by Finian Blake
“Maybe I should leave him in there overnight,” Perry said in disgust quoting Salvador. “I have a feeling that is exactly what would have happened if it were not for Sean.”
“Maybe I should fire Sean,” Salvador said sarcastically.
“If you do you will lose your whole security crew ending with me right after I fire them all,” Perry added his sarcasm. “Four Diamonds is hiring and I will give them all sterling reviews.”
“Hey, I was just kidding,” Salvador said nervously. “If Sean had stopped by my office after he found your concealed carry permit I would have sent him right down there. You got busted following my orders and I would never have left you hanging.”
“You don’t want me to think that or,” Perry let the statement hang.
“Or what,” Salvador barked.
“Or I will do what I have to do,” Perry smiled holding back a laugh. Salvador knew that he could not afford the argument so he switched topics.
“Did Senator Belight see you?”
“No, he was not one of the people out there, so I don’t think that he has a clue. I never would have guessed that he would duck into that ‘fag bar’. After all of his rants on family values.”
“That ditz never had a clue,” Salvador said with disgust. “I will have him delay the award with a congressional hearing.” He picked up the phone dialing Marvin’s number.
“Hey I need a small favor. I want you to hold some kind of congressional hearing into the split decision on the transport deal.”
“I needed a favor last night and you pimped me,” Marvin said bitterly. “Beside that you need a Congressional ditz not a Senatorial ditz.”
“You’re not still sore about last night are you,” Salvador said trying to laugh off Marvin’s comment.
“Last night was just a few hours ago. You stranded me in Downtown Baltimore just after midnight and it is now not quite six. Call my secretary during normal business hours,” Marvin disconnected the phone. When Salvador tried to call back he found out that his number had been blocked.
“He did say try another ‘ditz’. Didn’t I just use that term not more than a minute ago. I wonder if he has us bugged.”
“He probably got home a few hours ago. How would he have us bugged in that amount of time,” Perry countered. “I’m just glad that you did not mention that you knew that he went to the Blue Oyster from here.
“You’re right that would have been difficult to explain.” Salvador admitted. “I will give him a few hours and have Wayne call him in his office.”
Marvin handed Cherry the satellite phone, “Thank Boris for the relay. They really do think that I am some kind of idiot.”
“You can mope or you can fuck them,” Cherry said with an evil laugh. “Don’t take his call until three and tell him that you will look into it and don’t say anything else.”
“That’s the same thing as telling him to get fucked.”
“When he balks tell him that his lobbyist Chad would be the best one to discuss this with,” Cherry said softly.
“He will think that I am sticking him up for money.” Marvin said.
“I think that your ego has been bruised, at least $100,000 worth.” Cherry maintained an even voice.
“More than that,” Marvin countered.
“I will leave the sensibilities to you.” Cherry laughed. “Just don’t let on that you knew Perry was out there.”
Wayne was on his third try before he got the call to Marvin’s secretary because the call kept dumping. When the call finally went through it was immediately put on hold for two minutes.
“This is Senator Belight’s office, how may I help you.” Reid said innocently.
“Do you know who this is?” Wayne barked.
“This is Senator Belight’s office, not missing persons.” Reid said brightly breaking the connection. Wayne was so pissed off that he misdialed three times before getting through.
“This is Wayne Haggard calling for Senator Belight and if you hang up on me I will cut your nuts off.”
“Threatening a government employee is a Federal crime. I hope that you are joking.” Reid said calmly.
“Yes, I am joking, but do not put me on hold.” Wayne said re-evaluating his position. “It is critical that I reach the Senator as soon as possible. He is not answering his personal phone. Would you please contact him for me?”
“The Senator had an exceptionally bad night last night and has shut his personal cell off.” Reid explained patiently. “He called me this morning at seven AM explaining that he was stranded in Baltimore last night and had no sleep at all. He will be in the office around one PM for a few hours. It’s a good thing that you are not Sal Ardent, because I have an ‘eat shit and die’ message for him. I have already told his lobbyist that any bill that he is associated with will be moving to committee. As a matter of fact, the only appointment that I was allowed to make for the afternoon was with the lobbyist for Hall Shipbuilding.” Reid was having a hard time not bursting out in laughter. “I could gamble and put you down for five minutes with the ‘ditz’ around four thirty.” There was no doubt in Wayne’s mind that this was his ‘eat shit and die’ message. This was the third time that he heard the word ‘ditz’ from Marvin this morning he had to have dropped a bug in Salvador’s office. He called Salvador at Ardent Computers.
Sal you have a bug in your office Marvin used the word ‘ditz’ several times in our conversation.”
“I have never heard him use that term before. I think that we must consider the possibility.” Salvador hung up the phone calling Henry in his office.
“Henry I want you to sweep the building for bugs immediately,” not trying to hide his desperation. “I swear to God that they heard every word that we said last night.”
“Did the senator say anything about you sending Perry and Sean out to mug him,” Henry asked.
“No, he did not,” Salvador said thoughtfully.
“I am sure that he would have made some off hand reference if he had heard you say something like that,” Henry offered.
“Just sweep my office and your lab those are the only two places that I can remember using that word.”
“Alright but the computer scans will have to go on to the back burner.”
“Can’t you multi-task,” Salvador asked?
“Personally sweeping those areas requires me to be in those rooms,” Henry countered. “Sal, you need to get a grip.”
“Henry, it’s Salvador, even my parents don’t call me Sal!”
“Alright Sal,” Henry said intending to show his disrespect. “But you will have to pick one.”
“Sweep those two rooms and then finish debugging the computer.”
Henry added his thought, “you’re supposed to have a degree in computer science. What did you do cheat your way through college?”
“Just get moving I’m the guy who signs the checks.” Salvador said wanting to reinforce his position. “Boris shredded your work in a heartbeat and he didn’t even break a sweat. Maybe I should have hired him.”
“Boris did try to hire me and it is starting to look as if I should have taken his offer,” Henry said acidly.
“Hey, I was just busting your balls,” Salvador said not wanting to push Henry out the door. “How did he get in so easily?”
“That’s what has me on edge. I am using the most advanced encryption there is and he is in our system like a ghost. The son of a bitch is in there, but I can’t find any sign of him. Let alone how he got there,” Henry said desperately.
“Is he really that good,” Salvador could not believe that Henry was so completely stumped.
“Unless,” Henry typed furiously on the console of the mainframe, “He piggy backed the signal from Williams’ computer, but he would need a second computer of ours as an example of our work.”
“Dimitri’s computer did not did not go up before they removed the hard drive,” Salvador sounded desperate, “and that they may have had time to interrogate Dimitri
!”
“Most of Four Diamond’s top staff are all former Military Police and Intelligence operatives,” Henry moaned.
“The Baltimore Police report said that he was found dead in the hotel room as a result of the explosion,” Salvador insisted.
“We must assume that he talked,” Henry insisted returning to the key board to search for Dimitri’s signal. He found it in the code of the dump from William’s computer. If Dimitri didn’t talk his computer sure did, but you have to assume that he talked too.”
“So those two giants that stopped by here had a lot more information than they let on,” Salvador said as the realization came over him. “They couldn’t take out that whole team, could they?”
“You had a big payday scheduled when the job was finished,” Henry said in disgust.
“If they did take that team out wouldn’t they have been more threatening,” Salvador said. “They just asked us not to threaten their operation.”
“How is it that you are in charge,” Henry said incredulously drawing a malevolent stare from Salvador.
“I am in charge because I am willing to make those tough decisions, and I sign the pay checks.” Salvador said grandly.
“In this case I hope that you make the right decision. Those two impress me as being people that you don’t screw with.” Henry emphasized.
“I have it under control,” Salvador said confidently. “Have that idiot Lloyd meet me in my office. His partner Steve is a lot smarter than Lloyd. Get rid of him and keep the dummy.”
“What do you want to do with him?”
“He hasn’t seen anything yet. Just drop him at the Metro Station.” Salvador said patiently.
Wayne Haggard walked into Senator Belight’s office and straight to the inner office door as a smiling Reid watched the surprised look on his face when he found it locked. Reid was an effeminate looking young man of slight build about five foot seven dressed in a reasonably good off the rack blue suit that was neatly pressed. His powder blue shirt was highlighted by an iridescent gaily patterned blue tie and his shoes were sturdy black wing tips. Wayne knew the Senator staffed with young faggots, so he gambled on pushing past without hesitation.”
“He said that you would try to push in.” Reid said while successfully suppressing his laughter. “The Senator is in conference with Senator Ransom and Cherry Newly, so he is not to be disturbed.”
“Well I drove down from Maryland to see him in person. I am sure that he will see me,” Wayne said with an air of confidence. “Let me in faggot!” At that moment Cherry Newley walked out of the inner office stopping cold in the doorway. Reid smiled as Wayne tried to push past her when she came out of the office. She grabbed his thumb using it to twist his arm into an extremely painful hammer lock using it to push Wayne into a chair as he cried out in protest. Cherry placed the heel of her shoe in the arch of his foot causing Wayne to cry out in pain as she grabbed the lapels of his suit jacket to keep her balance digging it deeply into the joint. Reid smiled in appreciation at the smoothness of the move as the phone rang.
“The Senator will guarantee that he will sign the bill if you can do that again,” Reid said with a gleeful voice. Cherry pushed Wayne back in his chair switching feet and driving her other heel painfully into his other arch eliciting a scream much louder than the first scream. Cherry released the lapels as she pushed Wayne full back in his chair swaying confidently toward Reid’s desk.
“Bitch,” Wayne tried to charge Cherry, but his damaged arches refused to work properly and he stumbled as Cherry brought her knee into his groin with as much force as she could muster. All of his breath left his lungs so that he could only grunt as his knees forcefully hit the floor. As he lay on the floor unable to breathe, Cherry spoke over her shoulder.
“Reid what did you see?”
“I saw Wayne Haggard assault you as he pushed to get into the Senator’s office,” Reid said as he moved next to her warmly offering to shake her hand being disappointed when she refused in favor of straightening Wayne up by his lapels.
“Wayne can you hear me,” Cherry took his silent nod as a yes continuing in an overly sweet voice. “Now, make an appointment with my darling Reid for tomorrow around three o’clock and you may leave.” Cherry nodded to Reid and he finished helping Wayne to his feet escorting him to the door. Reid pushed an appointment card into his hand just as Senator Belight opened his office door.
“Oh, Wayne you are here I thought that you were going to pimp me again,” Marvin secretly delighted in the look of pain on his face. “I only have a few minutes, so let’s get started.” Cherry stood aside so that Wayne could limp into the office as Winnie left.
“You look positively horrible. I hope your night was not as bad as mine.”
“That bit…,” Wayne’s comment was cut off as the door closed. Cherry looked over Reid once again. He was not the athletic type man that she was used to dealing with but there was something interesting about him.
“Reid if you ever get tired of working for the Senator come work for us.”
“This government salary sucks I need some real money,” Reid complained.
“What do you mean,” Cherry asked. “You are the personal assistant of a primetime Senator. You should be well into six figures with that lobby money.”
“They want the Senator not me,” Reid said despondently.
“Does he read all of the bills personally, or do you read them,” Cherry pressed.
“I read them, do the research and give him a synopsis with my opinion.”
“As a personal assistant of the Senator you control the access, don’t you,” Cherry pressed.
“And…”
“And there are people that will pay for the access,” Cherry said calmly. “How long has the Senator been banging you?”
“About three years ago he dropped my pants and bent me over his desk,” Reid blushed.
“Senator Belight will dump you shortly in favor of another conquest. If you follow my advice you will be bending him over his desk and charging for access in the range of six figures annually which should be off the books,” Cherry purred quietly in Reid’s ear. “Come to dinner with us tonight and you will never be replaced.”
“Will Mary Lee be there,” Reid asked hopefully. “She is one of the only women that I have felt any attraction to.”
“Mary Lee will be there and you can be her dinner companion,” Reid did not understand her playful laugh. “I swear that after dinner she will give you some very serious face time. You can have the whole evening with her. Go home pack a bag and be back here by four thirty that will give you an hour and a half.”
“My apartment is in the city. I will be back in time,” Reid said positively. Cherry pulled out her satellite phone calling a number handing him the phone.
“Go to the limo area and keep talking to the driver until you find him. He will have you back here with time to spare.” Cherry said pushing him out the door with her phone.
Cherry had almost closed the door when the security guard filled her view with Wayne in tow.
“This man said that you kicked him in the nuts and stomped him.” The guard looked over Cherry’s petite five-foot frame. Her soft auburn hair with her powder blue eyes was not as eye catching as her firm 36EE breasts.
“They don’t have ears,” Cherry said sharply.
“Hugh…” was all the security guard could say.
“My tits may be as big as my head, but they don’t have ears, so you will have to talk to my face.” Cherry added a laugh to let the guard know that she was kidding. “Yes, I kicked his ass all around this office. He grabbed a tit and tried to force my hand in his pants,” Cherry lied sweetly.
“You are a full foot taller, seventy pounds heavier and you are telling me that she is the aggressor.” There was no mistaking the mocking tone in the officer’s voice, “Why don’t you try mugging a sixth grader. You might have better luck.” As Cherry moved into a boxer’s shuffle her breasts started to bounce and
sway causing the guard to lose his mind.
“What do you want us to do with him Mam?” The guard laughed as his eyes followed the bouncing nipples.
“Just get the pervert out of here. He wouldn’t last ten seconds in jail.” Cherry said in her tough voice as the guard guided Wayne to the exit.
“Hey buddy if I see you here again I will detain you.”
Lloyd put the finishing touches on the satellite map of Four Diamonds computer center which was disappointingly sparse. The design team had incorporated multiple camouflage techniques and he had never seen any of the new acreage. He had highlighted the two routes that he had taken when he was detected. From the air nothing indicated the scope of the project. The Russian mercenary team had been a complete failure and the only bright spot was that Salvador did not have to pay out the large bonus that was promised. Salvador had been shopping for Mercs and found a group that was willing to mount a raid. A gentleman with the code name of Crasher was the leader of a group consisting of 24 Mercs who were mostly a collection of former mixed Special Forces. Crasher was not happy with the information that he was getting from Salvador and Perry.
“Look you want their main frame computers and support systems taken out, but the only thing that you can tell me for sure is where the swimming pool is,” Crasher bristled.
“Lloyd is the best information that we have but I am learning more from what he isn’t able to tell me,” Crasher made no attempt to hide his distain. “This Four Diamonds Security is a top security company that is not associated with any particular government, but holds contracts with all of the first rate nations and about thirty lesser countries. The tall amazon is Nadia McKenzie and the tree trunk that was with her is Ted McKenzie, they own Four Diamonds. Ted is a former SAS instructor with a strong back ground in hostage rescue, but Nadia’s back ground is a bit obscure. Boris Baronov their computer wizard has so many degrees that his name gets lost in the letters behind it. I want you to know that is his real name. Cherry Newly and Rhonda Savage have a security clearance so high that anybody that researches their names gets flagged and that is in the U.S, U.K, Germany, Japan, India, China and Russia.”
