There Must Be a Mistake Ch. 09

"I'm going on a trip to Washington D. C. with Rod to file your father's patent for the radio waves as soon as the patent office opens. I will be back tomorrow morning. Your father is bringing you to the airport to pick us up. We will switch cars. Your father will come home with Rod, while you and I buy running shoes. Your father has a feeling something is going to happen next week and wants the patent filed before then. He wants Rod and I back before anyone notices we are missing. I chartered a Gulfstream 650 because it is the fastest aircraft available. If we leave Washington by 10 AM EST we will land here 11 AM MST. No one should know anything was out of the ordinary."

"Let me get dressed, I will go with you."

"No, you will screw up all our plans. Your father wants people to see you with him when he leaves the house in the morning."

"You stay here, and I'll go with Rod."

"Are you listening to this Even?"

"Yes I am. I'll bring in the ropes."

"Why is my dad bringing ropes in to this room?"

"We are going to tie to the bed. We knew you would object to our plan, so we had plan 'B' ready for you."

"Am I getting that predictable?"

"Does the sun rise in the east every morning?"

"I don't like you. You are making fun of me. You are taking advantage of a teenage girl. You are supposed to be the adult."

"Do you remember what you said about Gordon Monday night? The look on your face right now is just too cute."

Gray put his hands between her thighs, and rubbed up and down slowly. He kissed her, and nibbled on her lower lip.

I walked into their room and asked, "Is this what you needed the ropes for?" He turned and left the room instantly.

Delicious yelled, "Knock first dad."

"I was called for first. Let me know when you two are done please. I have to go wash my eyes out with soap."

"I believe your father is going to kill me."

"He will have to wait in line; I am going to kill you first. How dare you think of tying me to this bed?"

"I've had dreams about doing that to you, since I first kiss you. Having complete access to your body, and having absolute control over it, would be a dream come true."

"Make a list; I'll see what I can do about it."

"REALLY!"

"Can I go to Washington with you?"

"No."

"I hope you have an eraser for that pencil."

"Bitch."

"I believe that's $30, and someone has to learn to watch his language."

"Is it safe to come in there yet?"

"I only need one piece of rope Even; I'm going to strangle her with it."

"Can I watch?"

"I hate you dad. I'm not talking to you for the rest of the day."

"It is 11:30 PM, are you not talking to me for 30 minutes or all day tomorrow?"

"Why are both of you fucking with me tonight?"

"That will be $10 please."

"You are pissing me off dad."

"Do you want the rope or not Gray?"

"Baby do I need to rope, or are you going to be good?"

"You know me Gray; when I'm good I'm very good, when I'm bad, I'm awesome."

"Even bring the ropes in."

"Is it safe; the soap is still burning my eyes?"

"Yes dad, it is safe."

"How do you want to tie her up; across the bed, or to the headboard?"

"There's an easier way to do this. Take her car keys from her pocketbook. Don't let her out of the house for 30 minutes after I leave. I will drive Rod to the airport. She has seen me drive. She knows she will never catch me. We will be in the air before she gets to the airport."

"Bastard."

"That's close, but it's not $10.

Friday Morning

Rod walked up to me with a big smile on his face. "I got the same clerk as the last two times I went there."

She looked at me and said, "Oh no, not another one."

I laughed. "Where were you Wednesday, when I filed the last one? She didn't know if I was kidding or not. I paid the fee, watched her file it into the computer, and you are all set my friend. Patent pending as of 9:18 AM Eastern standard Time today. Anyone that files after that time it is out of 'Even Luck'."

"Thank you Rod, I'm glad that's over. Let's take the paperwork to the bank and put it in the vault. I'll take you to lunch."

"Lunch; I just had breakfast."

*******

Gray took Delicious into his arms and kissed her. "Good morning sweetheart, did you sleep well?"

"Do you know how much trouble you would have been in if you hadn't walked off that airplane?"

"Is that a nice way to greet the man that loves you?"

"I haven't grown up yet, but I'm trying. Trusting a man is hard."

"Baby I'm never going to hurt you. No, change that, I am going to hurt you. I am going to hurt you while we run. I am going to hurt you when you misbehave. I am never going to hurt you by cheating on you."

"You just lied to me again. You told me last night you would cheat on me if they let you fly an F-35."

"Leave it to a woman to remember the one thing a man would do to fly another woman."

"Why are airplanes always she's?"

"If you want me to explain that truthfully, I would need a 20 yard head start, because you would catch me, kill me, and then you would really start to hurt me."

"Give me the PG rated version."

"Okay, just don't hurt me. Where else can a man hold a woman completely captive in his hands, and have her do exactly what he wants her to do at the instant he wants her to do it. She will respond to the touch of his toes, his fingers, or with a look in his eye. A man has complete control over a woman, while he's the cockpit of an aircraft."

"Keep your feet on the ground cowboy, because it's not going to happen with me."

"I don't see wings on you, but you certainly do have a beautiful tail. Let's go buy your running shoes."

"Do we really have to buy them?"

"You bet your tail we do."

"Very funny Gray, we will discuss this at home this evening."

"We will discuss this at home this evening, only if you have enough strength to talk, after we finished running."

"I used to say to you, I'm beginning not to like you. The more I get to know you, the more certain of it I am. You are lucky I want to keep you around until I finish the contract. I want to see your eyes bulge out when you read it."

"Have you started on it yet?"

"I've been meaning to, but we've been busy. I'll get to it soon."

"As long as you remember that your 10 years started the day you moved into my room, it's fine with me."

"My 10 years start when you sign my contract."

"There is no way in hell I'm agreeing to that. You could procrastinate for five years before you write that contract. It would keep me in limbo for 15 years. That is not going to happen."

"Okay let's do the King Solomon routine. I have to have the contract ready in 90 days. If it's not ready we revert back to the day I moved into our room. If it is ready it starts on that day. Agreed?"

"90 days from when?"

"90 days from today."

"No, you have been threatening me with that contract since the day you moved into my room. It starts then, or all bets are off."

"Agreed, you are a pain in the ass, but you negotiate well."

"I was number one in my graduating class in debate."

"Dammit Gray is there anything you don't do well?"

"I decided when I was very young that if it was worth doing you should put all your effort behind it. When I saw you I knew I had to do the same thing with you, even though I knew it would be hard."

"It looks like you two are going to be a while. If we can exchange car keys, Rod and I are going to the bank. You two are on your own for the rest of the day. Please, no sex in public, I don't want to drive back into Denver to bail you out of jail."

"I will try to keep her under control Even."

"You are a real bastard Gray. It's not like I'm the only one involved."

"Guilty as charged."

************

39. Radio Daze

Everything was ready. Jennifer and Gordon were not happy that they were not going to be there to see the test. Even explained why he did not want them there.

Denver's police chief called and gave Even the number of police available for Wednesday morning, thinking it would be too many for such an event.

Even hired all 216 of them, and reminded the chief of police that they had to be wearing body armor, carrying assault rifles, and their sidearms. They had to carry two other things with them as security measures.

Rod made arrangements for all the dignitaries to stay at one hotel. It would be easier for them to be picked up in the morning and driven to his home. Every room was guarded during the night.

In the morning 30 identical black Chevy Tahoe's were lined up at the rear exit of the hotel. All of them would be driven by police officers, and all of them would carry a minimum of four passengers. Only 17 of these vehicles would be carrying the invited guests.

There was a black canopy erected from the exit door of the hotel to the entrance of each vehicle, blocking the vision of anyone trying to see who was getting into which vehicle. Even Luck was taking no chances with his friends' lives, and those captains of industry he invited to witness this extraordinary test.

He had a huge tent erected on his property Tuesday. The vehicles could drive through one end, drop off their passengers, continue on, and park further down his property. The only open parts of the tent were for the vehicles to enter and exit. Everything else was blocked from view.

Music was being played around the property to defeat anyone's chance of listening in to their conversations from a long distance. He had a feeling his property would be under surveillance; he felt it in every bone of his body.

The police escort was ready to leave at 8 AM. They were ordered to put on their orange vests to verify their identity as members of the escort team. Four men, in police uniforms, tried to escape. They were captured, arrested, and sent to jail.

They were now told to remove their orange vests and put on the green vests that were in the extra ammo pouches issued to them this morning at the armory. As they put on their green vests, no other men tried to escape.

Shelby Meil made a phone call to his associates. Three hours after those men were booked into jail, they were in 'FBI' custody on Federal Charges. Somehow, these men got lost in the system.

A phalanx of police cars took the lead and as soon as they entered Interstate 70, they blocked off and stopped every traffic lane.

The two Dunbar armored cars that were waiting on the siding moved onto Interstate 70, took the lead, and began the trip to Idaho Springs.

The convoy of police cars, and suburban vehicles fell in line behind them. There was no traffic in front of them, and no traffic behind them to worry about. They were motoring along at 80 miles an hour and not worrying about getting a speeding ticket.

As another precaution, Even, at his own expense, had that damn pothole fixed on Spring Gulch Road. He didn't want one of the armored cars to break an axle on the way into his property.

(Two months later, Rod informed him the county was suing him for making a repair, on county property, without a license or pulling a permit.

He told Rod to counter-sue the county for the next 6 years of their budget. He had asked for that pothole to be fixed for more than six years, and they ignored him. He told Rod, "It was time to get Even.")

The armored cars pulled up, one at a time to his front door. Cloaked in black, the heavy items were placed in each of the armored cars and then sealed. Even put his seal across the back doors of the armored cars containing a design that was not reproducible by hand. He reminded the drivers to wear the protective gear.

When that was done he went to greet his audience. Rod had handed out two copies of the nondisclosure agreements to each person he invited. One was theirs to keep, the other was for Even. He stood at the lectern in front of them and said without a hint of a smile, "You will either sign the documents, or you will leave now."

Dycke Schneider stood up. "Before we sign anything we have one demand, and if you do not agree, we will all leave."

Even was not put off by his brusque manner. He was a very wealthy man, and no one to fool around with.

"What did you have in mind Mr. Schneider?"

"We have decided to change your test site. We believe you picked a very difficult area, but we wish to be certain you didn't plant anything that would help your system work."

"I have no problem with that request. Tell the armored car drivers and police where you want them to go, and we will go there."

Celeste said, "I told you that you are an asshole. He is as honest as the day is long."

"I hope I can out bid you on this project. I want to shove it up that pretty ass of yours, until it comes out of your mouth."

Payne hit him. "The only ass you are going to shove anything up is mine. Leave her alone."

"Still henpecked I see."

"Still carrying those Michelin's around I see."

"Kill him Antonia."

"Why would I kill him when I agree with him?"

"What do you mean you agree with him?"

"I've wanted to milk those udders of yours since before Kimberly was born."

"Philip hit her."

"When did you think I lost my mind; the day she knocked me out?"

"Why is everyone so afraid of me?"

"I'm not."

"Who the hell are you?"

"Delicious Luck, but I do not want to take advantage of some old woman."

Antonia said, "Old woman my ass."

Father McAuley walked up to Antonia. "You must be the 'Most Holy' Antonia Gennaro. May I shake your hand please?"

"Of course, Father, how do you know about me?"

"I have never been so honored in my life. I received a phone call from Cardinal Delphini, the Archbishop of Milan. He told me what a gentle person you are. He gave me his private number. He told me to call him and tell him about your exemplary behavior while you're here. I couldn't understand why he would want me to call, but it would be my honor to do so."

Antonia turned to Celeste with fire in her eyes. "Did you call him?"

"No."

She saw Philip sitting there with a wide smile on his face.

"Wait until you see what I am going to do to your books, Philip. You are going to be poorer in a church mouse."

"I have the Cardinal's number too, mini me."

"I am going to wish more children on you Celeste."

"I can't have any more children."

"Why do I have to be right all the time?"

"You could always wish more children on your mother and father."

"My parents would kill me for real if that happened."

I asked, "Any time you have finished arguing we can continue this meeting and go to your test site. If you wish to continue arguing, we can leave you here and the rest of us will go."

Payne said, "Dycke has finished arguing and is ready to sign the document, if he knows what's good for him."

Antonia agreed. "Philip is ready to sign also, or I'll break his fingers."

"Stephano aren't you happy we only argue between ourselves?"

"That's not exactly true dear; we have a set of triplets we argue with all the time when they get near the Cray. Thank goodness they decided to go to three separate graduate schools. If they had gone to one they would have shut the place down."

Laura said to her father, "Dad, we've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"Please, not now, I want to see this test before I die."

Patti said to her husband, "Neither you nor I will die if they go to the same school. It will be their professors that will run into the ocean and swim across to England and beg for asylum."

Laura said to her mother, "I've decided not to go for my PhD."

"Not now dear, there are too many policemen around for me to be acquitted of premeditated murder."

"You didn't go, why should I? It will be a waste of my time. Besides that, I have a job offer that I'm going to take."

"I will buy the fucking company before you leave home as a minor."

"Mom watch your fucking language, there is a priest here."

"I don't give a damn; you're not leaving home unless you're going to school."

"We will just see about that mother. I want this job, I was meant for it."

Stephano called out, "Officers, officers, can I see you for a moment please?"

"Yes sir, how may we help you?"

"Would you please search my wife and my daughter for lethal weapons please? If this argument gets any further out of control they may kill each other."

"Are you serious sir?"

"I am very experience with both of them sir. Patricia, Laura, what do I say to this nice man?"

"Do I have to give him my pen dad?"

"No you can give that to me."

"Are you carrying your gun Patricia?"

"Yes."

"Would you give it to the nice officer please, before I break your hand? Two fingers only please."

Stephano placed Patricia's gun into the plastic bag. "Officer, she has a federal permit to carry this thing."

"I'll look at it before I get it back to her, or you. Nice work sir."

"It's what grownups do when children fight."

"Stephano you and I are going to be spending an awful lot of time in that room at home."

"As long as I don't have to look at you through bars for killing our daughter over something as stupid as an argument, I'll deal with it."

"As for you young lady, keep a civil tongue in your mouth with your mother."

"If you rewind every word I said to her during the course of our discussion, there was not one word out of line. I wish she were more like the way she said her mother was to her, then the way she is towards us. She doesn't inspire innovation she chokes it out of us. She is afraid of what we might find or do when we work with her precious computer. Well I'm leaving home. If I have to hire an attorney to become emancipated as a 15-year-old I will. She can't keep me away from every computer there is on this planet. I'll do what she is afraid I will do if I am out from under her thumb. I won't take any more of this crap from her dad, I just won't do it."

"Can we at least talk about this when we get home?"

"Will you let me leave if I want to?"

"I can't promise that, but I'll make you a deal. You can stay with your grandfather and Jemma, while we figure out how to work this situation through. There is only one condition, and if you break it I will have every law enforcement agency in this country looking for you. You must not run away while you are staying with them."

"How long do I have to stay there?"

"It won't be forever, I promise Laura, I will work this out with your mother."

Father McAuley asked Stephano for a moment of his time.

"Mr. Valentino everyone here heard the conversation between your wife and daughter. If you would prefer not to join the group going to the testing site, police cars will return you to the hotel, where we believe you will be more comfortable. We are about to leave, this decision has to be made now I'm afraid."

"Patricia what do you want to do?"

"Let's go back to the hotel."

Laura shouted, "It figures, something new comes along and because she didn't come up with it, it's not worth her time. I'm going to the test site dad, you go with her. I'll meet you back at the hotel."

Harold Chase said, "Patti, I'll take her with me. What's happened to you; everyone has noticed you've changed. It's like you're not you anymore. Maybe you should see a doctor."

Those two sentences sent Patti reeling back to the Apple Orchard in upstate New York, where she didn't remember who she was or where she was. Days later she was diagnosed with a slow growing tumor on an artery in her brain. It had threatened to take all the memories away. It had threatened to take all her cognitive functions away, and she would no longer know right from wrong.