped up in enjoying her happiness that it took me a while to figure out what she was trying to lead up to. She wanted to ask to move in. Grinning inwardly I decided to make her work for it.

“Honey you want to know if you can move in right?” I grinned at the look of pure innocence she shot me. “Just ask Stevie… that’s all you have to do. Just ask… nicely.”

“Craig honey, would you mind if I came and stayed with you for a while until I found my own place? Please? I can pay my own way and wouldn’t be a nuisance on those nights you brought stray sluts home from wild nights on the town. Can I stay baby? Pretty please?” As she spoke, she moved closer giving me the full eye contact and body language treatment as she advanced. Through the clear water her body took on an ethereal glow; her breasts floating in the water, her wet hair plastered to her shoulders and back. She was absolutely captivating. Gorgeous was an understatement for the way she looked in the pool.

“I don’t know hon. I mean I don’t really need the money and if I managed to pick up a stray slut I’d probably go to her place. So what else can you offer me homeless person? Do you cook or clean?” 

The look of wide eyed innocence changed in an instant as she closed the remaining distance between us and shifted into sultry temptress mode. Her eyelids hooded as he reached one arm around my neck and pulled my face down for a long wet kiss full of passion and promise. At the same time her free hand wrapped around my flaccid cock which chose immediately not to stay flaccid. I moaned deep in my throat as her pointed tongue slid its way between my lips and teeth. The feeling was intense and incredible. Her fingers entwined themselves in my hair as she pulled my mouth harder against hers. 

Her fingers were slowly sliding up and down the length of my rapidly hardening shaft as her tongue found mine and started the wrestle for domination of my mouth. I was used to Stevie’s aggressiveness now but I guess the outdoor location of our encounter added to the highly charged eroticism of the moment. Whatever the reason, in a matter of moments, Stevie had a hand full of pink steel. I still hadn’t reached for her; my hands hanging limp in the water. I was going to make her work for the confirmation that I wanted her to stay. God I can be an evil bastard at times. Stevie called a halt to the kiss and looked up at me.

“So do you think I can stay or do I have to show you more?” Her throaty voice and sultry grin almost made me lose it then and there. The fact that her hand was still playing with my cock didn’t help my self control at all. 

“I’m still undecided honey… you better show me more,” I managed to croak. Her grin grew wider as she slowly backed away toward the side of the pool, towing me with her by the firm grip she had on my cock.

“Aaaah… so you’re gonna really make me work for my room and board are you? Well I guess I’ll have to get to work straight away. Climb up on the edge of the pool sir and I’ll see what I can do about this swelling. I do have some first aid experience. With a bit of luck we may just be able to get rid of it for you.”

Who was I to argue? Seconds later I was sitting on the edge of the pool with my feet dangling in the water and a very aroused gorgeous woman moving in between my spread thighs. Her eyes flicked from mine to my cock and back to my eyes. Her breasts heaved and her nipples stood out like erasers just above the waterline as she resumed stroking my hard cock. Her tongue flicked out and swiped over the head of my now throbbing cock sending a bolt of pure pleasure through my body. Her eyes locked with mine as she opened her mouth wide and slowly descended on my shaft, sinking her hot wet lips down to the very base of my cock. She gagged momentarily then fought the gag reflex and swallowed as my cock entered her throat. I moaned deep in my throat as this new sensation threatened to throw me over the edge into an orgasm I wanted to postpone for a while yet. Stevie kept on coming up with ways to amaze me. It was an aspect of her personality that definitely boded well for our future. My only worry was would I be inventive enough to keep a woman like her interested. I didn’t have time to ponder this though as she cupped my balls in one hand and lightly scratched the soft skin between them and my anus with the fingernails of the other. I was going into sensory overload. There was no way I wanted to blow but if she kept up with what she was doing, the situation was going to be out of my control. The only thing I could do was forestall her. Reaching down I grabbed her under the arms and leaned back pulling her off my cock and up out of the water. She giggled as she collapsed on my chest.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 05



“What’s wrong tough guy? Too much for you? And look… the swelling is still there. How am I going to prove I’d be a useful member of the household if you won’t let me tend to that swelling?” She grinned as she snaked her hand between us and down my body to lightly grip my still engorged cock. I moaned as she twisted her body sideways on top of me to give herself room to move her hand and start stroking my cock with feather light touches. Almost of their own volition my hips started moving in time with her strokes. 

“I want to be inside you baby,” I managed to gasp out. She grinned at me and just carried on stroking.

“Not this time baby… I have to prove to you I’ll be a useful nurse so I can stay here for a while. How am I going to do that if you stick this thing inside of me?” I desperately wanted to drag her on top of me and sink my shaft into her hot wet pussy, but it was her game. With a Herculean effort I managed to restrain myself. However holding off my orgasm was going to be a different story.

“I’m gonna blow!”

Her stroking quickened and she bent her head to swipe the flat of her tongue across the sensitive corona of my cock. As her tongue touched my flare I came. My stomach muscles clenched and my hips bucked as I shot the first burst of cum straight into her open mouth. She moaned and swallowed as the second volley of hot cum shot across her lips and chin. Opening her mouth wide Stevie slid my shaft deep into her mouth and sucked hard; drawing more cum from what was becoming a depleted reservoir. I think I needed more iron and protein in my diet.

As my orgasm petered out, I flopped back onto the cold concrete and breathed deeply. My bones and sinews had inexplicably turned to jelly. I could have easily gone to sleep right then and there. Stevie had other ideas. Snuggling in beside me she kissed me softly.

“So… do you think I could stay? Pretty please?” As if there was ever any doubt. 

“Yeah I suppose I could spare a bit of floor space in the laundry room. You can have an old rag for a mattress and one of my boots for a pillow. There are strict conditions though. I demand servicing at least twice a day on demand and I require total obedience.” Lying on the ground flat on your back leaves no room for manoeuvring when someone decides to punch you in the gut. It was a good punch and I had to remember to watch out for her right hook.

“Smartass.” Her giggle was infectious and soon we were both laughing. When things calmed down a bit she propped herself up on my chest and looked at me with a very sober expression.

“Honey is all of this okay with you? I mean you’ve only been back in the country for a week or so and already you have a crazy woman moving in with you. On top of all that, I hit you with the ‘L’ word. Are you okay with it? Is it all going too fast for you baby?” 

I had spent some time trying to analyse the way I felt. Realistically things were going pretty fast, but I knew that what I was feeling for Stevie was real. I couldn’t explain it if I tried and really I didn’t think I needed to. I was happy for the first time in a lot of years. I could see she was worried though so I tried to offer something in the way of an explanation.

“Baby I’m very sure of the way I’m feeling. I’ve spent the last eight years in a place that you would probably view as being the next thing to hell. The closest thing to normality for me was the six weeks leave I took twice a year. Then it was a routine of hotel rooms, restaurants and the occasional hooker. Yep… I paid for my sex. It was quick, easy, and there were no messy romantic attachments. When I came out of the jungle and headed for civilian life I was after a life of solitude. I wanted to have time on my own to just get to know me again. To try to find the guy I was before I became a mercenary. I realise now that’s an impossibility. The guy I was is long gone. I am a mix of who I was and what I became in the jungle. I’ll never lose who I became in Colombia but I’m hoping that I’ll be able to mesh him and the previous me into something nearly decent. Then you came along. You accepted me warts and all. I hardly know you at all Stevie but what I know I love. You’re kind, loyal, funny, intelligent, independent and absolutely gorgeous. I honestly can’t imagine not eventually falling in love with you. So it’s happened a bit quick… who cares? I’m not going to fight it but I’m going to take it as slowly as I can. I don’t want to do anything to fuck this up. Do you feel okay with it all Kitten?” She grinned at my use of ‘Kitten’… I was getting big on pet names and Kitten just seemed to fit.

“I’m very much okay with it baby. I’m a big girl who’s been through the mill more than a few times now. I always seem to fall for the pretty boys who talk the talk but can’t walk the walk. When it comes down to it they were all after one of two things. My cash or my ass. Then you come along. You’re obviously not after my cash… you’ve got more of that than I have. I suppose that leaves my ass. But I know there is more to this relationship than just a damn good fucking from time to time. I can see it in your eyes when you look at me. The way you look at me makes me feel wanted… not just sexually but totally. Am I making any sense lover? Anyway… it looks like you’re stuck with me stud.” She kissed me again; a long slow kiss with all the passion in the world. 

“Honey, I have a favour to ask you,” she said after a while. “Will you come with me tomorrow while I do something I’ve wanted to do for years but have never had the guts to do?” 

I laughed. “Sure. What is this momentous event?”

“I want to get a tattoo. I’ve always wanted one and even have the design picked out… a hummingbird drinking from a honeysuckle flower. I’ve just never had the guts to do it. After what we’ve been through over the last few days, I’m pretty damned sure I could sit for a full body tattoo no problem whatsoever. I’ve got the tattoo artist all picked out. She’s a local lady with a really good reputation. We can go in the morning.”

“No problem baby. Where are you going to have it?”

“I was thinking either my ass cheek or my right shoulder blade… what do you think?”

“Shoulder blade… definitely the shoulder blade. Then you can show it off if you want to and it leaves that gorgeous ass of yours unmarked.” 

“Good idea. Shoulder blade it is then. And speaking of asses… I want you to do me another favour. I want you to fuck me in my pretty little asshole lover.” She cupped my balls in her warm hand as she spoke and started massaging them. “You haven’t fucked my asshole yet, and baby… I want it. Now!”

Who was I to argue? Grabbing the thick foam pad off the lounger next to me, I put it down for her comfort. Admittedly it would have been more comfortable inside but there was something about her mood that said she didn’t want to move from where we were. She lay on her back and let her hand wander down between her spread thighs as I positioned the pad on the hard concrete. As I watched she spread her slick labia and lightly stroked her little pink clit. She moaned softly as ripples of pleasure sent through her body. I could see her stomach muscles flutter as she picked up the pace of her stroking. Without breaking her rhythm she rolled onto the pad and continued to masturbate. I knelt down beside her and just watched as she stroked her clit faster.

“Slide your fingers in me Craig. Finger fuck me baby. Get me ready for that cock of yours.” Her words came in breathless gasps. I leaned over her and captured a nipple between my lips as I slid my hand down across her taut belly and onto her pubic mound. Her fingers were still busy playing with her clit as I curled two fingers in between her open lips and deep into her wet, hot pussy. She groaned as my fingers sought and found her g spot which I started to massage using a beckoning motion with the flat pads of my fingers. Her hips rose off the foam pad as she came closer to the climax which was obviously building in her. Slowly I introduced another finger to her pussy and moved it around getting it as wet as possible. She groaned again as I withdrew the new invader and slid it down between her firm ass cheeks and across her puckered asshole. She spread her legs wider and lifted them up towards her chest which separated her cheeks and allowed me more room to play with her asshole. I maintained the pressure on her g spot as I spread the juice from her pussy over her tight asshole. As I passed my finger over her pucker, I used more pressure every pass. She felt it and moaned, pressing her body down against my finger. Her asshole offered minimum resistance and in a few seconds my finger popped through the tight rubbery grip of her sphincter and into the hot tight embrace of her anus. At the same time I bit down gently on the erect nipple I had been nibbling with my lips. Stevie went ballistic. 

Her hips bucked mightily as she screamed out her orgasm in a low guttural wailing cry. I mentally thanked god that my nearest neighbours were miles away. Her internal muscles clamped down on my fingers in both holes as waves of pleasure rippled through her. From my vantage point looking down along the length of her lovely body I could see her stomach muscles fluttering in spastic convulsions as her juice flowed freely over my hand. I continued massaging her g spot as her orgasm seemed to intensify then crest with a gush of hot liquid and another scream of delight. Her whole body went rigid and trembled with the force of her climax. Sliding my fingers from her body I moved quickly down to her pussy and locked my mouth over her slick cunt. My cock was as hard as iron as I started to lick deeply at her core. I wasn’t going to give her a chance to come down from her orgasm. 

The fingers that had been buried in her pussy, I now placed at the entrance to her asshole. With firm steady pressure I slid them into her asshole encountering very little in the way of resistance. Her body was too involved with her ongoing orgasm to offer any. In seconds she was full of my fingers and writhing her way to another climax; her wordless mumbling and moaning the only sounds I could hear. I rose up onto my knees; my hardon waving in front of me as I continued to lick her pussy and suck gently on her clit. Just as she reached another crescendo, I pulled my fingers smoothly from her body and straightened bringing my mouth away from her cunt. As quickly as I could I grabbed her behind the knees and pushed her legs up and back opening her whole crotch area up. Using one arm as a bar across the back of her knees to keep her legs up, I reached down and positioned the head of my throbbing cock at the entrance to her asshole. Her eyes snapped open and went wide as she felt me. 

“Yesss…“ she hissed as I slowly but steadily pressed forward. “Fuck my ass baby… fuck me!” With that she pressed herself back at me, helping me bury the first couple of inches of my cock in her tight hot hole. Having already relaxed her muscles with my fingers it was a smooth easy entry. As the head of my cock popped past her sphincter she moaned and gripped my hips to help her pull me further in. The immediate advantage of this position was that I could watch her face as we fucked. She could also play which she did as I paused to give her time to get used to the girth of my cock stretching her tight hole before I slid further in. Her fingers danced across the lips of her pussy and stroked her clit as I readied myself to bury the rest of my cock in her ass. As I slowly thrust forward and into Stevie’s hot asshole she moaned and buried a finger in her cunt. I felt its passage through the wall of her asshole as it slid deep into her hot cunt and it was my turn to moan. The backs of her thighs now rested against my chest; an ideal position to watch the mixture of expressions flowing across her beautiful face.

Slowly I began to rock forward then back, burying more of my cock in her tight ass with every stroke. It took only a couple of minutes to have all of my length buried in her ass where I paused and reached down to cup and massage her gorgeous breasts. The hard nipples pressed into my palms drawing another moan from her. Then I slid steadily forward until my cock was once again buried to the hilt in her hole. 

“Yesssss… fuck me you bastard. Fuck me hard,” she hissed as her passion overtook her. Who was I to argue? I drew back until just the head of my cock rested inside the tight confines of her sphincter, then I rammed forward. Stevie threw back her head and screamed as she shuddered into the first of what would be a series of gut wrenching orgasms. I settled into a steady pace; long, hard, fast strokes which rocked her body. Her eyes fluttered open and she watched me with hooded eyes as I fucked her ass. Her tongue came out and slipped erotically across her lips as she cupped her breasts and squeezed and rolled her erect nipples. The sheer eroticism of the act almost sent me over the edge but with a supreme act of will power I managed to hold on. I was going to make this last as long as possible for both of us. The fact that I had already been drained by Stevie’s incredible mouth earlier just made it easier to hold off. As I looked down at the lady I loved, lying there full of my cock, head thrown back with her hair forming a halo around her gorgeous face, I once again marvelled at the set of circumstances that had brought me to this moment. It had been laziness on my part which had prompted me to choose Stevie’s real estate company over a couple of others. I had been given a couple of choices and just went with the first one on the list due to not wanting to spend much time on researching the other companies. In hindsight, there was a lot to be said for laziness.

As Stevie laid there moaning and tugging on her hard nipples, I picked up the pace a bit, shunting her across the foam pad. To stop her from sliding off the pad and onto the concrete surround of the pool, I reached down and gripped her hips. It was no good. If I wanted to keep up the pace I had set I was going to have to change positions. Slowly I pulled out of her ass.

“Get on your hands and knees baby. I’m going to fuck you as hard as I can and if we stay in this position, you’re going to end up with concrete rash on your back.” She scrambled to comply and in a matter of seconds I was faced with the sight of her hard muscled ass with its slightly distended asshole winking at me. She dropped her shoulders to the pad which raised the angle that I would be penetrating her at. She was going to get the deepest assfuck possible. Moving quickly in behind her, I stood and then squatted down to bring my cock level with her slightly open asshole. I stroked my fingers through the wetness of her cunt to gather a little more lubrication which I slathered on my cock before sliding back into her asshole. She moaned long and deep as I bottomed out in her depths. This position was hard on the legs but offered the deepest penetration and the best angle. Besides… it was a while since I had a decent workout. I rammed forward and Stevie screamed. Her ass quivered as I pumped her ass for all I was worth. It took only a few seconds for her to start coming. Her orgasms came in waves. The feeling was intense as her asshole clenched around my pistoning cock with every climax. Despite my desire to hold off, I could feel myself sliding down the slippery slope towards my own climax. Reaching forward I grabbed a handful of Stevie’s long hair, still wet from our swim earlier. I used her hair like reins to pull her up onto her hands and knees, then tugged back further until her spine was arched and her head was pulled right back.

“Oh God yes… pull my hair baby. Fuck my ass harder and pull my hair… oh fuck… cumming again baby…” Her body was now one shuddering orgasmic engine, rocketing from one climax to another without coming down from her orgasmic peaks. All hope of me being able to hold out for a marathon assfuck was shattered as she bucked her hips hard back at me. I was going to lose it… and I didn’t care.

“Oh shit baby… I’m gonna… CUMMMMMM… “ My hips slammed into the smooth muscles of her ass as I came in a torrent of semen. Spasm after spasm pumped a huge load of cum into the ass of my lover as she wailed her way through the most powerful and spectacular orgasm I had witnessed. No matter how many times I watched her come, the intensity of her orgasms never failed to amaze me. They seemed to get stronger every time. As my own climax petered out I slumped down onto her back in a limp gasping mess.

“Jesus… don’t you guys ever have anything better to do?” Hemi’s voice basically ensured that there would be no tender after play as Stevie squealed in shock and flopped down onto her stomach to cover her breasts taking me with her. I felt my face colour in embarrassment as I looked up to find Hemi and Sam along with Joanne and Liz standing at the French doors grinning like loons. 

“Shit… what does a guy have to do to get some privacy around here? Hi ladies. I had you two pegged as being normal sane women until you came back for a second helping of these two fools. It’s actually a bit of a red letter day for Hemi. He doesn’t indulge in many second dates. You must be something pretty special Joanne.” The shoe was on the other foot as Hemi blushed. 

“Do you guys mind discussing this some other time or some other place? I’d like to salvage what’s left of my dignity and get my naked ass inside.” Stevie giggled. I was comfortable where I was and as the only naked part of me Hemi and Sam’s guests could see was my ass, I was in no hurry to move and expose more of me. So I did what any normal man would do. I settled in and made myself comfortable. Stevie grunted as she felt my weight settle on her back.

“Get off me you heavy bastard.” There was laughter in her voice as she wriggled under me trying to dislodge me. My semi flaccid cock almost slipped out of her so I gave a small nudge with my hips to slip it further back in her sopping cunt. She froze as she felt my shaft slip back inside then she turned her head so she was looking back up at me. She had devilment in her eyes and a mile wide grin. Hemi, Sam and the ladies started walking around the pool to join us. Obviously our modesty wasn’t of great concern to them as they got closer with big smiles adorning their faces. They were only a few yards away when Stevie started to make things a little more complicated for me. It began as a small ripple of her well trained muscles which gripped and released my cock in a smooth and soft rhythm. I closed my eyes and groaned.

“You bitch!” I hissed from between clenched teeth. My mind feverishly sought an image or experience hideous enough to overpower the feelings shooting through my groin and turning my cock to pink steel once again. Her giggle accompanied her next move which was to slowly start rocking her hips back and forth. I tried as hard as I could to stay still as my cock lengthened and grew, but it was a losing battle. Almost imperceptibly my hips started to move giving Stevie a bit of what she was giving me. 

“Holy shit! Do you two have any shame?” Liz laughed and slipped her arm around Sam’s waist pulling him close for a kiss. Joanne just looked on with a very intense stare which was, to say the least, disconcerting in the current circumstance. I willed myself to stop and Stevie, picking up on my discomfort also ceased her internal massaging of my swollen member and the rocking of her hips. The expression on Joanne’s face was an enigma to me. There was something there though that I didn’t like… almost like hostility. Then she turned to Hemi and the moment was gone.

“Come on big guy… you promised to show me the rest of your war wounds and battle scars. Let’s leave these nice folks alone to enjoy the rest of the afternoon.” With a quick glance at Stevie and me she turned and dragged Hemi off. Sam and Liz followed and in a few moments we had the pool area all to ourselves again. The mood, while not ruined, was somewhat more mellow as I slid off Stevie and turned her to face me. She snuggled into my chest and we lay there for a while kissing and talking about the coming evening and her planned tattoo.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 06



It felt like I was floating. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling but I immediately knew that something was wrong. There was no other sensation except the floating feeling. I hovered in the zone between wakefulness and oblivion and instinctively knew that it would be a while before I would be running the Boston marathon. I felt no pain, but knew that it was lurking just over the horizon. Then all feeling went away, and I descended back into the blackness.

Having no concept of passing time, I could only assume that my next ascent towards consciousness occurred a fair while later. This time I could make out light, but saw nothing. The lack of aural input was creepy. I experienced light, and I floated. I hovered in this state for what felt like hours, but in reality was probably only a few moments. This time, as I descended back into the abyss, I felt a strong surge of nausea. Then blackness again.

It was my third trip to the surface that brought me back with a rush. All of my senses slammed back into operation with brutal suddenness. Pain... everywhere, ripping at me and almost driving me back into the abyss. God knows I would have welcomed the comfort the sensory deprivation had been giving me. My stubborn side kicked in just in the knick of time and propelled me to full consciousness. I needed to know what had happened to me. Obviously I was damaged, but how badly was the question. Up 'til now I hadn't opened my eyes. The light was there on the other side of my eyelids, but for some reason I was afraid of what I would see when I took my first peek. I left them closed and tried to concentrate on what else I could feel. The problem was trying to filter individual sensations through the pain. Hot or cold; I couldn't tell. I was certain of only two things... I was in a phenomenal amount of pain and I was in hospital. The sharp antiseptic smell was enough to confirm the latter. I decided to brave a look at the world. I opened my eyes.

That was a big bad mistake. It felt like someone had taken a hand drill and started to drill into my skull. The pain was massive and instantaneous, and drove a groan from my lips. Immediately I felt a hand on my forehead and then heard Stevie's voice.

"Craig? Honey? Wake up baby. You're going to be okay baby... you're going to be okay." She sounded close to tears but relieved. As I lay there in self imposed darkness, I ran the events that had put me here, over in my mind. I had total and immediate recall which was a huge relief. I heard movement and finally found the guts to have another go at opening my eyes. It still hurt like a mother but it was tolerable. 

Stevie's face swam into view. It took a while to focus but eventually I was looking into the teary eyes of the woman I loved. 

"Hi baby." It came out as a croak and was accompanied by a wave of pain and then nausea. I had a concussion at the very least. That was one of the benefits of having a good grounding in the basics of field medicine; the ability to self diagnose.

Stevie bent and kissed me softly on the lips. I'd never felt anything so good in my life. It was a confirmation that I was alive, and that Stevie was safe. My mouth felt like the whole US Army had camped in it... I needed water.

"Water," I managed to croak. There was movement behind Stevie and a nurse came into view as Stevie stepped back from the bed. She was holding a glass with a flexible straw.

"Just take small sips for a start Mr. Miller. You've been out for a while now and if you drink too fast you'll make yourself sick." She placed the end of the straw in my mouth and held the glass while I drank; the cool water giving me immediate relief, re-hydrating the parched tissues of my mouth and throat. With a nod of my head I indicated that I'd had enough to drink. "I'm going to go and get the doctor for you Mr. Miller. Don't try to move while I'm gone. Just relax and take things easy."

I could immediately see the sense in that, and besides... I didn't have anywhere pressing to be at that moment. Stevie came back into view as the nurse hurried out the door. She was smiling but the smile was full of worry and fear. I noticed a large bruise on her forehead which was a couple of interesting shades of purple and yellow. It had been there for a while. I figured that I must have been unconscious for a while... but for how long? And what was the extent of my injuries? I had pretty much total recall of what had happened outside the tattoo studio. I knew that I had been hit in the side and the shoulder but had no idea how serious the wounds were. I had pain in my head that seemed to be overwhelming any other sensation from elsewhere on my body so it was difficult to localise the injuries. I tried to smile back at Stevie who was now stroking my cheek again. I think it must have come across as a twisted sort of grimace but she took it as a good sign and bent to kiss me softly.

"God Miller, I was soooo worried! You scared the hell out of me baby. I thought I was going to lose you." Her voice was choked with emotion and I saw her eyes begin to fill with tears. 

"Hey baby... don't cry. You know you just can't kill weeds honey. I plan to be around for a long time to make your life a misery." She grinned and kissed me again as the door swung open and a tall white coated man stepped into the room and walked over to the bed. He seemed to be in his early to mid thirties and had the look of an outdoors man about him. Deeply tanned and very fit with an open, friendly, good looking face. 

"Howdy Mr. Miller. My name is Brian Clark and I'm the surgeon who put you back together the other day. Call me Brian. I'm not going to ask you how you're feeling because I kinda figure the question is redundant. You're feeling like shit aren't you?" He grinned at the look of surprise that crossed my face. This wasn't what I had come to expect from doctors.

"You're a kind of celebrity around here at the moment. We have reporters camped out in the cafeteria and cops crawling all over the reception area. We had to keep them apart because things were getting a mite tetchy. Lee Stowers actually threatened to punch the hell out of one of the reporters from Channel 7. On top of all that you have had a few visitors in suits that have government written all over them. All this has given you a real air of mystery and elevated you to celebrity status with the staff here. All the nurses are very protective of our celebs so at least you are guaranteed a bit of privacy. Anyway... let's have a look at you." This guy was definitely not like any civilian doctor I had come across before. Grabbing a chart from the foot of the bed he started making hmming and haaing noises as he flipped through the pages. Stevie had moved around to the other side of the bed and was holding my hand as Brian continued his perusal of my chart. Finally he looked up and gave me a lopsided grin.

"Okay... for a man who was shot a couple of times you're in pretty good condition. You won't be running any marathons or lifting any heavy weights for a while but there's nothing here that won't heal completely if you do as you're told. The wounds in your side and shoulder are just nasty flesh wounds and will only add to your already impressive collection of scars. I noticed while I was practicing my needlepoint that you've got in the way of flying lead before. You'll have to tell me the story sometime. What we were most worried about was the knock on the head you took when you went down. You have a hairline fracture of your skull which is going to give you a hell of a headache for a few days. You had a massive concussion so we've kept you in a drug induced coma for the last two days to let the swelling of your brain to go down but you're going to have to take it easy for a few days."

I was confused. I distinctly remembered the massive impact of the round that hit me square in the left shoulder. I was sure that it was a serious wound and said as much to the good doctor. He smiled and shook his head.

"I removed a badly flattened slug from the muscles in your left shoulder. From the shape and condition of it, you were hit by a ricochet. I think the initial impact of the round on whatever it hit first, bled enough energy off it to result in just a flesh wound when it hit you. You were lucky buddy. If it had hit you where it did full force you would have been in major strife. It would have taken you directly in the brachial plexus which is a big bundle of nerves that is fairly important to the smooth operation of all the functions performed by your arm. As it is you have a fairly nasty wound and until the bruising, lacerations and other damage heals, you'll have limited use of your arm. Does that do anything to put your mind at rest?" The doc sure had a great bedside manner and I made a mental note that next time I got shot I'd be sure to request him to patch me up.

"Yeah I think it sets my mind at rest. So how long am I going to be in here? I sort of have this thing against hospitals. No offence intended but I just can't stand the places. People waking you up to give you sleeping tablets... smiling nurses prodding and poking at you night and day. When can I get out?"

Brian gave me a tolerant smile. "You won't be leaving for a couple of days yet. You are going to need a fair bit of serious pain management and a bit of TLC... not that you wouldn't get that at home but Stevie here can't handle the medication protocol that you'll be sticking to. With a bit of luck we'll be able to release you in a couple of days."

"Baby you better listen to the doctor. I want you fit and healthy as soon as possible Craig." Stevie's concerned smile made my answer easy. 

"Okay... you got me for two days Doc. Then I'm outta here. And call me Craig will you... I'm too young to be Mr. Miller" The doctor smiled another tolerant smile. He was obviously used to dealing with stubborn headstrong patients.

"How about you leave the doctoring side of things to me and you just concentrate on healing. That way we'll get along just fine and I won't have to get all nasty with you. I mean there are a lot of things a doctor can do to deal with troublesome patients Craig. For instance I could put you on my teaching round. That's where I bring a dozen or so freshly scrubbed, shiny faced, medical students around to examine you on a regular basis." He threw me what could only be described as a particularly evil grin. As he talked he was adjusting the flow on a drip that was plugged into a vein in my left arm. I could feel the pain recede as he did it so I assumed it was pain medication of some sort. He looked at me and raised an enquiring eyebrow. "Feel better? It's pethidine. It should take the edge off without you loosing your marbles. I don't want you on this stuff for too long so when the pain becomes bearable I want you to let me know okay?" I nodded. I decided I liked the guy. He was my kind of asshole and I told him as much. 

"Doc you're an asshole, but I'll do what I'm told. Just keep the newbie's away from me okay?" He laughed.

"You got it Craig. Now I'll leave you alone with your visitors for a while. The police are crawling all over the place and want to talk to you as soon as possible but I'll keep them at bay for half an hour or so. I'll be back after they have finished with you." With another smile he left. Turning my head slowly I looked at Stevie. For the first time since I woke up she looked almost relaxed. I guess the whole experience had hit her hard. Up until now it had all been theoretical. The practical aspects of being shot at was a whole different thing altogether.

"How are you baby? You going to be okay?" I reached out my hand which she took and gripped gently as if a hard squeeze would damage me further.

"Yeah I'm going to be all right Craig. KJ got me out of there pretty quick and then went back out for you. By that time the police were on the way. She rang them as soon as she heard her window smash and heard the rest of the shots. I had a bit of a headache for a while but it's okay now. Honey you saved our lives." Her eyes were starting to tear up again. 

"Did I get the shooter Stevie?" I needed to know who was after us. If I had got the shooter then maybe there would be some sort of clue as to who was gunning for us.

"You got her honey. She died at the scene." She? At that moment the door swung open and Hemi walked in. I knew immediately that something was wrong. He walked like he was attending a funeral and his face mirrored the impression. He looked like someone had just run over his kitten.

"Hi there Craig. How you feeling boss?" His voice was lifeless... not the Hemi I knew. 

"I'm okay buddy. What's going on Hemi?" 

"Have you told him yet?" The question was directed at Stevie who shook her head in the negative while reaching for Hemi's hand. He let her take it and stood looking down at it for a moment before he turned back to me.

"It's my fault boss. She was right under my nose and I didn't see it. Liz was the sniper. Here I was fucking her and all the time she was setting up a hit on you. She slept in your house for fuck's sake! How the fuck could I have been so blind?" His voice was racked with guilt and his anguish was easily readable on his face. I sagged back onto the pillow and just lay there for a minute or two. I had too much information to process and needed to get my head around it all. Stevie and Hemi stayed silent as I caught up with the latest news.

"Hemi it's not your fault. She had us all fooled." Stevie's words did nothing to relieve his mistaken guilt.

"Buddy, Stevie's right. Nobody knew what was going on. She seemed like a pretty cool lady and none of us had any idea what was happening. You've gotta shake this off man. I need you firing on all cylinders if you're going to look after things until I'm outta here and back in the saddle. You think you can do that for me brother?" He took a deep breath and nodded. It would take a while to get him to come around but common sense would prevail in the end.

"Tell me what the cops found. Is there any clue as to who she was working for?"

"None at all boss. She was packing some pretty decent firepower though. Really high tech equipment that isn't readily available on the open market. The cops found a fully rigged Steyr Scout on the pavement under the window she was using as a hide. That's some pretty heavy duty shit man. It's a military weapon that isn't really in widespread circulation. Thank Christ she was a shitty shot." Silently I echoed his sentiments. A good sniper with a Steyr Scout would have put both Stevie and I down for the count with two simple shots, especially from the distance she was shooting from. 

There was a soft tap on the door and a second later it opened to admit KJ. She was dressed similarly to last time I had seen her at the tattoo studio; sprayed on jeans, boots, and corset top with leather vest over top. She was smiling as she walked over to the bedside and exchanged a friendly kiss with Stevie. Then she turned to me and gave me a hug careful not to get tangled in my drip line. 

"So how is the warrior? You guys really know how to make an impression on a girl. Oh and don't worry about the window... I was going to redesign my store frontage anyway." Her grin was infectious and soon even Hemi had perked up a bit. "So when are you going to be well enough to let me take you folks up on that offer of dinner? I mean it's the least you can do after wrecking my business, terrorising me and ogling my nipples while I was tattooing your hot girlfriend." This brought badly needed laughter. 

"Jesus... here I am dying in hospital and even here I can't escape nagging women. Can someone get me that doctor? I want my medication upped to block out these whining wenches." This earned me a slap on the arm from Stevie and a grin from KJ. 

The four of us chatted for a while. Nothing too heavy and we deliberately avoided the subject of the sniper. It was almost a slice of normality except for the location and the drip running into my arm. It wasn't long before there was another knock on the door heralding the arrival of Richmond's finest. Lee Stowers was accompanied by a man in uniform and a woman in street clothes. The uniformed man looked like he was in charge an assumption borne out by Lee's introduction.

"Craig this is Chief of Police Wallace, my boss and Detective Karen Montecelli. The boss is here to meet the folks who are fucking up the quiet ambience of his town and Detective Montecelli is here to ask you a few questions about the shooting. I'm going to have to ask Stevie and the rest of you to leave us alone here for a while. I've also got to ask you not to go too far. We need to ask you a few more questions. Okay?"

"Okay Lee. We'll be in the cafeteria if you want us. You take it easy on my man here you hear me? If you get him upset I'm gonna be plenty pissed." She kissed me softly and left with KJ and Hemi following close behind. As the door closed behind them Chief Wallace pulled a chair over to the bed and sat. Wordlessly he stared at me. If this tactic was designed to intimidate me it wasn't working; I stared back with equal intensity. The childish staring game went on for a few moments until he dropped his gaze and cleared his throat.

"I hear you are an ex mercenary Miller. What brings a person like you to my city?" The sneer was evident in his voice. Obviously I didn't rank as a sterling member of his community. I decided that I didn't like him.

"Well it sure as hell isn't for the warm hospitality Wallace." I know it was childish and petty but I couldn't help myself.

"It's Chief Wallace thank you, and that's not an answer." His face had flushed at my use of his surname without his illustrious title.

"Fair enough Chief Wallace... and it's Major Miller." Two could play at that game. "As for my answer... last time I checked this is still a free country. I have no criminal record and am hoping to contribute to the community here. I came here to start a security company. Does that satisfy your curiosity?"

"So let me see if I understand you. You're a law abiding citizen here to set up a business. You have bought a house and set up home with a fairly prominent business woman and managed to get yourself comfortable with members of the local police force." This was accompanied by a scornful glance at Lee who shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Then all of a sudden we find World War Three starting in our back yards. We have car loads of gunmen, we have two murders in your new residence, one of the victims a CIA officer, and then we have the showdown at the OK Corral. And the one common denominator? Major Craig Miller. Now tell me Major Miller... why should I be happy to have you in my town?" I'd had enough of the good Chief.

"Am I being charged with anything? Am I a suspect in any crime? No? Then fuck off. Next time you come near me you had better read me my rights. This only applies to you. You waltz in here expecting to be able to stamp your particular brand of domination on the situation and you end up looking like a tin pot general. I've seen men like you before. I've dealt with men like you before. Why don't you leave the police work to real cops like Lee here... or maybe even Detective Montecelli. At least they know how to deal with the realities of investigation. I'm more than happy to talk to Lee or Detective Montecelli... but not you. Now get the fuck out of my room." I deliberately kept my voice low and even during the whole of my pretty little speech. Wallace, on the other hand, wasn't dealing with it well. His flush deepened and he started spluttering about half way through my tirade. I kept right on talking not letting him get a word in. Finally, when I stopped talking, he got up and stormed out of the room. There was silence for a few minutes while Lee and Detective Montecelli shifted from one foot to the other. Then Montecelli burst out laughing.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 06



"God I'd give a weeks pay to have had a video camera to capture that. Hi, I'm Karen Montecelli. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She held out her hand which I shook with some difficulty because of the drip. With the ice well and truly broken, Lee grabbed another chair and both of them sat down.

"I'd offer you guys coffee and donuts but it seems like I'm all out. Actually I could do with a coffee... how 'bout you two?" My throat was parched from my little speech to Wallace and I had a massive craving for caffeine. I reached for the buzzer beside the bed and winced as a bolt of pain shot through me. I'd have to remember to use the other hand for small tasks. While we waited for the nurse to arrive, I checked out Karen Montecelli. She was in her mid thirties and had the trim lean body of someone who was very familiar with the inside of a gym. Long red hair framed a pretty but not remarkable face, although there was a hint of raw sensuality lurking there. Her green eyes were her most outstanding feature. At that moment they were locked on mine. She was observing my examination of her with an amused look on her face. I was saved from further embarrassment by the arrival of the nurse who immediately bustled over and checked my drip before jamming a thermometer into my mouth and grabbing my wrist to check my pulse. It was all done with such swift, practiced precision that I didn't have time to protest. Lee and Montecelli sat there chuckling at my obvious discomfort. I couldn't do anything except relax and put up with it until she was finished. Finally she was done with all the prodding and poking and I could relax while trying to rescue what dignity I had left.

"Thanks Nurse. Look would it be possible to get a couple of cups of coffee for me and my guests here? They're grilling me unmercifully and I need some caffeine to keep my wits about me." Despite my best hang dog look her grin told me that she wasn't fooled but she graciously agreed to bring coffee. We made small talk until the coffee arrived and then settled in for business.

"Craig, I'm just here as a courtesy really. Karen has a few questions to ask you buddy." He looked relaxed with no sign of any discomfort. I took this as a good sign for the interview to come. Karen got down to business straight away, removing a small tape recorder from the depths of the large bag she carried and making herself comfortable in her chair.

"Okay Craig... first off we have your gun. We only need it for the purpose of ballistics identification then you'll get it back. The shoot was righteous. In other words we aren't charging you with anything. You fired in self defence with a legal weapon that you had a permit to carry, so there are no charges for you to answer. The purpose of this interview is just to establish a sequence of events... a timeline if you will. I'm going to tape the interview and then get it transcribed at the office. You'll have the right to have a copy of the tape and transcription for your own records. Understand me so far?" I nodded in the affirmative and she carried on. "Also you have the right to have an attorney present during this interview. Do you want an attorney?" 

"Do I need one?" My question was directed at Lee who smiled and shook his head.

"No buddy. We haven't read you your rights and you aren't being charged with anything or suspected of anything dodgy so I reckon you are in the clear lawyer wise. If we did find something to charge you with we couldn't use the tape anyway... it would be fruit of the poisoned tree... no Miranda warning."

"Okay Detective Montecelli, I'll do without a lawyer. Shall we get this interview rolling?"

She grinned and nodded. Switching on the tape machine she laid it on the bed midway between us. Clearing her throat she began by stating the date time and location of the interview for the record. She also gave the names of those present.

"Okay Mr Miller, in your own words could you describe for us the events that led up to your shooting of Elizabeth Graeme. Take your time, and remember no detail is too small or unimportant to add to your testimony. Could you begin from when you left home that morning please?" And so I began. 

I talked without interruption for about twenty minutes while the spools of the tape turned silently in the recorder. I kept all emotion out of it treating the shooting as an impersonal event that was necessary to our survival as indeed it was. Finally I ran out of words and sagged back against the pillows. Karen and Lee exchanged a brief look and then Karen leaned forward to ask her first question since I had started talking.

"Mr. Miller do you think you could have handled the situation any differently?" It was a form question. A stupid question but I could see that it was necessary for the powers that be. I gave a straight answer.

"No. If I hadn't shot back it would only have been a matter of time before we got nailed properly. Either Stevie or myself would have ended up dead. The shooter had all the advantages except skill and I wasn't going to wait around to see if practice made her a better shot. I did what I thought was necessary to protect Stevie and myself. As it was, it was a lucky shot that nailed her. A handgun shot, upward trajectory, at a partially concealed target over 20 yards away... it was a lucky shot."

"Lucky or not, it achieved its objective. She was dead instantly. Your round took her through the head. We recovered a gun from the sidewalk below the window. It was a Steyr Scout; a pretty serious piece of hardware. She was also using a fake name. Her prints didn't match up with anything we have on file either here in Richmond or with the FBI or AFIS." 

The AFIS she was talking about was the Automated Fingerprint Identification System, a national database of fingerprints. It was probably the most in depth fingerprint resource available to law enforcement. Still that was no major surprise. Given the type of weaponry she was using I was prepared to hazard a guess that she had done this before. If she was a seasoned pro then she would have operated under an alias. It was basic field craft. Karen kept on talking.

"Given the type of rifle used it seems pretty safe to assume that this wasn't her first time at bat. I think you folks are lucky to be alive. Is there anything else you can tell us that would help us out here?" She waited while I ran the events through my mind trying to find anything I'd missed.

"No... I think that about covers it. It still puts us back at square one though. We still have no idea who's after me. Or us for that matter. Using a woman for a hit just isn't Montoya's style. In his super macho world women have very limited uses. They are for sex, home making and decoration. Any meaningful task would be performed by a man. Hiring a female hitter just isn't something he'd do. It just doesn't add up." I was getting tired, my wounds were aching and my mouth was dry from all the talking. I asked Lee to hit the button to get a nurse. In a few moments a new nurse entered and immediately started to go through all the procedure again. 

"Can we skip the check up this time? I had it done half an hour ago. I just need some pain relief and a jug of water." I said it with a smile so as to mollify her. She had looked a bit upset when I stopped her prodding and poking. She returned my smile and bustled out to attend to my requests. It seemed that the interview had come to a close as Karen turned the tape recorder off and put it back in her bag. 

"Okay Craig. If you think of anything else can you call Lee or myself? In the meantime I have a couple of guys watching your room... it's just a precaution but we'd rather be safe than sorry." She put a business card on the bedside table as they both rose and said their goodbyes.

"Hey Lee... I appreciated what you and your men did for me the other day with those reporters. When I get out of here I'd like to throw you guys a barbeque out at my place. Would that be okay? I wouldn't be crossing some invisible line would I?"

He grinned. "Not if you invite us as a group of friends. If you issue a blanket invite to the S.W.A.T. team then maybe the department may have cause to bitch, but there's no rule that says you can't have a bunch of buddies out for a few drinks is there? Let me know when and I'll organise it my end. Get well buddy and we'll see you soon." With that they turned and left just as the nurse was entering the room with a tray holding water and a syringe. Inserting the needle into the IV port she depressed the plunger injecting the contents of the syringe into the IV line.

"You had pethidine a while back so this is just a light topical analgesic to take the edge off. Dinner is in about an hour so I'll come and check on you just before then." With that she bustled out. I liked that about nurses. They always seemed to do things at about 5,000 miles an hour. I drifted off to sleep.

The arrival of Stevie with my dinner tray woke me. Dinner consisted of broccoli, potatoes, peas and two chicken breasts in rich gravy. Definitely better than other hospital fare I had tasted. As Stevie spoon fed me we chatted. It was good to be able to put the shooting behind us even if it was only for a while. She told me she was going to be moving a few things into the house the next day and that Becky and KJ were going to help her. She mentioned that Matt and Becky were going to come by later for a quick visit. I hadn't seen Matt since he left for his trip... the day that Becky had joined Stevie and me for our threesome. His visit should be interesting to say the least. As we sat and chatted after dinner, Stevie's hand rested on the sheets over my thigh. It was a warm and comfortable feeling... an expression of affection which I was enjoying. The nurse came and went delivering coffee and removing my dinner dishes. 

"So when you get home it's going to be a while before you can exert yourself isn't it baby? I mean you won't be doing anything strenuous for a while will you?" As she asked her seemingly innocent question her hand started moving slowly and softly on my thigh. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where she was going with this.

"Baby I think you'd kill me if we tried to make love at the moment. It's gonna be a while honey but just think of what it's going to be like when we finally do get to do the deed again." She shot me a wicked grin then slowly slid her hand up to cup my flaccid cock and balls. Only the sheet and the hospital gown I was wearing stood between her soft hand and my genitals. I quickly swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat as another lump formed quite swiftly under the sheets. Stevie giggled as her hand closed around the tent pole that was making a mini marquee out of my covers.

"Jesus woman! You'll get me kicked out of here. Actually that's not a bad idea." My voice came out as a hoarse growl.

"And who says that isn't my intention?" Her smile was beautiful as was the feeling of her hand as it slid up and down my fabric covered cock. Judging from the firmness of my hardon, there was nothing wrong with my blood pressure. I was saved from further torture by a knock on the door. Stevie removed her hand quickly as the door opened but I was left with the problem of disguising the big top in my sheets. Quickly I tried to cover it up with my hands but Becky's laugh from the doorway made it clear that I had failed.

"My god girl... don't you ever let the poor guy have a break?" Becky and Matt walked over to the bed as I gave up trying to disguise my erection. Matt laughed at my obvious discomfort as Becky gave me a hot kiss hello along with a friendly pat on my cock.

"How are you buddy? A stupid question but hey, it had to be asked. I can see that Nurse Stevie here has the situation in hand so to speak. So when do the doctors say you can get out of this dump?" There was no indication in his greeting that he harboured any bad feelings about the threesome Stevie, Becky and I had the night he left. I didn't really expect him to after the conversation we had about the event before he left but I had been a bit worried that his words wouldn't match his feelings.  

"Doing good Matt. Nothing a session in the paint and panel shop won't fix anyway. Just a couple of flesh wounds and I think I've got the doctor convinced that I'll be going home in another two days. How was your trip?" Matt grinned and Becky giggled. Obviously there was something here that I was missing.

"Well actually Craig, I never left Richmond. I arrived at the airport and got a call on my cell phone. My ex was actually right there in the airport. She had decided to fly down to visit on the spur of the moment. It took a bit of juggling but I rescheduled the meeting I was supposed to have for this morning and we went back to my place. I figured that there was no way I was going to ruin the threesome that you lot were going to have so I just laid low here. Then Becky turned up the next day and we ended up having a nice friendly little get together." Becky grinned and blushed at that. I could imagine the nature of the get together given the free spirited attitude of the two main protagonists.

As Matt talked I could feel Stevie's hand sliding back over the sheets to my now flaccid cock. Becky was watching with a wicked smile on her lovely face as the hand crept closer to its intended target. To my embarrassment I could feel my cock responding in advance to the upcoming groping. Matt and Becky just grinned as I blushed. Stevie's pure as the driven snow look wasn't fooling anyone. As her hand crept closer to my now fully erect cock I wasn't all that sure of the wisdom of a sexual adventure at that particular moment. I'd been shot a couple of times and had given my head a hell of a whack when I hit the pavement so I sincerely doubted that I was in any condition to partake in any sexual gymnastics, no matter how passive my role might be. Before I could voice my concern, I felt her small hand close over my cock and my concerns were confirmed.

My immediate reflex action in response to her hand closing over me was to jerk; my stomach muscles contracting involuntarily and suddenly. This sent a pulse of pain through my midsection as the stitches holding the wound in my side strained and pulled. My head came up off the pillow as the pain swept through me and that caused another wave of pain through my damaged melon. With a groan I collapsed back onto the pillow. Stevie immediately released my rapidly deflating member and stood, leaning over me with a look of concern on her face. As I tried to lie perfectly still until the pain subsided, Stevie bent to hug me to her chest.

"Oh god I'm sorry honey! You want me to go get the nurse?" I nodded my head weakly. She lowered me gently to the pillow again and shot out the door in search of a healer to come and tend to her man. Warily I sat up and shook the cobwebs from my brain. Looks of shock and concern were slowly disappearing from Matt and Becky's faces to be replaced by expressions of amusement as they clicked on to what was happening.

"God that woman is gonna be the death of me," I groaned. "Don't tell her about this will ya? I just need a couple of days to recover and get my strength back before she can be let loose on my bits and pieces." I could hear Stevie coming back down the hall outside so I rearranged myself on the bed and was ready by the time she burst through the door with a very patient nurse in tow. I immediately felt ashamed of my actions when I saw the look of sheer worry on her lovely face. I spoke quickly to relieve any fear she might have over my condition.

"Kitten I'm okay. I just need to avoid any strenuous action for the next few days... at least until I start to heal properly. Okay baby?" She nodded warily and moved over to the bed where the nurse was already quietly checking my readings off the monitor at my bedside. Stevie sat down beside the bed and held my hand possessively until the nurse finished her check up and left the room. As the door closed behind her Stevie turned toward me and spoke.

"Too soon eh?" Her smile revealed her embarrassment. 

"Just a little bit baby. Give me a couple of days to get a bit of strength back then we can see what limitations I'll have to slave away under. When I get out of here baby I can see myself being way too weak to even make a cup of coffee or getting my own food. I'll probably need a lot of tender loving care and lots of fussing and fretting done over me." I gave a particularly weak cough to emphasise my weakened state. Becky and Matt burst out laughing while Stevie looked at me with a mock look of concern.

"Oh baby... Momma will take care of her little boy. If you're going to be that weak honey, you'll probably be too weak to get out of bed to go to the bathroom. I'll have to buy some king sized adult diapers and a mega box of wipes. And you'll probably be too weak to chew solid food so I better stock up on baby food... creamed rice maybe?" The rest of the visit went in a similar tone with Matt and Becky joining in on Stevie's side. It was a good mood to be in... as close to normal as possible but it was tiring. It was with a small sense of relief that I eventually said goodnight to Stevie, Matt and Becky and settled in for the night. It wasn't long before I felt myself drifting off.

Mornings in hospital are never a lot of fun no matter what sort of hospital it is, military or civilian. Nurses all seemed to be built for mornings. They buzz in and out with huge smiles on their faces, humming their happy tunes, and generally spreading joy and good will. I wished I had a tranquiliser gun. I could have taken a few of those chirpy little critters out right then and there and done everyone a favour.

My nurse burst into my room like a ray of sunshine humming her particular happy tune and yanked back the curtains flooding the room in bright light that blinded me instantly.

"Good morning Mr. Miller," she chirped in an annoyingly happy warble that immediately set my teeth on edge. "How are we today?" It's always struck me as funny how 'you' becomes 'we' as soon as 'you' is injured and hospitalised.

"We want another hour's sleep and less sunlight. Then we want breakfast and a cup or seven of coffee. Then we want to get the hell out of this place... that's what we want." I was never at my best when confined and mornings just weren't my thing anyway. Unfortunately all nurses must have to pass a course in dealing with grumpy assholes and must also develop skin thicker than a rhino's. My sarcasm washed off her like water off a duck's back.

"Ahhh... so we're not feeling all that happy this morning. Never mind, we'll soon have you doing handsprings in the corridors. Now just lie still while I check your vitals." I gritted my teeth and just put up with Florence Nightingale's prodding and probing and her inane but well meant chatter. I was determined that despite my promise to the good doctor the previous day, I was going to get out of here today. 

Breakfast arrived about an hour after my breezy wake up call. It was a palatable mixture of yellow and brown which I was told was eggs Benedict. I was on my second cup of coffee and starting to feel like I was more human when the doctor arrived.

"Hi there Craig. The nurses tell me you're a tad restless this morning." He had a big grin on his face and try as I might, I just couldn't get pissed off with this guy. 

"I guess I'm just allergic to hospitals Brian. Is there any chance at all that I can get outta here today? I mean the wounds were just superficial and the headache is gone completely. I feel great... honestly." Listening to the sound of my voice I felt embarrassed to hear a note of desperation. I think that Brian picked up on it too. He regarded me with a speculative look before he spoke.

"Okay here is what we'll do. I'm going to give you a thorough examination, similar to the one I'd be giving you tomorrow before I discharge you. If you pass, I'll let you go home today, but if you fail, you have to stick around until you are better. Fair enough?" I couldn't really argue with that so I nodded my head in the affirmative.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 06



"Okay... I'll be back after I've finished the rest of my rounds. One more thing. I want to see you every day until the stitches are ready to come out. There is no negotiation on that point, understand?" His winning grin brought one from me.

"You're a hard taskmaster Doc but I'm sure I can manage that. See you soon then."

Brian was as good as his word. I passed the examination and was on the phone to Stevie by lunch time.

"Come and pick me up baby. I'm busting out of this place so bring a file baked into a Black Forest Gateau. That and some clothes so I don't have to go home naked. Brian says I can go home today so I need a ride." Her squeal of happiness nearly blew out the speaker on the phone along with my eardrum and sent a brief bolt of pain through my injured skull.

"I'll be there in an hour honey... you just sit tight."

I spent the next hour walking around the ward stretching my legs and anticipating my freedom. In retrospect it was similar to what a convict must feel on the day of his release from prison. I'd managed to con a robe out of one of the nurses which was handy to cover my ass that was still hanging out of the back of the hospital gown. My IV lines had been removed after the successful completion of my gruelling ordeal with Brian, which actually wasn't too gruelling. During the exam I'd managed to drag a promise from him that he would come out to the house for dinner one night. I met the two cops who were doing guard duty on me and they were more than a little surprised that I was getting out so early. A quick call to Lee at police headquarters got my bodyguards released from duty just as soon as I was released from hospital. I assumed I would have a different set of guards when I got home. I skipped the offer of another hospital meal. I figured I might be able to con Stevie into stopping off at Killer Muffins on the way home.

One thing about my Stevie... she was punctual. She breezed onto the ward two minutes before she was due dressed to kill in a mini skirt that was only an inch or two away from being described as a belt, a halter top struggling to contain her gorgeous breasts and a pair of boots similar to the ones that KJ had worn the day I got shot and Stevie got her tattoo. She was carrying a sports bag which I assumed contained my clothes for the trip home. She grinned when she saw me up and about and almost ran the length of the ward to hug me tight. I winced as I made a mental note to talk to her about the strength of her hugs over the next week or so but at least she didn't break any stitches.

Twenty minutes later with a little help from Stevie I had changed into cargo pants and a loose shirt. It was an embarrassing procedure with Stevie having to help me with everything from putting my pants on to tying my boots but finally I was ready to face the world. After a round of quick goodbyes to the staff who had looked after me, we were on our way. As I stepped out of the hospital into the sunshine I breathed a sigh of relief. I really did hate being in hospitals. Stevie wound her arm through mine as we slowly made our way to the carpark.

"I brought your car honey. I had to take it in to the dealer and get the side mirror replaced anyway so I figured it was easier just to bring it in and pick you up." The side mirror had been smashed by one of the shots fired by Liz. "You want to grab some lunch in town, or would you just like to get home?"

"Killer Muffins. I'm suffering Killer Muffin withdrawal baby. I'm feeling generous so I'm going to let you buy me lunch at Killer Muffins. Now is that good of me or what?" 

"I see those shots didn't damage your sense of humour. I feel honoured that you're going to allow me the privilege of buying your lunch baby... but it comes at a price. You have to do everything I tell you over the next few days baby. We had a talk with the good healer and he has given us a list of things that you are and aren't allowed to do. And honey we will be watching to see that you do as you're told. He's going to be coming out to the house later in the week for dinner so he'll be giving you a check up when he arrives." Alarm bells went off immediately. 

"What do you mean 'we' and 'us'? And what about the daily visits I'm supposed to be making to the good pill roller?"

"Don't you worry your pretty little head about it baby. I've got it all under control. We'll make sure you mend as quickly as possible. Got to get you back in the saddle as quick as soon as we can, if you know what I mean." The grin she threw me left me under no illusion of what she was referring to. I could see I was in for a very interesting recuperation period. 

The mystery over the 'we' Stevie was referring to was cleared up as we arrived at the car. Standing next to the Tahoe was KJ who, like Stevie, was dressed to kill in one of her impossibly hot ensembles; painted on leather pants and a tube top finished off with a pair of four inch stilettos. Yes it was definitely going to be a very interesting recuperation period.

"Aah the walking wounded return. How're you feeling Craig?" KJ walked over to meet us and hugged me with a little more restraint than Stevie had shown.

"Feeling as good as I expected KJ and worse than I want to. Going to join us for some lunch?"

"Yep. Stevie, Becky and I still have a bit of work to do so I'll be with you for a few hours yet. I hope you don't mind but many hands do make light work." I was lost; I had no idea what she was talking about. Stevie laughed as she spotted the puzzled expression that I was wearing. 

"The girls are helping me move some stuff into your place. Remember we talked about it the day before you got perforated? With you out of action, Matt working, and Hemi and Sam on the hunt for god knows what, I had to recruit the ladies to do all the moving. Don't worry baby... we won't change your surroundings too much." 

We climbed into the Tahoe with KJ taking the back seat and Stevie driving and in no time at all we were pulling into the parking area next to Killer Muffins. A leisurely lunch accompanied by lively discussion was just the prescription I had been looking for. By the time lunch was finished and we were back in the car heading home, I was feeling 100% better. I wasn't going to be fooled into thinking I could run the Boston Marathon but I was feeling up to a bit of exercise. On the trip home I planned a short walking excursion. I was starting to feel a little cabin feverish and needed to get back outdoors for a while. It was hardly surprising really. Up until a couple of weeks before I had basically spent all of my working time outdoors and since I had moved back to civilisation and abandoned my military lifestyle I had spent nearly all of that time indoors. I have to admit that my hospital stay had given me a bit of a scare. When I was fully healed I was going to have to get my ass down to a gym and get back into some sort of workable exercise regimen. 

All that went straight out the window as we pulled into the driveway. The furniture truck blocking access to my front door was the first indication that things weren't going to be as relaxed as I figured. Then there was the police car sitting off to the side. It was a marked cruiser which was a big departure from the unmarked cars we were used to seeing in our dealings with Lee and the SWAT crew, and leaning on the trunk were a couple of the biggest, baddest cops I had seen in Richmond to date. They would have been at home in professional wrestling.

"There goes my restful afternoon." With a sigh I dismounted the vehicle and walked toward the cops. They pushed off from the trunk of the car and walked to meet me looking very serious indeed. 

"Mr. Miller? I'm Sergeant Baines and this is my partner Officer Watts. I have been asked to talk to you about the weapons you have. Chief Wallace told me we have to pick up any and all weapons you have on the premises for ballistics testing in regard to the murders here of the two gentlemen the other day. I'm sorry sir but it's an order." The look on his face told me how distasteful the order was for him to follow. "The Chief made it a slam dunk by getting a warrant for the seizure. I'm sorry Mr. Miller but we have to ask you for your guns."

I silently cursed my stupidity. I shouldn't have stood on Wallace's dick in the hospital like I did... especially not in front of his people. His petty response was quick and deadly. As Stevie joined us, I sighed in resignation and nodded.

"Come on in guys. We'll make you a coffee while I round up our arsenal. And don't worry about it. You're just following an order given by a king sized asshole with teeth." The cops went to their car to grab the warrant while we made our way to the front door. On the short walk to the house I updated Stevie on the newest development. I asked if she could make the officers a coffee while I grabbed our guns. I needed to have a little time to hide the M4 Colt Commando and the two Heckler and Koch MP5N's. I couldn't see the Richmond PD readily accepting the presence of two controlled access military weapons in my house. As usual Stevie didn't need to have an in depth explanation of the plan.

"I'll bewitch them with coffee and long expanses of thigh while you do your thing honey." Her sexy grin was reassuring to say the least. Twenty minutes later the cops had the bulk of my home arsenal on the back seat of their car as they drove out the gate and headed back to town. The furniture truck had left while I was organising the weapons for the police. It was finally time for me to sit down and relax.

As I wandered back inside after bidding farewell to the cops, I noticed an unnatural calm. Becky and Matt were there along with Stevie and KJ. My friends were sitting at the table sipping coffee and talking quietly among themselves so I grabbed a cup and joined them. As I sat down the discussion stopped and an uneasy silence settled over the room. I wasn't going to push it so I just sat and sipped coffee while I waited for them to tell me what was going on.

It was Matt who finally broke the silence.

"So Craig... what do you think of the place?" I didn't understand what he was talking about for a few minutes but as I looked around I noticed the not so subtle changes that had been made to the arrangement of the interior of my house while I was in hospital. I now had art on my walls and vases of fresh cut flowers decorated sideboards that weren't there a couple of days ago. Rugs and small side tables were dotted around the rooms and my kitchen actually looked like a working kitchen rather than a display room from some glossy magazine layout. Stevie was making her mark and by the look of things so far I liked her style. Getting up from the table I wandered through the house with coffee in hand, sipping and viewing the changes in my home and lifestyle. It didn't take long for me to decide that the changes were more than acceptable. I liked them. I wandered back into the dining room and sat back down at the table. You could have heard a mouse fart it was that quiet. I sat and drank coffee, aware that all eyes in the room were on me. 

"So... honey... what do you think? Is it all okay? I mean I didn't know if you'd mind if I put a few feminine things around the place but it really needed it... I mean the whole house screamed MAN! I thought a little touch of femininity would even things out a little. Is it okay baby?" This was a new experience. For the first time Stevie seemed unsure of herself. So unsure that she was babbling. I briefly considered stringing it out for a while but I took pity on her. She looked so anxious it would have been mean to draw it out.

"I like it. In fact you have the run of the house. You can redecorate any room you like... with the exception of the library. That is off limits. It's a big enough room so you can put a desk and a chair in there for yourself if you want baby but that is my domain. Okay?"

"Deal!" Her squeal of happiness and the grins on the faces of KJ and Becky told me I had made the right move.

"Oh god... there goes another good man." Matt's forlorn look had me laughing in no time. "Today the house, tomorrow you'll be wearing make up. It's so sad to see a good man fall." This earned him the expected thump on the arm from Becky and a kick under the table from Stevie. 

Stevie came around the table and hugged me carefully. "I love you baby. Why don't you grab some rest while we carry on here? Matt's going to help us bring the rest of your stuff in from your container. We're gonna stack it all in the library. If you want you can lie on the couch and direct operations while we put your books and stuff away."

"See what I mean buddy? You gave in with the furniture and decorating and now she's organising your time. Run... run while you still can. Put some distance between you and this female conspiracy before you're a lost cause like me." Matt was in fine form today. 

And so my day was organised. I lay on the couch and watched as the books, CD's and DVD's I'd collected over the years were brought in in boxes and stacked in a corner of the room. Stevie and Becky took the books from the boxes and stacked them on the shelves while KJ and Matt kept the procession going from outside until finally the container was empty. Eventually I'd rearrange them into an order that made sense to me, but for the moment it was good enough just to get them out of the boxes. 

The afternoon slid by quickly and soon dinner time rolled around and coincided perfectly with the arrival of Hemi and Sam. The fact that they had managed to arrive after the bulk of the work had been done didn't escape anyone and the ribbing that followed was brutal and merciless culminating in the assignment of dinner duties to the late arrivals. The guys acquitted themselves well and soon we were sitting down to a meal of pork satay and rice. It wasn't long before the events of the day started to catch up with me. I was tired and was looking forward to sleep but Stevie had other ideas. When I started making 'heading up to bed' noises she revealed her master plan to me.

"Come on baby. You haven't been upstairs yet and I have a couple of surprises for you. KJ's going to help me change your dressings after you've had a shower, then we can relax." She had it all figured out.

"Hey brother, we've been on a bug extermination crusade while you were lazing your ass off in the hospital so you don't have to worry about sharing any info you don't want to share," said Hemi with a wink. His oblique reference to the listening devices that Carmichael had planted in my house was for KJ's benefit. I didn't know how much Stevie and the others had told her about our situation and the involvement of Carmichael and the CIA. 

"Becky and I are going to take off Craig. We'll see you tomorrow at some stage." We exchanged goodbyes as Becky and Matt headed out for the night. KJ had appointed herself in charge of the cleaning up and Hemi and Sam had parked themselves in front of the television. Looking forward to a long shower and maybe a soak in the tub I climbed the stairs with Stevie. After the changes I had seen in the downstairs areas, I was ready for anything that Stevie had done upstairs... and she didn't disappoint me. 

The major addition was the entertainment centre I had seen at her house. It was set up with her 42 inch widescreen TV and sound system facing the bed and the speakers arranged to complement the TV set up. I could also see that she had been a busy wee camper and had cable installed while I was in hospital. This woman's organisational abilities were second to none.

"Now don't think this means you're gonna be able to lay in bed all day watching sports baby. There's also a DVD player there and I thought we could watch a few movies together and see if our taste is similar. Anyway let's get you in the shower."

The walk through the walk in wardrobe was educational. This lady had a lot of clothes and again I marvelled at her organisational ability. Everything was filed away in its own special place in the cubby holes on one side of the closet with skirts in one area, blouses in another, etc. Her shoes were lined up in rows on shoe racks that hadn't been there before. In stark contrast, my meagre collection of clothing was randomly scattered on my side of the closet. I also noticed a few new items of clothing in my pile. Stevie had been a busy girl.

The bathroom which had previously only contained the bare bones of what was needed for everyday ablutions now had a chaise lounge and small side table with a vase of flowers on it. New fluffy his and hers matching bath sheets hung from the towel rails and the cubby holes beside the counter were now full of more towels in bright colours. Stevie wore a proud, expectant, yet anxious look on her face, as she waited for my verdict on her work.

"Okay baby, I have to admit you've done an awesome job. Nice additions. Now throw me in the shower. I'm more than a little tired and want to get some pillow time as soon as possible." She grinned and gently pulled me close for a long soft kiss with lots of lip nibbling and tender swipes of her tongue. 

"Sit down lover while I get the shower just right." I parked my ass on the chaise lounge and watched as she bustled around preparing the shower. When the water was running at a temperature that apparently satisfied Stevie, she came over and gently pulled me to my feet. As I stood there she stripped me swiftly and efficiently. In any other situation it would have been an arousing experience but Stevie's businesslike demeanour managed to keep it neutral. Stevie and I stepped into the cubicle and in a couple of minutes I was relaxing under the spray of warm water from the shower. Stevie gently washed me, massaging my tired body as she did. One of the features of the shower stall was a seat moulded into the wall of the shower. I soon found myself sitting there totally relaxed; head back and eyes closed as the water cascaded over me and Stevie rubbed my shoulders and legs. It didn't take much of this before I felt myself nodding off. 

It was the cool draft of air rather than the sound of the door opening that woke me. I was still in the shower and Stevie was still gently massaging my aching muscles. It took a few seconds for me to get myself oriented and when I did the figure in the doorway of the shower made my jaw drop in shock. She was totally naked and grinning from ear to ear. As my eyes drank in the sight of her spectacular naked form Stevie wrapped her arms around me from behind. "She's gorgeous isn't she?"

I could only nod my head in agreement. As I've already stated she was spectacular. The first thing that struck me about KJ was her tattoos. Even built as beautifully as she was it was the splashes of colour and intricate designs that grabbed the attention first. Her arms were tattooed from the shoulder to mid forearm. The designs seemed random but when you looked closer the patterns intertwined and fit well with each other. Her beautiful breasts hadn't escaped the needles either. An intricate tribal design curled over and around the firm yet tender flesh of her right breast. Her left had a background of flowers and butterflies, on which there was a wizard reaching out and grasping her nipple that was pierced and adorned with a gold ring. The colours of the tattoo work were vivid yet soft and showed off her creamy complexion perfectly. As I watched her nipples crinkled and erected, a result either of the cool air on them or of my very obvious stare. My gaze moved down over her flat sexy stomach to the shaved juncture of her thighs. A small tuft of hair adorned the very top of her cleft and directly below that I could see the glint of some sort of jewellery through her clit hood. Despite my totally exhausted condition I could feel my cock twitch and start to harden. As it grew in length and girth I shifted my gaze to her legs; long firm and beautifully shaped the right thigh had an intricate pattern of mermaids and marine scenery tattooed on the outer aspect. God this woman was beautiful. 




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 07



This chapter is dedicated to a group of people second to none. They have helped keep me sane in an insane time by just being themselves. I'd have to go a long way to find a community more giving than The Dawgs. Thanks guys and girls.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Jesus Christ! Tell me you're joking. Tell me that you just thought you'd yank my crank to get a rise out of me." My outburst was met with silence. Detective Karen Montecelli from Richmond PD homicide and Lieutenant Lee Stowers from the Richmond S.W.A.T. team just stared at me with a mixture of worry and pity. I exhaled forcefully and spoke again.

"So you're telling me that I didn't kill Liz Graeme and not only that but we now have another fucking anonymous player in the mix?" Silently they nodded in unison. "Jesus... that's all we needed." Stevie leaned in close and placed her hand on my arm in a soothing manner as Karen continued.

"Craig I'm sorry man but the ballistics don't lie. The round that took out Liz Graeme was a .308 rifle round. The rifling suggests a Remington sporting rifle but the slug doesn't match up with anything local or anything in the national database. The forensic team gave us an approximate field of fire that puts the shooter either in KJ's studio or one of the stores on either side of KJ's studio. Not very helpful I have to admit but at least it gives us a starting point. Karen is going to go over the scene again tomorrow afternoon but she has to be a bit circumspect about it. If Chief Wallace hears about it the fecal matter is sure to hit the rotary blades." 

I sat there with a torrent of thoughts rushing through my brain. What the hell was happening? Initially I was convinced that Montoya was after me for what I had done in Colombia. Then I wasn't sure if I was the target or not. A nearly successful attempt at a hit resulted in me killing the hitter who was briefly involved with one of my best friends... only I didn't kill her. An apparent new player on the block had taken care of her for me. That in itself had opened a whole new can of worms. Was the new player an enemy or an ally? If the new kid on the block was an ally, why didn't he or she make themselves known to me? What the fuck was going on? The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that Montoya would never use a female shooter to kill me or any target. It just wasn't the way he worked. It would have been a massive blow to his machismo and for a man like Montoya that was almost worse than death. So if it wasn't Montoya, then who was it? And was I even the target? Montoya had more than enough opportunity to hit me when I was in Colombia. What the hell was going on?

"Craig? Are you okay honey?" Stevie's question rescued me from my fugue. I looked up to find all eyes on me. 

"Yeah I was just thinking. I think it's time I made a trip to Langley and had a chat to Carmichael. There's more to this than meets the eye and if we are gonna come out of this undamaged we're going to need more information than what we've got." There were a few nods from around the table all accompanied by grim looks. The tone of the day had changed radically. "I also need to get my weapons back from your ballistics lab. I'm feeling slightly naked without my mini arsenal." This last comment was met with a cocked eyebrow and a wry grin. I wasn't fooling Lee at all. He knew I had access to weapons and would suspect that I had already sourced more firearms or hadn't surrendered all that I had to the police the previous day.

"Craig I'd love to hear about anything you can pick up from the puzzle palace. We couldn't hope to get anything near to the intel you could pick up at Langley and anything you can get for us might help our investigation." Lee's plea was tinged with just a little desperation and frustration and once again I was reminded that his cousin Becky was involved in this too. 

"Buddy, you'll be the first to know of anything I can pick up. Carmichael owes me one. Even if it's just for getting caught with his fingers in the cookie jar." This last comment got Lee's attention.

"What do you mean by that?"

Quickly I explained about the listening devices that we had discovered in the house and about Carmichaels role in placing them. Lee's wolfish grin surprised me.

"Craig... we've got him. We've got him by the balls man!" My vacant stare brought a laugh and an illuminating explanation. "Pal the CIA isn't allowed to operate in the US. Intelligence gathering in the US is the domain of the FBI. Okay if the CIA can prove a clear and present danger exists inside the US then they may get a special dispensation to do limited intel gathering but I really doubt that your situation would warrant their involvement. The fact that they did this in our parish gives us an invite to come to the party. We can use this as leverage Craig. Fancy a passenger on your trip to Langley?"

"You pay for your own lunch," I laughed. "We'll leave first thing tomorrow, that ok with you? Hey also... we're having KJ and the Doc who patched me up out to the house for dinner tomorrow night. I was thinking it might be a good time to see if that barbeque grill out on my deck works. Would it be out of line to invite you and your S.W.A.T. team to join us?"

"I can't see a problem with it. We're off rotation at the moment with a three day stand down so we should all be available as long as there are no prior engagements. I'll do a quick ring around tonight and see how many of the boys can make it. Are partners invited?" A quick nod from me brought a smile and a sideways glance at Karen from Lee. 

Agreement was reached and arrangements were made and with nothing more to be said we sat back to enjoy the show for a while. The dancers were a lot different to what I was used to in some of the seedier dives I had patronized when on leave. For a start, all of the ladies, without exception, were absolutely stunning. On top of that they all looked happy. From past experiences I was used to seeing strippers that were bored out of their wits, gazing off into the distance thinking about what they were going to have for dinner or what they were going to buy with the money from their shift on the stage. The girls on the stage at Beagle's approached their work with genuine enjoyment and enthusiasm. I mentioned this to Karen which brought a laugh from Stevie.

"My man the experienced strip bar patron. What did I do to get such a paragon of virtue?" I was once again the butt of the joke, which this time I was grateful for as it helped take the edge off a still fairly tense atmosphere.

"Baby it was merely for research purposes. I spent so much time in the jungle that I was scared that I'd forget what women looked like. You see I just had to go to those places. Believe me baby... I didn't enjoy them at all. Not one bit." More laughter before Karen answered my query and saved me from more ribbing.

"Mike, my brother, is very selective when it comes to choosing his dancers. Only women who want to dance get a job here at Beagle's. This tends to keep the no hopers and junkies away. He also runs a pretty extensive background check on all of the girls who apply. This eliminates anyone who has a record. Then on top of that he actually pays them a wage." This brought a raised eyebrow query from Stevie. Karen explained.

"Most strippers only get what they make in tips. For some girls this can mean a huge payout on a weekly basis but for others ... well it can mean a struggle. Mike pays them a base salary and then they get to keep their tips on top of that. He also has a dancer advisor I suppose you could call her. A woman who used to dance herself who looks after the girls. She acts as a sort of den mother, looking after things like costumes, make up and all the other bits and pieces that go with the game. On top of that she is also like an Aunt Abby. If any of the girls have a problem, they can go to her for advice. Mike runs a clean ship here and the girls are treated well. The bouncers know their business and the girls are safe. In the end that is what it's all about in a game like this." 

I was impressed and told her so. 

Despite the pleasant atmosphere, my stomach was starting to grumble. It had been a long day and I was getting tired. With a promise to meet Karen and Lee the next morning the meeting broke up and a few minutes later we found ourselves out on the pavement in the waning light of the evening. Karen and Lee went back to the office, and KJ left for home as Stevie and I wandered back to the car.

"Let's have dinner at home tonight Craig. I feel like a quiet night with my man, snuggled up in bed watching a movie. You interested?" she asked. I was definitely interested and told her so. After a quick trip to the market to pick up a few dinner ingredients we were headed for home. As we exited the parking lot at the market I noticed the same sedan from that morning slip in behind us. We had our escort back. I briefly wondered who they were working for but with the tangled mess we were dealing with it didn't really matter. I was convinced that if we were to make it through this, it would be by our own devices. The car trailed us all the way home and parked just down the road from the gate when we turned in and drove up to the house. Hemi and Sam were drinking beers out by the pool so Stevie and I went out to join them for a while. The ice cold Miller's draft was just what the doctor ordered and in no time the conversation was flowing easily. I told the guys about my plans for the next day and they were more than ready to offer suggestions about how I could get the info we needed out of Carmichael. Eventually Stevie and I went in to get dinner started.

Standing in the kitchen side by side chopping vegetables to go with the steaks, it struck me that it had been a long time since I had thought of my previous life. I had been content in the jungle. The basic life had suited my plans and dreams; they'd been a means to an end, a way to fund my dream. Now that I was living my dream, I was more than content... I was happy. I leaned over and softly kissed Stevie on the cheek. 

"What was that for?" she asked with a grin.

"Do I need a reason to kiss my lady?" 

After dinner we stuck to the plan. Stevie surprised me with her DVD choice. I wouldn't have picked her as a war movie type of woman but she chose "Blackhawk Down". It brought home the fact that although I loved this woman without question, I really had a lot to learn about her. Mind you the discovery process was a hell of a lot of fun. When the movie was over we made love slowly and finally fell asleep in each others arms. It had been a long day.

It was raining when we finally managed to drag ourselves out of bed next morning. In the jungle the arrival of rain had usually been enough to drop the spirits of my merry band of men. Here in my semi rural paradise it hardly mattered. It would mean that I would have to take a little more care on my trip to Langley but other than that I wasn't bothered one way or another. Similarly Stevie was her usual bright and breezy self. While I showered, she bounced downstairs to get breakfast started. As we ate we discussed the day to come. Stevie was going to go in to the office to arrange a few things then out to her house to finalize the handover to the new owner. It would be a few weeks before things were finally ironed out but essentially the property would change hands today. Hemi was going to keep her company. All in all we had a full day ahead of us. It almost felt like we led ordinary lives as we kissed each other goodbye and climbed into our vehicles to drive into town. I stowed the small bag I was carrying in the back seat and set off to pick up Lee.

It was just after 8.00 when I pulled up outside Lee's house to find both Lee and Karen out on the sidewalk. Good mornings were exchanged before Karen kissed Lee goodbye and climbed into her car to head in to work and Lee clambered into the Tahoe with me for the hour and a half drive to Langley. Like me, he was dressed in cargo pants and a t-shirt; casual seemed to be the order of the day.

"Morning buddy. I spoke to most of the guys from the team last night. You've got nearly a full compliment of S.W.A.T. guys descending on you at about 6 this evening. I hope you know what you're in for. These guys party hard."

"Lee I'm ex army remember? They can't show me anything I haven't seen before man." Lee just shook his head and laughed as we pulled away from the curb.

During the drive, Lee and I discussed how we would tackle Carmichael when we finally got to front him in his office. We were assuming that he would be there when we arrived but it was a fairly safe assumption as he was a creature of habit. He basically lived in his office only emerging to cause mayhem when he meddled with other people's lives. The approach we decided on was a risky one but we figured the possible outcome was worth the risk. Before long we were pulling up to the guard house at Langley.

"Lieutenant Lee Stowers from Richmond PD and Craig Miller here to see Deputy Director Carmichael on official business." I winced when he said we were here on official business. This was anything but official and I could see Lee's career going south pretty quickly if this didn't pan out. However Lee was running this part of the show so I left him to play it how he wanted.

"Can I ask what the nature of the business is?" The guard was diligent in his duties. He wasn't going to let us in without a good nosey at what we wanted. "Is the Deputy Director expecting you?" 

"No he isn't. Why don't you get him on the phone and tell him we're here."

The guard stepped back into the guard house and while watching us carefully picked up the phone and made a short call. We couldn't hear what he was saying but it was obvious he was talking to the man himself. His posture straightened and his whole demeanor changed. It was as if Carmichael was standing in front of him watching. Then it hit me. He very well could be watching. The whole approach and guard house area was comprehensively covered by closed circuit cameras. I could just picture Carmichael peering intently into the monitors, watching our every move as he talked to the guard. I fought the temptation to do something stupid like flick him the bird on camera as we waited patiently for five minutes before the guard got off the phone and came back out to the car.

"Okay sir you can drive through. Follow the signs to the visitor parking where you will be met. Please stay in your vehicle until someone arrives to escort you inside." He was courtesy personified as he stepped back inside the guardhouse and hit the button to raise the barrier.

Finding a parking space in the visitor's area was easy. It seemed that Langley didn't get many visitors this early. Our welcoming committee was already there waiting for us; five serious looking men in suits that did little to hide the bulges at the hip or the armpit depending on where these guys preferred to carry their hardware. As I switched off the engine the leader of the group stepped up to the car.

"Good morning Major Miller. Would you and Lieutenant Stowers please step out of the car?" We did as instructed and stood waiting for our next instruction.

"Gentlemen we are going to perform a quick search on you now. Please assume the position." Lee and I both turned to the truck and 'spread 'em' as they say on TV. The frisk was thorough almost to the point of being embarrassing but it was over soon enough. Lee and I had left our weapons in the glove compartment of the Tahoe which I was positive would be searched as well once we were out of sight.

Flanked by our escorts we were through a side door then through a metal detector before being taken to a bank of elevators. This struck me as strange as visitors to the CIA headquarters were always required to sign in. Obviously someone didn't want an official record of our visit. A few minutes later we were being ushered into Carmichael's office.

He was sitting back in his well padded leather office chair with his hands folded across his stomach looking like the cat that just got the canary. My unease deepened as I took in his smug grin. The door was shut behind us leaving me and Lee alone with Carmichael. Wordlessly we walked over and sat down on the chairs in front of Carmichael's desk. He regarded us with that unbearable smugness for a while longer before speaking.

"Lt. Stowers, does your boss know you are here? Isn't a murder investigation a little outside of your job description? I would have thought that as a S.W.A.T. officer you would be off doing what you folks do best... shooting things." Lee's laugh at Carmichael's comment wasn't exactly what you would call friendly or packed with mirth. Carmichael then turned to me.

"So Craig... decided to pay us a nice social visit have you? Or have you decided that it's time to come over to the Dark Side? You know we'd give you a job here any time so why don't you come on board? You know you're ideally suited for the job."

"You don't have enough money to buy my services Carmichael. Now enough bullshit. We want to know all you have about what's happening to us in Richmond. And we want it now."

"Miller you think you can just wander in here unannounced and demand things from me? Who the hell do you think you are? You're just some jumped up hired gun with delusions of grandeur and glory. Well I've got news for you pal... the good guy does not get to ride off into the sunset with the girl this time. This time, you're gonna be lucky to make it out of this with your ass intact." 

Carmichael's smile became wolfish as he continued. 

"And what did you expect to gain by bringing your tame lawman with you? You expect me to quiver and shake in fear? You need to know that inside this building I am the law. I could make sure that you never saw the light of day again Miller. Did you even think about that you sanctimonious son of a bitch?"

Things were going perfectly as predicted. It was a given that Carmichael would come out of the starters gates with all guns blazing. As with most cowards he was a firm believer in the old adage that the best defense is a good offence. The problem he had was that his offence was flawed... and it was time to tell him so.

"Carmichael you are going to tell us what you know about our situation and you're going to tell us now. For once you don't hold all the cards. We have the monitoring devices you planted in the house and unless you have a federal warrant permitting you to plant them, you're in deep shit. Intelligence gathering in the continental US is waaaay outside your charter. On top of that I'm pretty sure I can make a damned good case for an investigation of the CIA for attempted murder. As for you making us disappear... well good luck to ya pal. There are at least a dozen people who know we came here today. And we're expected back by 2pm at the latest. You see, I'm hosting a little barbeque tonight for a few friends... including the off duty members of the Richmond S.W.A.T. team. Now you're a lot of things but stupid isn't one of them. We're going to be walking out of here under our own power."

Watching Carmichael shrink under my words was one of the best feelings I'd had in all my time dealing with the man. He knew we had him; now it was just a matter of waiting him out. Lee and I sat back and left him to his thoughts. It took him only a few moments to make his decision. Getting up from his desk he walked across the room to a small bank of filing cabinets. It amazed me that in this day of electronic media he still relied on old fashioned hard copies. Mind you with hacking being a favorite past time amongst the disaffected, he probably felt that sensitive data was safer in his filing cabinet and he may have been right. It only took him a few seconds for him to find the file he was looking for remove it from the cabinet and drop it on his desk in front of me. The side tab read Miller, Craig. I guess that was me.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 07



It was a thick file, loaded with papers, photos and even a couple of CDs. It seemed that Carmichael had graduated to the electronic age after all.

"That doesn't leave this office. I trust you gentlemen will excuse me. I have a busy day so I'll leave you to it. You have precisely an hour and just to make sure you don't get up to anything you shouldn't, I'll leave Mr. Grant here to keep you company." I looked up to find one of our escorts from earlier standing by the door looking on with a neutral expression. I hadn't even heard him come in. Throwing another face saving disdainful look our way Carmichael made his exit. Mr. Grant moved over from the door and sat down on the sofa by the window.

"Don't mind me gentlemen. I'm just here to make sure you don't steal Carmichaels coffee machine. Speaking of which would you guys like a cup? I'm buying." Grant got up without waiting for an answer and walked to the credenza where the coffee machine sat.

"Yeah I could do with a cup. Just as it comes thanks." Lee took a cup as well. When we were all settled in sipping rather good coffee and Mr. Grant had returned to his sofa, I opened the file and started to read.

It was like stepping into a "Twilight Zone" episode dedicated to me. As I started to read my unauthorized biography I was hit with a massive sense of weirdness. I was reading about my life from birth through to present day presumably. I couldn't see the point in digging too far through the past to get to the present so to save time I flicked through the file until I found the section dealing with my work in Colombia. That is where things got interesting. Very interesting.

The file was full of action reports dealing with Hunter/Killer and Search and Destroy missions I had run. At first, taking into consideration that Hemi and Sam had been working for the Company while they were with me, this didn't seem strange. Then it hit me. A lot of the missions were before they had joined my unit. There was a third ferret in the hen house. Then there was the amount of detail in these reports. Only someone in the command chain could have had that much information on the missions we ran. Then there were the discrepancies. Body counts were inflated and the amount of drugs destroyed was deflated. 

The headers of the reports were heavily edited with the names of the reporting personnel and the person and organization receiving the report thoroughly blacked out. This was going to make things harder... or so I thought. Near the bottom of the file I discovered a report with part of an official seal or insignia intact and mostly visible. It was the seal of the Colombian Police Department. I was starting to see a picture forming here. I was fairly sure I knew the reason why, now all I needed was to know who the players were. And when our man was going to hit again.

But that still didn't explain why Liz Graeme had taken a shot at killing us. There were a lot of unanswered questions that needed to be answered before we could cap this thing off. I passed the relevant documents to Lee so he would know what I was talking about on our way home. Mr. Grant just sat and drank his coffee in silence, watching us while appearing not to. I had a hunch about Mr. Grant that I decided to play out.

"So how long were you down there Mr. Grant? Down in Colombia I mean." He lifted his head and grinned at me. It was actually quite a friendly grin which I wasn't really expecting. 

"I'm surprised you haven't recognized my voice Miller. But then those radios do have a tendency to distort your voice don't they?" The connection didn't take long in coming.

"Well hello Gringo Six. I always wanted to meet you, now I'm not sure whether meeting you is a good thing or a bad thing. I owe you more than a few beers for saving my ass a couple of times down there." I turned to Lee who was looking on with an expression of amusement with a dose of suspicion mixed in there. "Lee this is Gringo Six, my radio contact down in Colombia. Info from this man saved our asses on more than one occasion. He was a cross between an Intel officer and a controller. With him based somewhere behind a microphone and me out in the field, we never got a chance to meet." I turned back to Mr. Grant. "So I'm guessing you're not babysitting us by coincidence. What's the deal Six?"

Grant laughed at my use of his call sign. "Miller nothing that happens here at the Puzzle Palace happens by coincidence. I was placed here to watch you and to hopefully evaluate and report any conversation you have about the material you're looking at with Stowers here." His frank confession shocked me. I would have been surprised if Carmichael's office wasn't wired for sound and rigged for video. Mr. Grant saw my obvious shock and laughed.

"Yep, we're being watched and listened to. No... I don't have to worry about my job. I was told I could give out any information that could help you but that I wasn't allowed to volunteer anything. Truth is Miller... we don't have the slightest idea why you're a target or who is coming after you. But we need to know. Obviously this thing is tied into what was and still is going on down there. There are a lot of people watching the outcome of this situation and we have to be on the right side of the result. One thing we can tell you is that Simmons was acting alone when he went back to your place. We think he wanted a little permanent retribution for the beatings you dished out to him in Richmond and in Colombia. I'm also willing to admit that we planted the listening devices in your house. Actually I did that myself, although I'm not proud to admit that. You should never have found those. I must be slipping. I'll come down and remove them."

I smiled at his frankness. It was unusual to find someone so forthright in this business, unusual and refreshing.

"Come down late tomorrow afternoon. You obviously know Hemi and Sam?" He nodded. "They are spending a bit of time with me although I'm sure you already know that. You guys could catch up and compare notes." 

"Yeah I might just do that."

Lee spoke for the first time since accepting his cup of coffee. "Okay if this was intended to be the outcome of this trip right from the get go, why all the bullshit from Carmichael? And why hasn't this info been given to the Richmond PD before now?" I answered his questions for him. 

"Lee the reason that the PD hasn't been given the info is that I am bait. Nothing has changed since when we thought this was Montoya's play. Actually it would be stupid for us to assume that Montoya isn't behind this whole thing. So everything stays as was. As to why all the bullshit from Carmichael... well that's just his style. He has to be a prick, it's in his nature." Even Grant laughed at that. I stood and closed the file. 

"Okay we got what we came for. Thanks for the hospitality Six. Tell Carmichael that he needs to spend a bit more on his coffee selection. It tastes like army coffee. See you tomorrow some time." We shook hands and he walked us out to the elevators. 

"Craig, my name actually is Grant. Grant Leonard and it's been a pleasure finally meeting you. See you tomorrow. Pleasure meeting you too Lee... and please do us a favor and destroy those once you've finished with them." With that he turned and walked back down the corridor before disappearing into an office at the end of the hall. I was left puzzled by his last reference and was about to ask Lee about it when the elevator arrived. Grabbing me by the arm Lee hustled me onto the elevator and shook his head silently warning me off opening my mouth. I could take a hint as well as the next man. One thing was for sure... it was going to be an interesting trip back to Richmond. 

As expected the car had been searched. The tell tale signs included my gun being put back in the glove compartment with the magazine removed and the driver's seat had been slid forward to a position that would have made it nearly impossible for me to drive. It was evident that Carmichael wanted us to know that he was still lord of his manor. I opened the back door of the Tahoe and grabbed the bag I had stashed there earlier. The bug locator I had bought a few days ago at Radio Shack was still in there. A cursory examination of the gear convinced me that it hadn't been tampered with, nevertheless I wasn't about to trust the results fully. A thorough examination of the Tahoe using the bug locator and a couple of good pairs of eyes revealed two bugs and a tracking device. Removing them was easy and it gave me a lot of satisfaction leaving them in a small pile on the asphalt as we drove out of CIA Headquarters towards home. I knew that it would have been a waste of manpower for Carmichael to have someone tail us but I kept an eye on the rear view mirror for the first 5 or so miles anyway. During that time we discussed unimportant topics. Like me, Lee obviously didn't place complete faith in our little bug locator. Once I was satisfied that we weren't being tailed I turned on the CD player and wound up the volume until it was loud enough to mask a quiet conversation. The gritty strains of Nickleback's Figured You Out snarled out of the speakers as we spoke.

"What did Grant mean when he told you to destroy them after you'd finished with them?" I asked Lee. To my surprise he just grinned and reached into the cargo pocket of his pants and pulled out the two CD's that had been in the file. "Jesus you sneaky bastard! I should take you back there and have you signed up as a spook!" We shared a laugh over that as the miles rolled away. Lee then asked me what I had figured out from the file.

"Listen Lee... I'd rather not talk about it while we're on the road if you know what I mean," I threw a glance at the bug finder on the floor at Lee's feet. "I'll tell you about it when we stop for coffee. Keep an eye out for a Seven-Eleven."

It took another twenty minutes before we found a Seven-Eleven. We grabbed coffees and wandered outside to find a picnic table. The weather had cleared and it was obvious it was going to be a glorious afternoon and evening. Lee lit a cigarette and tossed the pack across to me along with his Zippo. Lee sat expectantly while I lit my smoke and gathered my thoughts.

"Okay... this is what I picked up in Carmichael's office. The action reports that he had in that file on me didn't tally with what actually went down in the badlands. Carmichael's informant was playing a double game, and I think he was in business for himself." That got Lee's attention. He sat forward with an intent look on his face as I continued.

"The figures on those action reports were doctored. And I think they were doctored deliberately. The amount of cocaine we destroyed was shown as being lower than it actually was and the body counts from missions were inflated." I paused to allow this simple statement to sink in before I carried on.

"Someone was doing some creative accounting with my unit's statistics, and I think the same person was also doing a bit of independent commerce on the side."

"What do you mean?" Lee hadn't put it together yet but then he hadn't had the information for as long as I'd had it. It had taken me the whole time from when we pulled out of Langley, right up to when we pulled into the Seven-Eleven to put the facts together and come up with my theory.

"Lee when we hit a lab or dispatch point we cleared out soon after the hit. But not before a unit from the Colombian police relieved us and took over to destroy the drugs and deal with the bodies. The idea was that we would do the dirty work and the Colombians would come in and grab the credit. It made them look good for the voting public I guess. Anyway... none of us really minded. We were there to do a job, not to become famous so we just rucked up and moved off when the Colombians arrived. The thing is... like any commander I wanted to know how successful we had been, so I'd take an informal tally of what was lying around before we left. Cocaine... bodies... prisoners..." My voice trailed off and I had trouble meeting Lee's frank stare. It sounded so cold blooded and brutal, but I knew that I could talk for a month and still never be able to convey what you felt like after the adrenaline fuelled high of battle subsided. It was something you could never explain adequately to someone who had never experienced it. I sat silent for a few moments finishing my cigarette while gathering my thoughts.

"Because we never did the clean up, my after action reports never had to contain any figures like body count or the amount of drugs recovered so I never included them. Just for my own interest I kept a record of all that stuff. I know it must seem morbid but I needed to know for my own peace of mind how effective we were. I've still got the notebook somewhere. My guess is that what is happening to us has something to do with what I recorded down in Colombia. Someone has been making some extra money and now that I'm no longer in a position where they can keep an eye on me, they figure I've become a big threat to their continuing flow of cash... and they need to fix that." Lee nodded as he lit up another smoke. 

"Okay Craig. Let's assume you're right. That means we now know the why. All we have to do now is figure out the who, where and when. That will give us a better than even chance of keeping you out of an early grave."

"Yeah and I think that's gonna be the hard part." We sat in silence for a few more minutes contemplating the first positive bit of information we'd been given in days. I finished my coffee and walked over to throw the empty cup in the trash. Lee did the same.

"Craig do you really think the Tahoe is bugged?"

"Yeah I do Lee. It's what I would have done. I've got a couple of fine tame CIA boys back in Richmond. I'll get them to go over the car when we get back and I'm betting dollars to donuts that they find at least one bug. Let's get going... we've got a barbeque to organize." Lee grinned.

"Yup, I reckon we have to get our priorities in order here. And with a S.W.A.T. team turning up expecting to be fed we better get our asses moving. Those boys take their partying seriously."

It was just after 2pm when we arrived back at the house. Hemi and Stevie were still in town so Sam looked over the Tahoe for me. As expected he found two devices. One bug mounted in the headrest of the driver's seat and a tracking device up behind the drive shaft. Both were easily disabled after a short discussion about the merits of leaving them in place.

We still had a few hours to go before our guests turned up for the barbeque so Lee and I headed into the study to find out what was on the CDs he had retrieved from Carmichael's office. We had hit the jackpot. The first disc was basically just a copy of the files I had seen in Carmichael's office. They would be handy in putting the pieces together when I could go over them more thoroughly. The second disc was where the diamonds were located. It was packed with picture and video files, all related to the missions I ran in Colombia. Some were very familiar to me, but others were new perspectives on old memories. In the few I had time to look at, I saw faces that were familiar to me; faces I had seen on a day to day basis. I also saw new faces, and one I never expected to see on an after action report. Christopher Simmons, last seen charred, mutilated and very dead in the burnt out hulk of my car. His presence at the sites of our missions didn't make any sense. Simmons was an office weenie. He very rarely came out into the field, yet here he was featuring in several of the videos and dozens of the pictures, looking as comfortable as if he was at a function at his country club. As I compared the pictures one thing stood out. In all the pictures he was in the company of a man who was familiar to me. I had seen him a few times with the clean up crews that were sent out after our missions. I couldn't for the life of me remember his name although I knew he was Colombian police. It was definitely a promising start. I needed to have a copy of the discs for my own use but writeable discs were one thing I hadn't bought when I bought the computer. I called Stevie on her cell.

"Hello sexy!" Her greeting brought an instant smile to my face. "How did your trip to Langley go baby?"

"I'll tell you all about it when you get home later. How is your day going?"

"Not too bad actually. Hemi and I are just leaving the office now. We should be home as soon as we've picked up KJ. Want me to bring anything extra for the barbeque? I have the basic list of stuff to buy and I'll pick it up from the supermarket on the way."

"Yeah you could do me one favor baby. Could you grab me a spindle of writeable DVDs? I need to do a bit of copying."

"No problem honey. Anything else?"

"Just you sweet lady... just you. See you soon Stevie." I was smiling as I closed my phone and shut down the computer. I had really fallen out of the sewer and into the rose garden when I met Stevie. Sam, Lee and I grabbed beers and headed out to the deck to get the grill ready for tonight's party. It was the first time I had actually looked at the thing and I was impressed with its condition. For the next couple of hours Lee, Sam and I lay around the pool drinking beers and shooting the breeze. It was relaxing and a welcome break from the hectic pace of the last couple of weeks. Stevie, KJ and Hemi arrived just as I was opening my third beer and Becky and Matt turned up shortly after. The ladies retreated inside to catch up on the gossip and get ready for the party, although as it was casual I couldn't for the life of me figure out what there was to do to get ready. The wonder that is woman will never cease to amaze me. Hemi and I dragged the speakers out onto the deck and loaded a selection of CDs into the CD player. Brian Clark, the surgeon who had patched me up after I was shot, arrived just as we were finishing setting up. 

"How is my star patient today? You're certainly looking a lot better than the last time I saw you. You're lucky Craig. Your physical condition means that your recovery is a hell of a lot quicker than normal." Brian gave me a quick look over and declared that I would be able to have my stitches removed as planned. Once again he advised me to take things easy until my recovery was complete.

"Just remember Craig, you're not bulletproof or invulnerable buddy. Just take it easy for a while. Now who do I have to kill to get a beer around here?" 

It wasn't long before more of our guests started arriving. The S.W.A.T. team guys and girls arrived in two groups, traveling in two separate convoys of SUVs. As they piled out of their trucks it became evident that we were in no danger of running out of alcohol. It was also evident that only a moron with a death wish would crash our little soirée. All of them, without exception, were packing heat. As per the invitation most had brought wives or girlfriends and soon we had a rocking little gathering. Stevie, Becky and KJ joined us as the second part of the S.W.A.T. convoy rolled in, and immediately it was obvious that there was a huge chasm between the male version of casual and the female version. The three of them were definite head turners.

Becky was the least flamboyant of the three wearing a yellow halter top which struggled to contain her gorgeous breasts and the shortest mini skirt I had seen in a long time. Her outfit was topped off with a pair of 4 inch stiletto heels. Matt's smug grin was a thing of beauty as his lady sashayed her way over to him, breasts bouncing tantalizingly and gave him a tonsil swab with her tongue.

KJ was dressed in what could only be described as classy slutty. From the top of her head to the tips of her toes she radiated sex. There was nothing subtle about the tattooed beauty's attire. The rose patterned, sleeveless, black lace top she wore did nothing at all to disguise the fact that she was braless. The pattern of the lace actually accentuated the tattoos decorating her large firm breasts while her areola and nipples were only barely camouflaged by a strategically placed rose. It was unbuttoned to a point just at the bottom of the heavy swell of her large orbs and tied just below, leaving the well muscled expanse of her smooth stomach bare above the waistband of the shortest, tightest pair of cut-offs I had ever seen. The denim garment was almost short enough to be termed obscene; the crotch pulled tight against the lips of her pussy... so tight that it formed a very sexy camel toe. As sexy as the rest of her outfit was, it paled in comparison to her chosen footwear. KJ wore a pair of boots the likes of which I had only ever seen in porno movies and my wettest wildest dreams. Made of soft black calfskin, they rose from 4 inch stiletto heels made of gleaming steel to a point about 6 inches short of the snug crotch of her cut-offs. Like Becky, her breasts seemed to take on a life of their own as she walked across the deck to join me and Brian. I sneaked a sideways glance at the good doctor and immediately knew that if KJ's intent had been to impress Brian, she was succeeding. His mouth hung open and he had a "deer caught in the headlights" look on his face. KJ made a bee line for the awestruck doctor.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 07



"She's so hot isn't she baby?" Stevie snuggled up to me and watched KJ as she gave the poor helpless doctor a flirting display worthy of the hottest of Hollywood femme fatales. Becky and KJ were extremely sexy but Stevie was a knockout. The first thing that hit me was her perfume; a citrus fragrance which was light and sweet with just a hint of spice. As I let my gaze roam over the lady I loved I was again struck dumb by her beauty. Her hair shone and moved with a life of its own as she moved against me. Her gorgeous firm breasts struggled against the miniscule confines of a fluorescent yellow bikini top, the perfect tan of her skin a beautiful contrast. A sheer pink sarong was tied low on her hips, covering the bikini bottom and her feet were clad in a pair of yellow stiletto heels. She was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.

"Stevie you look gorgeous honey." The smile she gave me was loaded with love and promise for the night ahead.

It didn't take long for the party to get into full swing. A couple of the S.W.A.T. boys got into a friendly argument about who was the best on the grill so my cooking responsibilities were taken over as they split the grill into two separate regions. The pile of steaks and ribs never got too high though as our guests had definitely brought an appetite with them. The music started off quiet and mellow; a selection of old classics from bands like Toto, Journey, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. It wasn't long however before the boys and girls were rocking out to the sounds of Nickleback, Faith No More and Audioslave. These folks really knew how to party. As the sun went down I lit citronella burners and turned on the deck and pool lights. To my embarrassment it took me a while to locate the switches as I'd never used them before. As soon as the lights went on clothes started coming off. Within minutes the pool was full of swimsuit clad party goers. KJ took the opportunity to grab Brian and lead him to the Jacuzzi. As Stevie and I watched she slowly stripped down to a tiny g-string bikini bottom and slid into the bubbling hot tub topless. During the whole operation she hadn't taken her eyes from Brian and he hadn't taken his eyes from her. Once she was comfortable she beckoned him to join her. He didn't hesitate, pulling his shirt off and dropping his khaki's before quickly stepping into the hot tub in his boxers to join KJ. As he dropped his pants I saw KJ's eyes widen and a happy grin light up her face. I had a feeling that she wouldn't be going home alone... if she went home at all. 

Becky and Matt had set up camp at the edge of the pool of light from the outdoor lanterns and were snuggled up on one of the loungers. It didn't take a brain surgeon to figure out what they were up to. Matt's back was to the rest of the party goers and Becky was cuddled into him with her leg thrown over his hip. From where Stevie and I sat we could see Matt's arm making slow rhythmic movements between their bodies. Stevie snuggled in tighter to my body careful not to hurt my wound. 

Hemi and Sam were locked in a heated but friendly debate with a couple of the S.W.A.T. team members, a tall heavily muscled African American guy and a very fit looking bikini clad blonde. The blonde was trading some serious eye contact with Hemi who wasn't shy in returning the favor. I felt happy for him as the Liz Graeme thing had really kicked his ass. I hoped that he would be able to hook up with her. I also hoped that she wasn't here with the big black dude. He looked like he ate small cars for breakfast and a brawl between him and Hemi was something I would hate to have to break up. I figured I would need a water cannon or three to separate them if it got to a punch up. I needn't have worried though. As we watched Sam and the black S.W.A.T. operator wandered off still engaged in the debate. The blonde and Hemi headed our way. It seemed that introductions were in order.

"Craig and Stevie, this is Lisa. Lisa meet the boss and his lovely lady Stevie." Close up she was quite lovely with a great physique which hinted at plenty of strength and agility. Cops didn't make it into S.W.A.T. on weapons ability alone. 

"Pleased to meet you Lisa. What has Hemi been telling you about us? Nothing bad I hope?" Stevie handled the greeting as we shook hands. "Welcome to our humble abode."

"Our humble abode?" I spluttered in mock indignation. "Last time I checked, my name was on the deeds." Both ladies grinned at this.

"I see you've got yourself a typical male Stevie... all wrapped up in material possessions. When will these guys learn that without us women to arrange things for them, all these possessions mean nothing at all." Lisa's voice was slightly husky but musical at the same time. I could see that she and Stevie were going to hit it off famously.

"Oh God no. Just what I needed... another woman to bust my chops and tell me how lucky I am to have this average looking freeloader here." This earned me a swift punch in the ribs and a scowl from Stevie, followed quickly by a kiss that took my breath away and demonstrated one of the reasons I loved her so much.

Lisa laughed and said, "I can see that you're going to have to train this one a bit more before he is fully house broken Stevie. Good luck with that. And thanks for the invite to the party guys. It's been a while since I've been out and this is just what the doctor ordered. It's not often we get invited to parties by members of the public so thanks."

"Actually Lisa this is a thank you for taking care of us for the last couple of weeks. I just wish we could do more." I really did wish we could do more but it wasn't the done thing.

"Okay boss... I'm going to show the lady around the place. Catch you later." Hemi grinned as he casually looped his arm around Lisa's waist and walked off to the house. As they were wandering off Karen Montecelli walked out onto the deck arm in arm with Lee. She looked tired and worried. Spotting Stevie and I they headed over.

"Hi guys," came her tired greeting. "Sorry I'm late. I had a busy day." Lee headed off to grab fresh drinks for all of us as Karen pulled a lounger over next to ours and slumped down tiredly. "Do you mind?" she asked, pulling a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from her purse.

"Not if you share," I said with a grin. Stevie shook her head in mock exasperation as I lit up after Karen. 

"Yet another bad habit I'm gonna have to break you out of." Stevie gave me a mischievous grin as I very maturely poked my tongue out at her. Lee arrived back with the drinks and soon we were settled in ready to discuss our respective days. Lee and I gave our report first. I watched Karen's reaction as we told the ladies about our trip to Langley. At first she looked interested, but soon that changed to puzzlement. It was an odd reaction but I decided to wait until we had finished before I asked her about it. Stevie and Karen sat quietly and listened as Lee and I laid out our summary and conclusions about what we had learned today. Surprisingly there were no questions when we had finished. Obviously we gave a good briefing. Then it was Karen's turn to tell us about her day.

She started with a question. "Do you think that Carmichael would have a protection team on you Craig?"

"I don't know. I can't see any reason that he wouldn't want me kept alive... at least for the moment. If he is tracking the player falsifying the reports then I'm useful as bait. On the other hand if he is in with the bad guy, I'm more valuable to him dead. To give you a proper answer to that question Karen, I'd have to know which side of the fence Carmichael is on, and to tell the truth I have no idea where he stands. Why do you ask?"

"You had a guardian angel perched in the apartment above the music store next to KJ's studio. A guardian angel with a Remington .308 rifle, most probably on a bipod, and most probably only in the room for an hour at the most. The forensics team found the trajectory of the shot that took out Liz Graeme originated in the first floor window diagonally opposite her position. They found marks on the window sill that were consistent with a bipod for a Remington and also found gunshot residue, GSR, on the bottom of the net curtains that covered the window. They speculate that the shooter slid the muzzle of the rifle under the net curtains and actually used the curtains as camouflage. There were no expended cartridge cases found, but the forensics team thinks it was a single shot deal going by the amount of GSR found on the curtains and the testimony of witnesses as to the number of shots fired. Now while it wasn't an extremely difficult shot, it did require a level of competence which puts it outside the casual shooter range. We're all in agreement that it was a trained sniper that took the shot. After our conversation yesterday in Beagle's the first thing I thought was CIA."

"It doesn't make any sense. What about the forensics from Liz Graeme's position? What do the findings there tell you?"

"Lots of ballistic findings... cartridge cases, weapons and GSR on Graeme's body. She hadn't been there for long. Her car was located a couple of streets over in a pay parking lot. It had been there for a couple of hours only. We feel that she followed you two to KJ's and then set up in her sniper position."

"No... it couldn't have happened like that. It makes no sense. How could she follow us there in broad daylight, find a park, grab her weapon, find a hide and set up for the shot... all without being seen. It couldn't have been done like that. She had to have organized the hide before hand. She would have organized the position and got her weapon in and set up well in advance. Which means she had advance warning of where we were going to be and when. Now Liz was at the house the night Stevie made the appointment with KJ so I'm betting that she got her advance warning that way. It also means that meeting her and Joanne at La Principessa's was no accident. It was a set up all the way. This thing took some major planning. Until we can figure out which side Carmichael is on we're going to have no idea who set us up or why."

We sat for a few moments sipping our drinks in a contemplative silence before Karen spoke again.

"This looks like a good party. Mind if I take my man and go and enjoy it?" 

Stevie grinned and said, "If you hurry you might even be able to get something to eat. I think the folks from Lee's team are just about done eating."

As Lee and Karen wandered off hand in hand, Stevie snuggled in to me and kissed me softly. "This is great Honey! We should do this more often." I had to agree with her. Looking around at the organized chaos going on I had to grin. I had missed a lot of what was termed normal adult experiences while I was stalking around in the jungles of South America. Everywhere I looked people were having fun without having to worry about ambush. Couples were swimming in the pool, drinking around the grill or making out on the loungers. I found it easier to relax the more I became immersed in the life of the non combatant. Things hadn't worked out the way I had planned when I left the jungle. My current situation had its pros and cons but from where I was sitting the pros definitely outweighed the cons. I knew that my new life wasn't going to be all beer and skittles but it sure beat the hell out of ducking bullets in Colombia. I had good friends, a great lady and I finally had prospects for a peaceful existence. 

The party rolled on for a few more hours. The only problem encountered was when one of Lee's boys got cramp in the pool while he was fucking his partner in the deep end. It was hilarious to watch as half the team tried to "rescue" him while the others stood around offering advice on everything from stretching exercises to prevent cramp, to his stroke technique with his lady. Lee managed a very dramatic rescue which involved pulling him naked and still erect from the pool, cursing his rescuer while his team mates hooted with laughter and insults about the caliber of his weapon.

All in all it was a fantastic night, but as with all good things it had to come to an end. Just after 11 o'clock the S.W.A.T. folks started making preparations to get going. One by one they came and thanked us for the party and made their goodbyes. I didn't hesitate in giving them all an open invitation to drop by any time they were out this way, and all of them said they'd take me up on the offer. Becky and Matt left just after Lee and Karen followed the S.W.A.T. team out of the drive. Hemi and Sam had decided to go into town with the cops and do a bit more partying at one of the clubs. Soon it was down to me and Stevie, and KJ and Brian. Stevie kissed me softly as the last of the cars disappeared from sight.

"Let's go and hit the Jacuzzi baby. It'll help wash all that tension out of your system honey."

"That's the best offer I've had all day Kitten. Let's go."

KJ and Brian were still in the hot tub when Stevie and I got there. And it was plain that they wouldn't be going anywhere tonight but upstairs to the spare room. If they had been any closer they would have been mating... in fact with the bubbles of the hot tub going it was a very good chance that they were. KJ was straddling Brian's lap and exploring his mouth with her tongue. Brian's hands were busy below the waterline and whatever he was doing must have been good judging from the moans coming from both KJ and Brian. It's always good when your guests have fun at your party. 

Stevie cleared her throat theatrically. "Mind if we join you two love birds?" Brian looked up with a shocked and embarrassed look on his face. KJ didn't even turn around, she just giggled and replied, "Sure, the more the merrier!" then went back to driving Brian crazy. 

Stevie quickly kicked off her shoes and untied the sarong from around her hips leaving her standing in her hot yellow bikini and a smile. Getting me ready for our little dip was a whole different kettle of fish. I had chosen to wear a polo shirt with my cargo pants for the evening. Big mistake. My shoulder was still stiff and sore from the healing wound so the simple task of getting a shirt off became a major mission. The hoots of laughter coming from Stevie and KJ weren't helping but finally I was stripped down to my boxers and climbing into the Jacuzzi alongside Stevie and opposite our frolicking friends.

"Craig, make sure you don't get that dressing wet. An infection now would mean I'd have to make regular house calls and... on second thoughts get it wet man. KJ and I can heal you." There was a distinct streak of evil in our friendly pill roller. KJ giggled and added her contribution to the conversation.

"Don't get that tattoo wet yet Stevie. Not in a pool anyway. It's okay to bathe or shower it but a pool isn't a good idea for it." 

So there we were; parked on the step of the pool but unable to slip right down into the warm bubbling water. It did have its advantages though. Stevie's breasts bobbed just above the waterline and as the water splashed her bikini top it rapidly became transparent, much to the delight of me and Brian, and the amusement of KJ. 

"Baby those are serious headlights you've got there. Don't you agree Brian?" The look on Brian's face was priceless. Here he was trapped beneath one gorgeous semi nude woman being asked his opinion of the breasts of another gorgeous woman, whose man happened to be sitting right next to her. He blushed deeply again to the amusement of KJ.

"Don't worry baby... Craig isn't going to hit you for looking at his gorgeous lady." She was in fine form tonight. I didn't want to ruin the mood but KJ needed to know what Karen had found out in her crime scene workup today. I quickly ran it down for her and Brian who sat looking very interested and attentive. 

"So what you're saying is that the person who shot the sniper was in the music store next door to me? Jesus Craig! That is too damned close to home man!" KJ was shocked. She started trembling and Brian put his arm around her to offer some comfort which she wasn't about to turn down. As I had anticipated, my summary of the day's events had put a little bit of a damper on the evening, a fact for which I felt guilty.

"I'll be back in a minute. I think you need a drink hon. Can I grab anyone else anything?" Stevie and Brian both put their orders in. Soon I was back with drinks for all. We sat in companionable silence sipping our drinks and just enjoying the company and the music which was still warbling quietly from the speakers on the deck. For once there was no sexual activity... just four friends enjoying each others company. I knew that would change once we were all behind closed doors but for now it was good to just be able to relax and enjoy. 

It didn't take long for the conversation to start flowing again; good Scotch is a marvelous lubricant, and soon we were chatting about what plans I had for the house. When I'd arrived here in Richmond it had been an empty shell. Random and unplanned shopping trips had managed to start me on the way to filling the huge house with furnishings and sundry goods but there was no rhyme or reason to the purchases so far; they had been driven by necessity rather than some great interior decorating master plan. As I had anticipated, the ladies were more than willing to contribute their ideas to the discussion. Stevie and I had already talked about what we could do to make the house feel more like a home but so far no firm planning had been done. Realistically there hadn't been time to do any planning, but now with the four of us soaking in the hot tub, relaxing and sipping quality Scotch the ideas flowed easily... and a lot of them were brilliant.

"Any idea what you're going to do with the big room attached to the garage baby?" Stevie had asked me about it a couple of days earlier and after thinking about it I had a plan sorted out. 

"Yeah actually I do have an idea for the big room." We called it the big room because it was the same size as the four car garage it backed onto. "I think I'm gonna turn it into a gym and play room. I still want to join the gym in town that Matt goes to but I like the idea of being able to work out when I want."

"Yeah you're definitely getting a bit soft about the middle lover." Stevie punctuated her teasing by grabbing me by my minimal love handles. "Better start that workout routine soon baby." 

"Aaah so I'm getting out of shape am I? Maybe swimming would help with my physical fitness?" Stevie knew I was up to something and started to squirm away from me in the Jacuzzi. She wasn't quick enough. In a flash I swept her up and over my good shoulder and started to clamber out of the hot tub. Stevie was squealing and struggling; pounding my back with her small fists as I trotted towards the still lit swimming pool and the cold water that it was filled with. Behind me I could hear KJ and Brian laughing themselves silly as they climbed out and followed us. I was two seconds away from throwing myself and Stevie into the deep end of the pool when Brian and KJ screamed out in unison. 

"Stop!!"

"Your tattoo!" from KJ.

"Your wounds!" from Brian. 

Too late! We hit the water with a huge splash and went under. After the warm water in the Jacuzzi, the pool water was positively arctic driving the breath from both of us. Stevie broke free and kicked for the surface as I followed. We surfaced laughing, spluttering and coughing as KJ and Brian arrived at the side of the pool laughing as well. As Stevie and I swam to the side of the pool, Brian and KJ leaned down to help pull us out. It was a set up straight out of Practical Jokes 101 and Stevie and I needed no communication to know what the other was planning. As I grasped Brian's hand and Stevie grabbed KJ's we both braced our feet against the side of the pool and pulled. Brian and KJ sailed over our heads and into the water with surprised gasps and cries. 




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 08



This chapter is dedicated to the memory of a very good friend, mentor and muse. You'll live forever in the memories of all members of the PTB, TDH and all the other boards you enriched by your presence and participation. Rest in Peace Franco "Lone Wolf" Breslin 1949-2006. 

*

"What the hell is going on Craig? Who is this guy?" To her credit there was no panic in Stevie's voice; a bit of shock maybe but she was fairly calm given the fact that I had just kidnapped a complete stranger right in front of her. Only he wasn't a complete stranger. He had been with the crew that attempted to hit us outside Stevie's office two days after I arrived in town. Up front KJ was asking Brian similar questions. Both ladies were handling the situation with incredible calm.

"Just give us a few minutes to get organized here ladies and we'll explain it all to you. Brian, do we have a tail that you can see?" Everything was quiet for a few minutes as Brian scanned the traffic behind us for our friendly neighborhood watchers.

"I think we're clear Craig but I can't be sure. I'll keep checking and pull a few quick turns to shake anyone who might be there. Where do you want to go buddy?"

"We need to get off the streets and inside somewhere. I need time to think about what to do with this guy. Grant Leonard is coming down from Langley this afternoon and Mike is going to be delivering a heap of exercise gear… plus there is gonna be someone coming to assemble it all. We need a place where we can have some privacy. I'm not convinced that taking him home is gonna be a wise idea."

"Take a left up here Brian." Stevie's voice broke in. She was calm and collected and obviously had a plan. "A quick stop at the office and a short drive and we'll have all the privacy we need." My raised eyebrow was met by a cheeky grin. She leaned across the back of the seat and gave me a quick kiss. Our friend was still out cold but he could come around any time at all. Quickly I stripped the trendy canvas belt from his pants and used it to tie his hands securely behind him. It wouldn't hold him for any length of time but I wasn't planning on leaving him unsupervised until I could find a better way to secure him. Grabbing his gun, a 9mm Taurus, I clambered over the back of the seat and plonked myself down next to Stevie, turned slightly so I could keep an eye on the prisoner while Brian and I explained our activities to the ladies. They got a bit of a giggle out of our espionage activities but sobered up very quickly when we told them that they were the target of 'Julio Ramirez', the man we had tied and unconscious in the back of the vehicle. Stevie paled visibly as she stared at the gun I now held in my fist. Apart from a case of the shakes each there were no hysterics or histrionics from either lady. Both were very pissed off and as eager as I was to find out what Senor Ramirez had to say when we finally got him alone. 

"Where are we headed after your office Stevie?" Brian asked from the driver's seat. 

"We manage a couple of large estates for clients while they are overseas. I've got access to them so I thought we might make use of one until we have a chance to figure out what to do with this guy. Or if that's not suitable there's a big house out towards Craig's place that has been empty for a while. It is due to be renovated before it's auctioned but the renovations won't start until middle of next week. Your choice guys."

"We'll take the empty house baby. I knew I loved you for a reason." She grinned and leaned in to give me another quick kiss. 

Five minutes later we were pulling up outside Stevie's office. "I'll only be a couple of minutes," she said as she raced inside to get the keys to the house we would be using. As I watched our sleeping prisoner I listened to the chatter coming from the front seat. It was truly amazing. KJ and Brian were happily discussing our shopping trip, laughing and joking about our plan to spy on the girls as well as talking about what each of them had bought. It was as if it was a totally normal thing to have a hitman sleeping in the cargo area. This surreal situation continued until Stevie arrived back with the keys and a small bag. As we pulled away from the curb Senor Ramirez groaned and started to wake up. 

"How long is it going to take us to get to this house Stevie?" I asked.

"Probably only ten to fifteen minutes Craig… depending on traffic. Why?"

"I hit this guy pretty hard and he's been out for a fair while. Can you swap places with Brian? I need him to take a look at our friend here. It's not going to do us any good if his brains are too scrambled to be able to question him. Pull over up here Brian and swap with Stevie. Then we need to make a quick side trip to the nearest hardware store before we go out to the house."

The exchange was made in quick time and Brian started his cursory examination of the patient as we were pulling back out into traffic. There wasn't really much he could do due to the absence of a fully stocked emergency room but after he had poked prodded and probed our surly prisoner he was able to declare that Senor Ramirez's melon was basically intact, and all his marbles were present albeit scrambled a bit. That was good enough for me.

"Just sit back and relax Julio. We'll be able to sit down and have a quiet chat soon. You know… a get to know you session. You'll get to know me and I'll get to know you. I think you'll enjoy it." He didn't speak but his eyes said plenty as he glared at me. I gave him my best winning smile in return and settled back for the rest of the ride. After a couple of minutes we pulled into a large hardware mega store. After Stevie parked in a remote corner of the parking lot, I sent Brian in to get some plastic cable ties and a pair of pliers. He was back a short time later with cable ties of different lengths and a pack of three different pairs of pliers. He had also added a thick roll of duct tape to the shopping list. Using the cable ties I quickly secured Senor Ramirez's hands behind him. Then it was back on the road.

Ten minutes later we were pulling up to the house Stevie had selected for us. As far as a hide out went it was all I could ask for. It was set a long way back from the road and screened by a stand of mature trees. It was two stories high with a roomy basement which I immediately had tagged as our interrogation area. Half of the trick to a good interrogation session is having the right sort of atmosphere. The subject has to feel cut off from all help. He needs to feel desperate and helpless for any form of interrogation to be effective. He needs to be in a position where he starts to identify with his interrogator and that only comes with trust and time. Interrogation is a psychological skill rather than a physical torture. Sure you could be in a situation where you have to inflict pain to get the results you require but nine times out of ten a man in pain will say anything to get a moments relief. Therefore it becomes a balancing act. You show your subject that not only can you be the bringer of suffering but you can also be the angel of mercy. Yes time, atmosphere and skill were the factors needed for a successful interrogation. The trouble was I didn't know how much time we had. The afternoon's schedule meant that I would have to be back at my house soon. As we dragged Julio inside and down to the basement I thought furiously about how to organize this mess. Sure I could turn him over to the local cops but after what Lee and Karen had told me about Chief Wallace's attitude I wasn't sure that would have been a good idea. I wasn't sure what game he was playing or where he was getting his orders from.

The house was unfurnished, the bulk of the furniture having been removed for the renovation which apparently was going to be a major remodel so Julio ended up sitting uncomfortably on the floor in a corner of the brightly lit basement. The others were silent as I stood looking down at our captive pondering my dilemma. As I would have expected it was Brian who clicked on first.

"We have a logistical problem here don't we Craig? No time and not enough personnel?"

"You got that right buddy. The time factor is the main problem. I've got the personnel but I'm not sure if I can use them." I was thinking of Hemi and Sam but the problem there, was that they were still working for the CIA as far as I knew. And Julio had been carrying a key card which I was assuming came from the Puzzle Palace. The question would be where did Hemi and Sam's loyalties lie? A quick decision was needed and I made one. Flipping open my cell phone I called Hemi.

"Hemi you busy at the moment?"

"Not at the moment boss. What do you need?"

"I need you here as soon as possible. I've got a job for you… if you're interested." There was a small pause.

"You want me to bring Sam or leave him here to wait for our visitors?"

"Just bring yourself and a hard backed chair from out on the deck. One of those wrought iron ones from the patio furniture set. Also grab a sheet or two from the linen closet. I'll get Stevie to give you directions. Get here as soon as possible man." I passed the phone to Stevie and walked back over to crouch in front of our prisoner as she started to give him directions.

"You know what's going to happen now don't you Julio? A good friend of mine is on his way here to ask you a few questions. He has all the time in the world and a lot of practice at this sort of thing. It's not going to be nice… for you anyway. Personally I don't give a big rat's ass whether you live or die or how much you suffer before you die. You were going to kill the woman I love and as far as I'm concerned no torture is too extreme for you. I'm going to turn my friend loose on you. He is going to work on you for hours and by the time he is finished you're gonna be begging to tell him everything you know. And if you die in the middle of it… well that doesn't matter at all. You're a small cog in a big wheel which makes you incidental. Obviously I'd like the answers to the questions I've got but if that doesn't happen I'll just carry on the way we were going before." I kept my voice low and level, a conversational tone that tended to scare people a lot more than screaming and raging. It was having the desired effect. Julio's eyes got bigger and he had trouble meeting my gaze. He started sweating even though the temperature in the basement wasn't that warm. He was scared. "Think about that while we wait for my friend to get here." I stood and walked back over to the others who were gathered in a solemn group at the foot of the stairs.

"You guys okay with this?"

KJ seemed to have elected herself spokesperson. She stepped forward and hugged me briefly.

"Craig you do what you have to honey. This guy was going to shoot us or worse. I think we're more worried about you and what this is doing to you. You okay hon?"

"I'll be fine KJ. I don't want you folks to be here for anything that goes on later. It's not going to be nice at all. As soon as Hemi arrives I want you guys out of here. Wait for me in the Tahoe." 

Stevie was very quiet during this. I stepped over and hugged her as Brian and KJ climbed the stairs to go to the Tahoe.

"Are you okay honey?" 

"KJ is right. I'm worried about you Craig. You came here to get away from all of the violence and now it's all crowding back in on you. I'm scared it's going to change you. I'm scared it's going to change us."

She looked like she was ready to cry.

"Stevie there isn't going to be any peace for any of us until I find out what is happening and fix it. Baby I'm good at what I do. I know I came here to get away from it but I'm not going to be able to relax and start over until all this is behind us. Stevie I love you. There is nothing more that I want than to be able to spend the rest of my days with you. If you still want me after all of this that is."

She burrowed into my chest and tightened her grip on me. "Of course I still want you Craig! I'm sorry… it's just that I don't have a good history when it comes to men. I'm scared that I'll lose you."

Reaching down I tipped her face up and looked into her eyes. Concern, love and fear all warred for supremacy in her expression. 

"Trust me Kitten. I'm not going to do anything that's going to screw up what we've got or what we could have. I promise you. I know I've only known you for a few weeks but it's been long enough for me to know that I love you with all my heart baby. Please just trust me. I'm the only one who can do this. We don't know who is with who or even why. But I feel we're getting close to identifying the major players. What we have to do here is not something I'm ever going to be proud of baby but I do have to do it." She gave me a small tremulous smile and reached up to kiss me before pulling away and skipping up the stairs with a bounce to her step. I knew we were going to have to deal with the insecurities she had soon. Matt had told me that she'd had a rough run of bad relationships and it was starting to show, but right now I had to deal with Julio. As Stevie disappeared through the door at the top of the stairs I turned and walked back over to him.

"Very touching Miller." It was the first time I had heard him speak. He had a soft voice with hardly any accent at all; a cultured voice. The expression on his face was nearly unreadable. Before I had seen fear and doubt. Now his expression was neutral. He had taken advantage of my short conference with the others to get his act together. 

"So you can speak. That's good to know, but how is your singing voice? Hemi is gonna have you singing a song in no time at all. My advice to you is to open up to him as soon as possible. Save yourself some pain." He just smiled.

It was another ten minutes before Hemi came clattering down the stairs carrying the items I'd asked him to bring. His eyes widened as he took in the sight of Ramirez sitting in the corner, his hands bound behind him. From the look on Ramirez's face it was obvious that Hemi was no stranger to him. It was also obvious that there was no love lost between the two of them.

"Jesus Christ boss! Where did you pick up this piece of shit? Hey Julio… long time no see. Still molesting goats and other farm animals?" Hemi walked across and stood over Julio, a wolfish grin on his face. If I didn't know what he'd had in mind for Stevie and KJ, I would have felt pity for what he was going to go through in the next few hours. The only thing pricking my conscience was the fact that I was asking someone else to do what I should be doing. Hemi put aid to that a second later when he continued speaking. 

"This is going to be fun Craig. Where did you pick up this assmunch?" Hemi had rightly deduced what I wanted him to do. I took a few minutes to fill him in on the morning's events. As I talked his grin disappeared to be replaced by a barely controlled rage. 

"Just get him softened up for me Hemi. I'll be back as soon as I can. I need to talk to Grant Leonard to find out if there is anything he couldn't tell us yesterday. As soon as I've got that sorted I'll come back. I just want him primed so I can ask him a few questions. That cool?"

"Boss it will be my pleasure." And by the look of anticipation on his face I knew it would. I didn't know what sort of history these two had but I was getting more interested in finding out. It would have to wait until later though. I needed to get home. Before I left, I spoke quietly to Hemi for a while telling him what I needed done. He assured me that I'd be happy with the results.

As I left the basement Hemi was not too gently seating Julio on the hard uncomfortable chair which he'd placed in the middle of the spread out sheet. The sheet would catch any blood and make the clean up easier. No I didn't feel sorry for Ramirez. Stevie greeted me at the Tahoe with a smile and a big kiss. I got the impression that she had sorted out her feelings with the help of a grinning Brian and KJ.

Ten minutes later we were climbing out of the Tahoe at my place. We had arrived just ahead of Mike's truck so the next half hour was spent unloading the exercise gear I had bought that morning and loading it into the new gym behind the garage. Eventually I would get a glass company to install a couple of mirrors in the gym but until then the room would be fine as it was. Since we'd missed out on lunch I suggested to the others that we have a bite to eat before doing anything else. The installation guy from the gym wholesaler had arrived with Mike so it was a larger than normal crowd to feed but there was plenty of food left over from the previous night's barbeque so it was no problem. Hemi and Julio were never far from my mind as we ate and chatted. In a way it was surreal; 10 minutes drive away there was a man being tortured on my orders and here I was chatting and munching steak sandwiches with friends. Still… the bad guys dealt the cards… I just played the hand I got.

Half way through lunch we got our visit from Grant Leonard. He arrived in a plain dark blue Taurus, obviously a government vehicle by the number of antennas bristling from the plain bodywork and he wasn't alone. The lady with him was by no means stunning but having said that she did have a sensuality that would make her stand out in a crowd. As they walked over to where we were sitting Grant was almost bowled over by a jubilant Sam.

"Grant!! What brings you here man? Jesus buddy… you look like shit! Going all lumpy around the middle pal and you definitely need a tan. But then what should we expect from a desk jockey?" Sam's teasing banter was echoed by Grant giving me the impression that these two were more than just casual acquaintances. Once again I had to remind myself that there was more to Sam and Hemi that meets the eye. I resolved to find out more about their role with the CIA, but that would have to wait for another day. My time was limited and I wanted to talk with Grant about his masters at the Puzzle Palace.

"Howdy Craig. I'd like you to meet my wife Angela. Angela this is the guy I've been telling you about, and this is his girlfriend Stevie, her friend and tattoo artist KJ, and Craig's friend and surgeon Brian Clark who I believe is dating KJ." In that one sentence he told us that he knew a lot about our domestic arrangements. To the credit of my friends nobody passed out from surprise but looks of surprise were shared by all.

"Now this is why I managed to survive for so long down in Colombia. Grant here was my handler… the voice on the radio that gave me all the info I needed to get the job done and get back home with all my men and all my skin where it should have been." Grant grinned and shook his head in a self depreciating way. 

"Welcome to Casa Del Miller you two. Have you eaten? We've got beers and steak sandwiches. Not gourmet fare but good enough for a summer afternoon."

Soon they were relaxing with cold bottles of Miller's Genuine Draft and a steak sandwich. Stevie and KJ had corralled Angela and were chatting with her like long lost sisters while Sam, Brian and I hunkered down with Grant. 

"So what is Carmichael up to?" Subtlety is my middle name, a fact which he truly appreciated.

"I wish I knew Craig. All I do know for a fact is that this is not a CIA run operation. You have a bad man out there tracking you and it's not one of us. Carmichael is a very worried man and despite his attitude, he's desperate for you to stay alive. He's had a couple of guys on your ass day and night as well as Sam and Hemi drinking and eating you out of house and home." Damn!! I had assumed that the car we'd had trailing us for the last few days had been from the Richmond PD. This was making no sense at all.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 08



"If he is so concerned about our safety why didn't he just give us the files we wanted? Why all the song and dance in his office? This makes no fucking sense at all Grant. Can you tell us anything about the source of the Colombian Police memos that were in the files? What about Simmons? Why does his face keep on showing up in the photos on the discs you gave us?" My questions were coming thick and fast but I found I couldn't slow down. I needed answers and Grant seemed to be the man to give them to me.

"Hold on Craig… slow down brother." He was surprised by the quick fire barrage of questions.

"That's the problem Grant. I can't slow down today. Hemi has a guy in the basement of an empty house ten minutes drive from here softening him up for me to question him. We snatched this guy from the mall this morning where we found him following the ladies. I whacked him with a sock full of change just as he was drawing a 9mm. I figure he was gonna hit the ladies. The guy wasn't a stranger Grant. His name is Julio Ramirez and he's no stranger to Hemi. Also it's not the first time we've crossed paths with this piece of shit. He was picked up along with two of his friends a couple of days after I arrived here in Richmond by the local S.W.A.T. team while they waited for me in a car outside Stevie's office. Then he featured in a few of the pictures on the discs you gave us… thanks for those by the way. And here's another little coincidence. In the pics he was in, he was very chummy with the late, unlamented Mr. Simmons. Now Grant, I don't like coincidences, especially when they involve your employers." I finally ran out of steam. Grant looked shocked then contemplative.

"Okay let's go and talk to Julio." With that he got up and walked over to Angela and spoke quietly to her then he walked to his car and came back with a small canvas bag. I quickly let Stevie know what I was up to and asked Brian and Sam if they would stay with the ladies. Call it paranoia but I didn't want to leave them unprotected. Brian and Sam assured me that they could take care of getting the gym gear set up. A couple of minutes later we were driving out the gate in the Tahoe. 

"I know Julio Ramirez Craig. He did some work for us in Colombia and also in Panama. He's a wet work specialist but we ditched him a year or so back. His methods were a little on the nasty side shall we say. He took just a little too much delight in his work. Also he became too much of a loose cannon. We lost control of him and when he started taking out additional targets we totally cut our ties with him."

"What do you mean 'additional targets'?"

"If we order a hit, it has to be for a very good reason. Contrary to what you might read in the popular press or watch on TV and the movies, the CIA isn't in the wholesale killing business. If we determine a target needs to be dealt with, we prefer that it's done in the least conspicuous way possible. We also like the hit to be limited to the target if possible. Ramirez started off like this but soon graduated to bloodbaths often involving family members and members of the general populace. Not good… so we cut all contact with him. Basically he's a psychopath for hire Craig. And now that you've got him… you're gonna have to figure out what you're gonna do with him. Have you thought about that? You're not a killer man. Not in cold blood anyway."

"Yeah you're right. At the moment all I'm interested in is what he knows about our current problem. I need to know who is after us, why, and where I can find them. After that I'll figure out what to do with Ramirez. But from what you're saying if I put him down I'd be doing a public service." I thought for a moment then asked, "If you guys have cut all ties with Ramirez, then why is he carrying a CIA keycard? And what's in the bag?" He gave me a shocked theatrical double take at my question. If the situation was a little different it would have been comical.

"He had a key card? Jesus Christ. But what makes you think it was a CIA card?" I noticed he didn't answer the question about the bag.

"Key cards usually have a company logo on them. Besides I saw identical cards yesterday at the Puzzle Palace. And like I said… I don't like coincidences. Now what's in the bag Grant?" Suddenly I didn't feel as trusting as I had a little while ago.

Grant sighed and looked down at the bag at his feet.

"I've got a few things in there that might come in useful when we chat to Ramirez. Craig I'll be up front with you but if any of what we are going to discuss gets back to Carmichael my career is history. Pull over." I did as he asked and turned off the engine and turned to face him. We were parked only a hundred or so yards from where Ramirez and Hemi were.

"Craig I don't like what is happening here but I swear it's not what I wanted. How much you trust me is totally up to you and after we have this discussion I won't be surprised if you boot me out on the road right here." He stopped here and looked at me, finding my face an unreadable mask. I motioned for him to continue. "I was the one who installed the bugs in your house. When your file was flagged and alerts were activated after that shit with the car load of hitters, the CIA became very interested in what was happening here in Richmond. You assumed that it was an attempted hit by Pablo Montoya. Well I can tell you right now that Montoya has nothing to do with whatever is happening here. He's dead Craig. He was taken out three days before you left Colombia. It was a hit by a rival Cartel member. No Montoya… no contract."

"So why didn't Simmons tell me that when he came to visit? And why the fuck didn't Sam or Hemi tell me that?"

"We think that Simmons had his own agenda. He wasn't even supposed to contact you but he did anyway. Carmichael was left to clean up the mess he'd created but by then it was convenient for him to leave you believing that it was Montoya that was after you. As far as Hemi and Sam go… well they didn't know Craig. The information was well compartmentalized and by that stage their involvement in Colombia was over. They were actually assigned to the Middle East when Simmons picked them to accompany him to see you. My feeling is that he took Sam and Hemi with him to serve as a shock tactic to keep you off balance… and it worked buddy. After Simmons was whacked it was vital that we knew more so we assigned Hemi and Sam to you on a permanent basis." As I started to bristle he hurriedly continued.

"No they haven't been reporting back to us. They were assigned solely as a bodyguarding unit as were the guys in the cars that have been watching you. You have a couple of very loyal friends there Craig. Either one of them would take a bullet for you or, for that matter, for Stevie. On that you can trust me."

"Does that mean that I shouldn't trust you on the rest of it Grant?" 

"Craig it doesn't matter what I say; you're gonna make up your own mind anyway. So… what's in the bag? I have a little kit containing a few items that might assist us in questioning Ramirez. Sodium pentothal, scopolamine and a few other bits and pieces."

"So do you often travel with a handy little truth serum kit Grant?" I had an inkling of where this was going. Grant looked very embarrassed.

"No matter where Hemi and Sam's loyalties lie they are still CIA operatives Craig. If I felt that you had more information than what you were sharing with us I was to get their help to subdue you and then I was to interrogate you under chemical influence. Whether or not they would have helped is another story entirely. I won't apologize. It's my job, and while I don't agree with everything we do at CIA, I do believe that we have the best interests of this country at heart. I believe that what we do is generally for the greater good. I know that sounds like self serving bullshit but I believe it." He stopped and pulled a pack of cigarettes from his pocket and offered me one. After lighting our smokes he continued.

"I wouldn't have been happy interrogating you but I would have done it Craig and for that I apologize. Now you have two choices. You can kick me out here and carry on to where you've got Ramirez stashed on your own. My involvement with this situation will be over and that will be the last you see of me. Or you can take advantage of an experienced interrogator and we can get the answers you need out of Ramirez. I won't bullshit you Craig; anything we get from him will be the basis of a report I will make to Langley. Your decision man."

We sat and smoked in silence for a while as I digested the information he had fed me. The decision was easy really. 

"Let's go. Don't make me regret this decision Grant. I don't fully trust you but I'm willing to see where this partnership will take us." I started the engine and moments later we pulled up outside the house. A quick call on the cell phone let Hemi know that we were here so that he wouldn't be surprised when we walked in… the last thing I needed was to be shot by my friend. He sounded happy, but not surprised to hear that Grant was here with me. As we descended the stairs to the basement we could hear Hemi's voice in a low soothing monologue.

"Craig's here man. He's not going to be as nice to you as I've been. Don't you think it would be a good idea if you told us what we need to know?" The only sign of anything untoward occurring in the basement, aside from Ramirez tied to the chair, was the large smear of blood still issuing from his nose. Still he did look like he'd been through the wringer. He was soaked in sweat and very pale. His head hung down on his chest and he was panting as if he had just run a marathon. Hemi was an artist when it came to pressure points.

"Hello Julio. I brought a friend along to say hi to you." I walked over and grabbing his jaw I raised his head so I could look into his eyes. He glared back at me defiantly. I could see that there was still a lot of work for us to do before we had what we needed. I gave him my best wolfish smile and walked back over to where Hemi and Grant were shaking hands and exchanging greetings. Quickly Hemi brought us up to date on what he had learned so far which was, in essence, nothing. He was happy to see Grant and his bag of chemical goodies. Mr. Ramirez, on the other hand, was not. 

As Grant started walking toward him I noticed Ramirez start to shake and he went another shade whiter under his Latin tan. "Now Julio have you been upsetting these nice people? You know you haven't got many friends left in this country yet you still insist on pissing people off. And to try to whack Craig's girlfriend? Well I thought you had a few screws loose but you've just confirmed it. Now up until now you've been dealing with Hemi, who is quite good at what he does but not nearly as good as me. You know that I'm going to get what I want because you've seen me work. Now the best way for you to approach this is by taking the painless route. That involves you opening your mouth now and telling us whatever you know about this little problem of Craig's. Or you could take the other route which involves me causing you an incredible amount of pain then finishing off with a mixture of scopolamine and sodium pentothal which is guaranteed to get the desired result anyway. So what's it gonna be Julio?" I watched as his Latin pride kicked in and he straightened in the chair, his eyes flashing a scared sort of defiance our way while studiously ignoring the advancing figure of Grant. Yup we were gonna have to work for our info.

Grant placed his bag on the floor and being careful to stay out of the reach of Ramirez's feet but within his view, he started to unpack it. First came a small towel which he laid out carefully on the floor. Then a small leather zip pouch which he opened and made a great show of laying on the towel. It contained hypodermics and disposable needles along with vials of a colorless liquid and a bottle of yellow crystals. As he unpacked he talked to Ramirez. "You know what this is don't you Julio? The vials contain scopolamine. That is the first ingredient of any good truth serum. What it does is give you a narcotic high which removes all your control. It removes your ability to lie to us, but however it doesn't fully remove your inhibitions. That is what the yellow crystals are for. They are sodium pentothal. I carry them in crystal form because when they are dissolved in water they have a very short shelf life so it's best to mix it as you need it. They dissolve easily but I have to be really careful to make sure I mix it in the right proportions. Actually the trouble with mixing these two ingredients in one dosage is that sometimes you end up frying your subject's brain. In other words there is a chance you'll come out of this with the IQ of a zucchini. Actually in your case it might improve your personality but we'll see what happens shall we?" 

All of this was delivered in a very calm, matter of fact voice which I think was more unsettling to Julio than the words themselves. I know they would have been if I had been tied to that chair. Ramirez started to fidget as Grant finished unpacking by pulling a small bottle of water out of the bag along with a graduated beaker for mixing the drug. I knew then that it wouldn't be long before we had some answers. I had underestimated Grant's effect on his subject.

Grant kept up his calm patter as he went about readying his equipment. We all watched as he filled a syringe with scopolamine and carefully set it aside, then measured out a small amount of water to which he added the sodium pentothal crystals. The crystals dissolved quickly and easily as promised and Grant quickly filled a second hypodermic with the pale yellow liquid.

"One of the biggest risks is making a mistake in filling the syringes Julio. You see I'm going to be injecting this stuff directly into your vein. Now if I've fucked up filling these syringes and accidentally inject a bubble of air into you, you'll die from what is known as an air embolism. I'm told it's a pretty painful way to die. But then you know all about painful death don't you Julio?" Grant stood holding a hermetically sealed package and a roll of white medical tape and moved around behind the bound Ramirez. "Now what I'm going to do is insert this canulla into one of these handy veins. That'll make it easier for me to fill you up with these wonderful pharmaceuticals without having to hunt for a vein every time you need a top up. It's basically a needle with a tube and port attached. All I need to do is inject the dose into the port and it'll flow directly into your bloodstream… air bubbles and all." At this Ramirez started to struggle, bucking and writhing against his bonds. The look of terror on his face was priceless. I briefly wondered what it felt like for him to have the tables turned before Hemi and I moved over to help hold him down. Grant carried on with his calm monologue.

"Now Julio… if you struggle this is gonna hurt a lot more than it has to. I mean one way or another I'm gonna get this needle in your arm so my advice would be to relax and accept the inevitable." Hemi and I walked over to hold Ramirez while Grant got the canulla in. Obviously he'd had a bit of practice as it only took seconds before the canulla was seated safely in one of Julio's veins and taped securely. By this time Ramirez was hyperventilating and sweating profusely. The man was terrified.

"Now Julio, this is your final chance to cooperate. I'm going to inject you with this little chemical cocktail anyway, just to make sure that the answers you give us are truthful, but if you decide to cooperate what I can guarantee is that I'll be damned careful not to mix the drug with too many air bubbles. So what do you say?"

"Go fuck yourself Leonard!" I took that to mean he wouldn't be cooperating. So did Grant.

"Okay Julio. Here we go." Picking up both filled syringes he moved behind Ramirez and bent to insert the needle into the canulla port. Ramirez went ballistic. He began throwing himself around in his chair, jerking and bucking to try to prevent Grant from dosing him. Grant stepped back around into Ramirez's field of vision. "You gonna cooperate?"

There was a long silence as Grant stood there with the two hypodermics in his hand. Ramirez didn't take his eyes off them.

"Okay… ask your questions. Just don't stick that stuff in me." Grant looked at me as if for confirmation that we could continue without the drugs. I nodded.

"Julio if you give us any reason to believe that anything you say isn't on the up and up, I'm gonna pump you full of this stuff. You understand me?" Julio nodded furiously obviously relieved that he wasn't going to be dosed. 

There is a lot to a good interrogation technique. Drugs, pain, sleep deprivation and fear can all play a part, but the most important tool that a good interrogator can have is the ability to correctly read body language. It doesn't matter how good an interrogator is, if he can't read body language everything his subject comes up with is going to be suspect. A man in pain is going to tell you anything you want to hear just to stop the hurting, and even under chemical control a person can still lie or provide conflicting or confusing answers. I was average to middling at reading body language but I was assuming that Grant was an expert at it. I grabbed a crate and dragged it over in front of Julio to sit on while I asked the questions.

"Craig's gonna ask the questions Julio, and I'm gonna watch you. If I get even the vaguest hint that you're feeding us bullshit I'll zap you with the cocktail after I let Hemi play with your pressure points for a while. You understand hombre?" Ramirez gave a surly yet resigned nod in the affirmative. I wasted no time in getting started.

"What Grant hasn't told you Julio is that if I think you're fucking me around, I'm going to go with the easy solution. I'm gonna blow your fucking brains out… after I've put you through more pain than you can handle. Understand that you'll be no loss to me so I won't hesitate. Now… who was your target today in the parking garage?"

He glared nervously at me for a while before answering. "Your ladies. Both of them."

"Was that all you were supposed to do? Shoot the ladies?"

"No. If you were there I was to kill you. The ladies wouldn't have mattered then. I would have let them go." The calm way in which he delivered his statements had me boiling, but I couldn't afford to let him see this. I struggled to keep my emotions masked as I continued the questioning.

"Who wants me dead and why?" Surprisingly this brought a twisted grin to Ramirez's face.

"Are you sure you want to know Miller? Are you sure you want to open the can of worms that this will entail?"

"Who wants me dead?"

"Simmons… Christopher Simmons." He could have said Stevie and I would have been less surprised. I sat there like a stunned mullet for a few minutes, my mouth open and the shock clearly showing on my face, before I reacted.

"Bullshit! Simmons is dead! I saw his body myself! Who the fuck is trying to kill me?" My voice had risen to a dull roar.

"It's true Miller. Simmons wants you dead."

"So you're fulfilling a contract put out by a guy who is now dead? How do you expect to collect your pay off?"

"Miller you're assuming that Simmons is dead based on your seeing a charred body for a few moments. I assure you Miller, he is alive and well and more than able to pay me my fee. I spoke to him this morning over coffee. He didn't look dead to me." Now Ramirez was having fun; he was relishing the shock on my face. "Tell me Miller… who made the formal ID of the body? What did the Medical Examiner use? Fingerprints? Unlikely… 'Simmons' was pretty well charred. Dental records? The gunshot to the head sort of messed those up didn't it. That leaves DNA and medical records as a scientific means of identification, and where do you think the Medical Examiner would have got those from? The victim's employer would have been his first port of call wouldn't it? The CIA would have been approached for Simmons's medical records which would have contained a DNA profile because of the fact that Simmons was a field agent. With his security clearance how easy would it have been to switch profiles with another person? One who looked a little like himself and was built along similar lines?" Ramirez was actually making sense. Unfortunately he was right; it did open up a whole new box of worms. I needed to get out of that room… to process the information bomb that had just landed on me… but first I needed to find out where Simmons was, why it was so important that he get rid of me and when it was going to happen. Actually there were a dozen questions I needed to ask.




The Real Estate Connection Ch. 08



"Where is Simmons now?"

"He moves around every day. I actually don't know where he is but I do know where he's not. He's not here in Richmond. He contacts me by cell phone. There is no set schedule… he just calls me whenever he has a job for me. The calls are short… just a set of instructions, a meeting place, or instructions to check my email. Sometimes he uses text messages." Grant was watching Ramirez intently through the whole exchange. Once in a while he would look at me and give me a short nod or thumbs up indicating that he was telling the truth, but really I didn't need the independent confirmation. Everything Ramirez said made sense. Simmons wouldn't risk staying in Richmond, and he sure as hell wouldn't stay in one place too long. Not with me hunting him.

"You said you had coffee with him this morning. Where did you meet?"

"There's a Seven-Eleven between here and Langley. I met him there." Now how's that for irony? It was the same place Lee and I had stopped for coffee on the way back from our chat with Carmichael at CIA headquarters.

"How did he look?" Ramirez gave me a funny look. "Did he look like he's been roughing it or did he look fresh? Do you think he was living out of motels or out of his car?"

"Aaah… I see. He was unshaved and looked as if he had slept in his clothes. You think he might be hiding out in the woods?" I made no comment.

"Was this morning the first time you've met him to discuss the job?" Grant asked.

"No I've met him a few times." He looked uncomfortable and I had an idea why.

"You always meet at the same place don't you? Always at the Seven-Eleven?" He didn't answer. "I asked you a question Ramirez." Still no answer. He was digging his heels in. This would be where he tried to make a deal to make things a little better for him on the back end of this interrogation. Time to reinforce our position.

"Give him a shot Grant." I stood and backed out of the way as Grant moved back to his bag of goodies and grabbed the hypodermics. Ramirez went pale again.

"No! Okay I'll talk… just don't shoot me up!" I wondered at his fear of the drugs… or was it fear of Grant. "Yes I always meet him at the Seven-Eleven. The same one every time." He hung his head in defeat. Grant put the syringes back on the towel.

"Okay now here comes the biggie. Why is it so important for Simmons to eliminate me? How does it tie in with Colombia?"

"Simmons had his own game going on down in Colombia. He was skimming cash and drugs after your team hit a lab or departure point. He's got a good little business going down there… and up here. I was recruited early. Others he picked up along the way. Sometimes you'd hit a lab that was actually infiltrated by Simmons' crew so after the dust had cleared your body count would always be a little off. Simmons would spirit his boys out of the area and add them to the body count total. When you decided to retire he was relieved. He figured that he could just make a deal with whoever took over your team and carry on as before but without the worry of getting caught by you. Your problem Miller was that you were too honest. Simmons could have made you a very rich man."

"I am a very rich man. And I've made my money honestly without having to prostitute my soul like you parasites. Carry on."

"What Simmons didn't know was that Carmichael was going to approach you and ask you to do an analysis of the CIA's operations down in Colombia. Carmichael naturally briefed him on it since Simmons was one of his most senior operators in Colombia. That was when he contacted me and my team. He couldn't afford the risk of allowing you to go over the information the CIA had on your operations. You were bound to see discrepancies. He had to get rid of you." He stopped and licked his dry lips.

"Hemi could you grab Julio a drink of water? There's a bottle in my Tahoe… give him that." Hemi hurried off to get the water.

"One more question then we'll take a break. Are Sam and Hemi working with Simmons?" As horrible as the thought was I had to know for certain.

"Not as far as I know." Ramirez looked thoughtful. "I know there are others working for Simmons here in the USA but I don't know if he has anyone else on the job of eliminating you… and I don't know if Hemi and Sam are part of his crew." I believed him. Grant and I moved away leaving him to himself for a while. When Hemi returned with the water I cut the plastic ties which had bound him since we had snatched him that morning. He winced and massaged his wrists as the blood flowed back into his hands. It was a few minutes before he could hold the bottle which Hemi passed to him. As he took advantage of the respite I took out my cell phone and called Stevie.

"Hello you sexy man. How are you Craig?" There was a mixture of teasing and concern in her voice. She knew that what I was doing didn't come easily to me.

"I'm okay Kitten. Just thought I'd check in and see how you guys are doing."

"We're having a ball here baby. The gym is all set up and Mike and the guy from the store left a few minutes ago. Mike wants an invite to come out and use the gear. Becky and Matt arrived about half an hour ago so we're all just sitting around having a few quiet drinks and shooting the breeze. Grant's wife Angela is a real honey. What time do you think you'll be back baby?" Her rambling quick fire chat was an indicator of how much this was affecting her.

"Honey I'm not sure how much longer I'll be, but I can tell you I have a lot of answers to a lot of questions. I'm not going to go into detail now but we are in a hell of a better position than what we were this morning. I love you Stevie." I heard her breath catch in a small sob as she expressed her relief. "Now what are you folks gonna do while we're toiling away down in the dungeon?" She laughed… just a short laugh but it was a relief to hear; it served to lighten my mood too even though I still had a little more work to do on Ramirez.

"Well by the looks of things we're going to have a full house tonight. Becky and Matt arrived with food, I'm assuming that Grant and Angela are staying, and KJ and Brian are going to stay overnight too. I think we've got enough beds as long as Hemi and Sam don't mind sharing a room. I think we'll do the barbeque thing again tonight hon. Then I want an early night… just you and me… okay?" It sounded heavenly and I told her so. After a little more murmured chat I told her I loved her again then rang off. I walked back to Ramirez who was still sitting on the chair under the watchful eyes of Hemi and Grant.

"A couple more questions then we're finished. Is Carmichael involved?" Ramirez sighed then looked me square in the eyes.

"Before I answer any more of your questions I'm going to ask one of my own. What happens to me once you've finished here today?" Good question. Things had proceeded so fast that this was something I hadn't given a lot of thought to. I did, however, have an inkling of an idea. 

"You'll live. Now answer the question before that changes." He glared at me before answering.

"As far as I know Carmichael isn't involved. This is a job that Simmons was running as an independent. If Carmichael had known about it there would be no way you'd still be alive. You're good Miller but not that good. Hemi or Sam could have taken you out any time since they joined you if Carmichael was involved. Or you would have been taken out on your trip to Langley the other day."

"Okay so if Carmichael isn't involved and you've only met with Simmons at the Seven-Eleven, why do you carry a CIA keycard?" He grinned.

"I stole it from Simmons a while back. I've held on to it trying to figure out a use for it… or rather a time to use it. To be able to use it properly it has to be used in conjunction with a thumbprint, but that is easy to fake. I got his prints a while ago from a glass he used and copied the print, then transferred it to a latex skin. Now all I have to do is pass his card through the scanner and press the copy of his thumbprint against the print reader and I'm in." The plan was basic and lacking in finesse but the scary thing about it was that it would probably work. None of the personnel I had seen on our trip to Langley the other day had needed to give an iris scan or even a voice print ID. Thumbprint and card had been all the ID they needed. 

"One more question then we're finished. Is the local police chief in on this? Chief Wallace?" The answer unfortunately didn't surprise me.

"Yes he is. Simmons paid him off. I understand he grabbed your guns. Must be hard to defend your home with no weapons." His smile was nasty but I could expect no less. I had decided what to do about our homicidal friend.

"Ramirez I'm gonna let you go now. Remember that I could have killed you as easily as swatting a fly. I know that you're not the sentimental type but think about this. We know who is after us now and why. We know most of what we need to know to get hold of Simmons before he hits us and I also know that Simmons won't be too happy to find out how I know. My advice to you would be to take the money that Simmons has given you so far and get the fuck out of Dodge. It won't take Simmons long to figure out who gave him up and when he does your life aint gonna be worth a teaspoon of spit. Take the money and run… because if I ever see you again… I'll blow your fucking brains out." With that I turned and left the basement. It was a huge relief to get out into the sunshine. The fresh air seemed to wash away the grime of the basement leaving me feeling refreshed. Grant joined me a few minutes later.

"Hemi is gonna drive Ramirez into town Craig. Look are you sure you're doing the right thing by letting him go? He'll probably head straight for Simmons and let him know what went down today."

"No… that's the last thing he'd do. Simmons would kill him just for getting caught. If he's smart, which I think he is, he'll pack up his tent and fuck off really quick. Come on… let's get out of here. Stevie's got a barbeque planned and apparently you and Angela are staying with us for the night."

Ten minutes later Grant and I were climbing out of the Tahoe and heading for a very rowdy pool party led by a scantily clad KJ and an equally near naked Becky. KJ was perched on Brian's shoulders wrestling with Becky who was riding a laughing Matt. The speakers had been dragged out again and it seemed that Heavy Metal was the order of the day. Metallica's Nothing Else Matters accompanied the laughter from the pool. For once my sweet innocent Stevie wasn't involved; she was sitting off to one side chatting quietly to Angela. Whatever the topic it was serious. Stevie looked intent… and almost despondent. Her face lit up a bit when she saw me and Grant coming across the lawn. Stevie leapt to her feet and rushed to meet me, flinging herself into my arms and showering my face with kisses.

"I was so worried. You okay honey?" There were unasked questions in her eyes. Stevie was dreading what the interrogation might have done to me.

"I'm fine baby and getting better by the moment. Listen everything is gonna be okay. Not a greasy hair on Ramirez's oily head was harmed and we got more info than we ever thought we would. I know you're worried about me but Kitten it's gonna be okay. For the first time since this thing started we have the upper hand. I'm going to go and make a few phone calls. It's about time we freed up some assets so we can go on the offensive. I'm sick of being on the back foot all the time so I'm going to call in an old friend to look after home base while I go hunting. I'll be back in a minute honey." With that I turned and walked into the library to call an old friend. Stevie hesitated for a minute then followed me in, parking her cute ass on my lap as I called Glenn Barrett.

"Barrett Security, Manny Salvatore speaking. How can I help you?" It was a voice from the past and knowing that Manny was still working with Glenn gave me a huge boost of confidence.

"How you doing you greasy wop bastard?" My greeting drew a shocked gasp from Stevie and a speculative silence on the other end of the line. "What's the matter… cat got your tongue lardass?"

"There's only one man who would dare think he could get away with that shit. That you Ronin?" God I hadn't heard that nickname for years and it produced a flood of nostalgia and a wry grin.

"You still owe me twenty bucks Manny but I'll settle for a six pack and a burger. Yeah it's me. How you doing? You guys busy?"

"As busy as a new girl in a Chinese brothel buddy. What the hell are you up to these days? Last I heard you were south of the border fighting the good fight against the cartels. You still in that business?" 

"Actually I'm back to being a PFC now Manny… a Private Fucking Civilian, and I've got a wee problem you might be able to help out with. Is Glenn around? I've got some work for you if you're interested" It was getting hard to hold the phone and Stevie so I put the call on speaker and hung up the handset.

"Actually Ronin, he's at the hospital being checked out. He got shot a while back. We've got a situation of our own. Glenn's got a problem with his girlfriend, Carol's, ex husband who happens to be a low level lieutenant in the New Jersey mob. Things have become a little hectic around here. What's your problem man?"

I took the next 10 minutes to explain our situation and Manny and I both marveled at the parallels. When I finished there was a short silence while Manny mulled over the information I'd given him.

"There might be a silver lining to this cloud Ronin. If we consolidate then you might be able to help us out with our problem too. And coming to Richmond would put a few miles between us and Carol's psychotic ex. Glenn's head over heel's for this woman and I can't blame him. She's a doll. Besides I can't wait to meet this Stevie. There has to be something severely wrong with her mental wiring if she's hooked up with a clown like you but I'll reserve judgment until I meet her. It might be good for her and Carol to get together… sort of like a mini support team." Stevie's spluttering laughter finally reached Manny and there was a long embarrassed silence. "She's there with you isn't she? She heard every word I said didn't she?"

"Hello Manny. I won't hold it against you… much." Stevie's comment was delivered in her sweetest tones.

"Oh shit. Hello Stevie. Sorry about the defective mental wiring comment. I'm gonna suffer aren't I Ronin?" All I could do was grin.

"Yup. She's a wildcat buddy so I'd guess that you're gonna suffer big time. Okay I'd better get going. Could you talk to Glenn about this and get him to call me tomorrow?" I gave him my number and with goodbye's out of the way I rang off. Stevie snuggled in to my chest and for a while we just sat there cuddling.

"So… Ronin… where does that come from?" I was instantly embarrassed. I had been given the nickname when I served with Manny and Glenn in the Army. 

"A Ronin was a Samurai without a master. He still had a very strict code of honor but was free to roam the land as a mercenary. When I was in the Army the guys thought it suited me so it stuck. God I haven't been called that for years." Again the nostalgia washed over me and I spent a few minutes revisiting good old memories. Stevie was content to just snuggle. Finally I came back top the present.

"So what were you and Angela talking about?" She sat up with an excited grin on her face.

"Security! Honey we're going to get a dog. We have the room and the need and I just love dogs. We have a meeting at 6pm with a breeder who trains guard dogs. There's no point arguing, I've made up my mind!" Actually it was a damned good idea and I told her so. The only problem I could see was the type of dog Stevie would want. I could picture her picking a Scotch Terrier or a similar toy dog. Still it was only an appointment to check the place and the dogs out. I checked my watch and discovered that it was five o'clock already. We'd have to leave soon if we were going to make it.

"I'm going to go and freshen up then we'll go, okay honey? Oh and I asked Angela to come along too. She's got a guard dog at home." I had no problem with that. I hadn't really had any time to get to meet her so this would be a good opportunity. As Stevie scampered upstairs to 'freshen up', I wandered outside to join the party. The battle for supremacy of the pool was still raging between KJ and her mount and Becky and hers and it seemed to be a fairly even match. I found a cooler of cokes and beers in between the loungers that Grant and Angela were relaxing on and snagged a coke. 

"I hear that you're getting a dog", Grant deadpanned. I shot him a mock sour glare while Angela giggled. "Angela tells me we're coming to help you choose it. Personally I recommend a Chihuahua. Savage little bastards those toy dogs; they'll rip your throat out once they figure out how to reach it. I've always been very wary of Chihuahuas carrying ladders." He nodded sagely as I sipped my coke and glared at him again. He just laughed. Hemi arrived back and wandered over to join the group, snagging a beer from the cooler. It took only a few discrete sentences for him to let me know that Ramirez was heading for the hills. It didn't matter any more what he told Simmons if he contacted him again. Now we knew what we'd be up against. He finished his beer then left to grab Sam and head into town. It seemed that his cute S.W.A.T. officer had a friend and we weren't to wait up for them.

It didn't take long for Stevie to get ready and a few minutes later we were off to see a man about a dog, Stevie riding with Angela in the rear of the Tahoe, and Grant up front with me. The ribbing and speculation about the size and breed of dog continued all the way to our destination which turned out to be a small picturesque farm on the outskirts of Richmond. The sign on the gate read 'Mr. Fong's Guard Dog Kennels'. We parked by the large double garage beside the house. A small office was attached to the garage and as we got out of the car a man emerged from the office followed closely by a beautiful German Shepherd. Mr. Fong was in his late 30's and showed no trace at all of any Asian genes. His smile was open and friendly as he walked to meet us, hand outstretched in greeting. As we shook hands and introduced ourselves the dog was watching intently. I knew that any wrong move and that large ball of bone muscle fur and teeth would be on us like white on rice. It appeared that Stevie had organized more than just the appointment time.

"I had a think about your needs based on what you told me on the phone and I think I have just the dogs for you," Mr. Fong said as we followed him down a tree bordered path to a row of tidy buildings with high steel mesh fencing around them. Dogs? Plural? I cast a questioning glance at Stevie but she avoided my eye. Still I was quite happy to see where this would lead. 

The dog runs were spacious and clean and to my great relief there wasn't a Chihuahua in sight. German Shepherds and Rottwielers seemed to be the breeds of choice at Mr. Fong's. Grant and Angela stayed back at the end of the path while we walked a further 50 yards to the pens. All the dogs were juveniles but past the puppy stage, all seemed happy and very well cared for and all were silent but alert as we approached their home. We stopped in front of the cages and surveyed the smiling happy dog faces as Mr. Fong explained his training methods and aims for his dogs. As soon as he started talking I realized we were in the presence of a master. Mr. Fong detested the punishment method of training; that is where the dog gets punished for getting its task wrong. He was a firm believer in the positive reinforcement method where the dog was rewarded and encouraged when it got the task right. As he talked he pulled a lever attached to the end cage and the doors of the runs opened. The dogs just sat there making no move to leave the runs until Mr. Fong slapped his thigh and gave a short whistle. Then it degenerated into a dog pile up with Mr. Fong being swarmed with happy barking Shepherds and Rottwielers. We were totally ignored by the pack until Stevie kneeled down on the grass and gave a soft whistle. One of the Shepherds peeled off from the melee and wandered over to investigate the interloper. Stevie showed me immediately that she was used to dogs by remaining still and holding out her hands palms down for the dog to sniff. She kept her head down but kept eye contact with the beautiful dog while it decided whether or not Stevie was a human it could trust. Apparently Stevie passed the inspection and seconds later she was sprawled backwards, giggling on the ground as the dog licked her face and arms. While Stevie was making friends another Shepherd wandered over, this one a little larger and more serious in demeanor. It stepped up to me and stood gazing up at me. Slowly I squatted and let the large animal sniff and lick my hands as he got to know me. He too seemed to be satisfied with my credentials and shuffled closer and sat down as I tickled him behind the ears. Unless I missed my guess, we had made our selection. Mr. Fong seemed to think so too. As I stood up the dog moved in until he was pressed against my leg facing outward as if on the lookout for some unseen threat.