Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Chapter 43

Jacob heard soft keening sounds coming from Jordan’s room as he walked to his office to take care of business.  He paused shortly to listen then walked away with disbelief written on his face.  He’d known that she was a lover of women even before their parents did.  They were twins after all.  That’s why he was surprised.

He sat down at his desk and turned on his computer, trying to put the shock of what he’d heard from his mind.  He was sure that Tom had sent him an email dealing with the things that were happening at the practice.  I wonder who’s fucking up now, he thought as he logged into his business email with a sigh.  Fucking.  Funny I think that when my twin sister is tasting her first man.  He chuckled. 

James knocked softly on the opened office door.  “Jake, am I hearing things, or is Jordan getting laid?”

Jake shrugged.  “Couldn’t tell ya, Jay.  What it sounds like is probably what it is.”

“It sounds like someone is making sweet, sweet love to Jordan behind that door.”

“Well, that’s highly unlikely.  Jordan’s not into men and is in the middle of a divorce that’s going to get rather nasty.  She could be in there pleasuring herself.”

James gave Jake an ‘are you kidding me?’ look.  “Really?  Jake… really?  Do you seriously think that’s what’s going on in there?”

“It’s none of my business and it’s none of yours either.  Jordan’s a grown woman.  If she wants us to know what goes on behind her bedroom door, I’m sure she’ll share.  Now, take your nosy ass on somewhere else.  I have business to take care of and I’m sure that you and Justin need to check on the acts you’ve signed to Intoxication since Dad and Uncle Danny signed it over.  Why don’t you two do what you have to do and not worry about what Jordan’s doing?”

“I just wanted to be sure that I wasn’t hearing things.  Delilah’s letting Justin and me borrow her office to handle business.”

“Then go take care of business.  I have a few doctors I need to fire.”

“Why can’t Tom do it?”

“Because the surgeons are his department, and we have maybe two of them other than him.  We have six doctors that are covering my patient load alone.”

“And how many of them are fucking up?”

“All but one of them.  I’m about to start making the phone calls to what I have to do.  Get out of my office and close the door behind you.”

“I’m gone.  Have fun.”  James turned and left.

“Firing people is never fun.  You outta know that by now.”  Jake grabbed his work cell and started making the necessary phone calls one by one.  He kindly explained to them that their services were no longer needed.  He’d be heading back to work soon and his patients could wait for him.  As he stood to leave his office after taking care of his business and talking again to Mrs. St. Charles that her services in convincing his sister that doing something dangerous was ridiculous were unneeded, there was a knock on the door.  “Come in”, he called as he shut down his computer.

Morbus strolled in wearing a light leather jacket.  “I have good news, Jake.”

“What might that be?” he asked.

“This mess should all be over soon. Just got word that Grissom is on his way back to Denver.  He didn’t too much like my package.”

Jake chuckled.  “Well, I can’t imagine why”, he said sarcastically. “I mean, it was so well thought out.  Who wouldn’t love a box of ashes with a note saying, ‘we’re coming for you’?”

Morbus laughed and shook his head.  “Ok, sarcastic ass.”

“Sorry.  Had a moment where I just had to channel Dad.  You were saying?”

“Carter just got a phone call from one of his contacts in Grissom’s organization.  He didn’t react very well to the package.  Apparently, he viewed Miss Cody as a daughter.”

“And who doesn’t love a box of ashes that are supposed to represent a loved one?” Jake laughed again with sarcasm.

“That’s not channeling you Dad.  You’re channeling Mike.”

“Sorry.  Guess Uncle Mike’s rubbed off on me quite a bit over the years.  So, what’s Grissom’s plan?”
“The contact isn’t sure just yet, but will call with further details once they have them.”

Jake nodded.  “I guess we need to let Jordan know to be ready to roll out ASAP and at a moment’s notice.”

Morbus nodded as well.  “Planned on it after she cleans up from screwing Reece.”

“What makes everyone think she’s fooling around with Reece?  She’s a lesbian, for the love of all that’s holy.”

“I can smell them, Jacob.  Don’t give me that bull shit. Anyway, my ears may be going, but they’re not gone yet.  I can hear them both.  She moans softly and he’s a grunter.  Care to argue with me?”

Jake shook his head.  “Nah.  I’ll take your word for it, man.  Well, when she’s done doing whatever she’s doing, we can pull her aside and inform her.  I guess, start putting together a game plan to take this bastard out.  He’s gotta go if we want to prevent World War III.”

Morbus nodded.  “You got it.  You think Skyler would want to play with that flame thrower again?”

“He seemed to enjoy himself from what Jeremiah told me.  Talk to him and ask.  That’s my only suggestion.”

“Planned on it once I have more information.  It all depends on where Grissom it when Jordan offs him.”

---------------

“Holly!” Grissom yelled into the intercom.

“Yes, Mr. Grissom?” she asked sweetly.

“Gather me a new team and get us a flight to Denver NOW.  I want to leave yesterday.”

“Would you like me to arrange transport from the airport to one of our facilities in the area?”

“Yeah.  The Colorado Springs plant.  I want to be close to that Draiman scum.  I want to be close enough to smell them should they walk outside.  And find me an address on their homestead.  I want to watch the fucking place burn with each and every one of them inside so that I can send Mr. and Mrs. Draiman the ashes of each and every one of their heirs!”

Holly remained calm as she carried out her orders.  “Will there be anything else, Mr. Grissom?”

“Have someone go out and buy me some new clothes so that I can blend in out there.  I don’t want to stick out.  That body guard of theirs has no doubt circulated my picture.  And, so hair dye so that I can change my appearance.”

“What color, sir?”

“Black.  I want to go black.”

“And what style clothes do you want?”

“Something that a man my age would wear in Colorado this time of year.”

“You got it, sir.  I’ll get right on that.  Anything else?”

“Order my lunch.  You know what I want.  After you’re done with all that, go on ahead and take the day off once you’ve gotten all of the information to me.”

“Right away, Mr. Grissom.  I’ll get right back to you as soon as I have everything taken care of.”  And she set about doing the tasks she’d been given.  She ordered his lunch and got the team together and told them to get ready to roll when they received the text containing their departure information.  She sent one of her gophers out to go get the clothes.  The scheduled the flight and arranged for them all to be transported from the airport to the plant in Colorado Springs.  It took her all of about an hour and a half.  Buy the time she had finished doing everything, Grissom’s lunch had arrive and her gopher had returned with the clothes.  She smiled to herself and knocked at his office door.  “Mr. Grissom.  It’s Holly.”

“Come in, Holly.”

She walked in cautiously and looked around.  The office was a mess.  There were plants and broken glass everywhere.  It was to be expected though.  When a person is as unstable as Porter Grissom was, violent mood swings were expected.  “I have all of the things you asked me to get for you”, she said sweetly.  She set the bag of clothes down in the floor next to the desk.  “The flight is scheduled for five o’clock this evening, you’ll arrive about two hours later in Denver.  From there, you’ll be taken to the plant in the springs.  Wagner, Heath, Danvers, and Franks are going to be going with you.  I figured that you’d want a small team this time around.”

“Good girl.  Thank you.  Go home and enjoy some time off.  I’m going to need you once the Utopian party is back in power.  You’ll make a lovely press secretary.”

She smiled.  “Thank you, sir.  If you need anything else, let me know.”

“I will.”

Holly turned and left the room.  After gathering her purse and her phone, she headed out the door to her car.  Once she was secure in her car, she drove a few blocks away and made a phone call.  “Thomas.  It’s worse than I told you.  He’s flipped.  I don’t think he knows his left from his right.”

“That’s good.  We’ll be able to surprise him.”

“Is the person that’s going to be doing this that good?”

“They are.  Don’t worry about it, Holly.  We’ll all be out from under that sick son of a bitch soon.  He won’t be able to hurt anyone else for much longer.  Now, give me the information.”

She rattled off the things he’d need to know and sighed.  “You’re sure this will work?”

“Yes Holly.  I’m sure this will work.  I trust the people I’m with.”

“If you trust them, Thomas, then so do I.”

“I trust them with my life, little sister.  You’d be wise to do the same.  After all, they are related to the Voice.”

She nodded.  “Ok, bro.  Call me and let me know how everything went.”

“I’ll call you once he’s dead, Holly.  Don’t worry.  This will all be over soon.”

---------------

“So she’s your sister?” Morbus asked.

“Not really.  She’s not related to me, if that’s what you’re asking.  When we all got drafted into this mess, I was the one that took care of her.  Grissom’s been crazy from the get go, Morbus.  He’s just gotten worse with time.  At first, we all believed what he said.  I mean, what about a society without hatred and pain isn’t appealing?  But, slowly, as his true plan came to fruition, a few of us started questioning everything.  It wasn’t until he threatened my family that I wanted to find a way to escape.  He water boarded me over something I had no control over.”

“What was that?”

“The package that was sent here through Miriam, Jacob’s oldest child.  He had his assistant send that off.  I had nothing to do with it, but I want the one that he tried to drown.”

Morbus nodded slowly.  “I understand.  So, when you made arrangements to get your family out, why didn’t you do the same for the girl?”

“For a few reasons.  First, she wouldn’t have gone.  She may think Grissom’s off his nut, but she would want to keep up appearances until she could legitimately get away.  I mean, what would it look like if his secretary was suddenly missing?”

Morbus nodded.  “Why else?”

“He may have a temper, but there are a very few females in his inner circle that he trusts and he’s not usually the type to put his hands on a woman he trusts.  He has no problem roughing up one that he doesn’t as it evident with Jordan, but Grissom wouldn’t hurt Holly.  And third, she makes a really good spy because she’s so close to him.  She handles a lot of his personal business.  Who better to feed us information on him than her?”

“Good reasons. I suppose.  But if he’s as crazy as you say he is, then why wouldn’t he hurt her?”

“You don’t bite the hand that feeds you.  You don’t piss off the woman that orders your food regularly and handles all of your personals.  You do that and it will come back to haunt you.”

“Granted.  So, you trust her information?”

“Yes, but I suggest that we plant someone as the driver just in case.”

“Who do you suggest?”

“I know where the facility here in the Springs is, but he knows what I look like.  You’re too noticeable.  Perhaps one of your boys.”

“Travis or Will?”

“Yeah.  Just ask them which would be interested.”

“They would both be interested.”

“Then decided based on who’s better at Recon.”

“That would be Will.”

“Then send Will.”

Morbus nodded.  “I need to brief Jake on what’s going on.  You let will know about his new little mission.  If he has to kill to get in, he is to do so quickly, cleanly, and quietly.”

Carter nodded.  “Yes, sir, Morbus.”

---------------

Jordan padded down the stairs after she and Reece had finished.  She couldn’t look at him.  She was too conflicted to look at him for the moment.  He’d fallen asleep after they had finished because he’d expended what little bit of energy he had regained from his nap when they made love.

When she went into the kitchen to get a bottle of water, Delilah caught her.  “So, how did your talk with Reece about the kids go?” she asked.
“It was pretty good.  He said he was willing to put his career on the back burner to take care of the kids so that I could tour.  He’s willing to move in for that to happen too.”

“That’s good.”

Jordan nodded.  “It is.”

“So why do you look like you think it’s a bad idea?”

“I don’t”, Jordan lied.

“Don’t try to get one past me, Jordan.  I’ve been in this family long enough to know how it goes.  You’re feeling guilty about something.  What’s wrong?”

Jordan sighed.  “I just slept with him”, she whispered.

Delilah’s eyes grew wide.  “Repeat that.  I’m not sure I heard you.”

“I just had sex with Reece.”

Delilah was in shock.  “Wow.  I thought you weren’t into guys.”

“I’m not.  That’s the problem.  I’m a lesbian, but somehow he gets through all of my defenses and I don’t know why, but I’m seriously hot for that man.  I can’t explain it, Lilah.  It’s been like that since I met him.”
“Back during that whole debauchal with Samantha?”

“Yeah.”

Delilah nodded.  “I wish I could tell you I knew what you’re going through, but I can’t.  The only person I’ve ever felt that for is your brother.  I’m not attracted to women even a little.  I wish I could help you.”

Jordan nodded and sighed.  “Thanks for trying at least.  I just… I don’t know how to feel.”

“I feel for you, Jordan.  I wish I could help you.  I really, really do.  But there’s nothing I can do for you.”

Jordan took a sip of her water.  “I know.  Thanks anyway.”

“Not a problem, Jord.  If you need to talk, you know where to find me.”

“Thanks.  I’m gonna go for another workout.  Gotta make my calf muscles strong again.”

“There’s one way to deal with it.  Work out some more”, Delilah laughed.

“I’m not dealing with it by working out.  I’m running away from it.”

“Whatever works, Jordan.”

As Jordan headed out the door, she walked past Morbus.  “Jordan, freeze a moment.  I need to talk to you.”

“About?”

“The man that separated you from your children by beating the shit out of you.”

Something moved through Jordan’s eyes. It was like the predator had started pacing near the door of her cage.  Jordan stuffed her down so that she could deal with her family like a normal person, but the mere mention of Grissom- even abstractly- flipped a switch.  “What’s up?” she asked coldly.
“He’s coming to town soon.  Do you think you’re ready to take him one?”

“Do you think I’m ready to take him on?”

“I think you’re more than ready and there will never be a chance like this again.  He’s coming to Colorado Springs.”

She nodded.  “What’s the plan?”

“Still working on that, but it will involve me, the boys, Carter and possibly Skyler.  Can you handle that?”

“As long as I’m the one to pull the trigger on that son of a bitch, we’re cool.  I’m going to make him eat so much lead that it’ll put lead poisoning from lead based paint to shame.”

“That was a bad joke, Jord.”

“Do I care?”

Morbus chuckled.  “Good point.  Go train.  I’ll catch you later to break down the plan for you.”

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