Change

She felt his body tense and hugged it closer to hers as reassurance that his answer would be welcomed, regardless of what he admitted to.

"Are you concerned about him?" he asked.

"Not in the least," she replied. "I'm concerned about us. I need you to be able to trust me with the truth."

"What if I want to protect you from the truth?"

"Then I need you to trust me when I tell you that if the details surrounding Brad's disappearance are in some digital format on some computer in the world that is online, I can find the truth myself. It might take me a couple of days, but I will find it. You can't protect me from the truth, JR; all you can do is make learning it easier and more meaningful by sharing it with me."

He stared down at her pleading eyes and pulled her tighter against his body. With his head resting on top of hers, he explained the details of Brad's exile.

"So, you don't think he'll try to get back home at some point?" she asked when he had finished. "He could hitch a ride on a private yacht, a fishing boat, or any other vessel that happened to stop at the island on its way to the United States."

"The ordeal so far has not been a pleasant one for him, but it did demonstrate how much more serious his situation would become if he ever attempted to re-enter this country. If he was brave enough, or foolish enough to try, he would be intercepted almost immediately by French special forces personnel, who have the island pretty secure due to some of their own operations that are based there."

JR stepped back and looked into Rockie's eyes, "Now, was there something else you wanted to tell me before my parents get here?"

In response, she reached behind JR's back and turned off the shower, "Come on. I'll tell you while we dry off and get dressed."

Rockie stepped out onto the bathmat outside the shower and handed JR a towel before taking one for herself. They stood staring into each other's eyes as they quickly dried off. When he had finished, JR stepped out of the shower, wrapped his towel around Rockie, and pulled her back against his body.

"Well?" he said.

Rockie squeezed out of his embrace by sliding under the towel across her back and stepped back.

Giggling playfully at him, she said, "Limit your physical contact with me for now or we'll end up back in bed. It's bad enough that we're going to be getting dressed in the bedroom with the rumpled bed as a tempting reminder for me. I don't need you making it harder to resist the thing that I want most right now, which is to make love to you again."

JR chuckled and hung his towel on the rack before extending his hand to take Rockie's and hang it up as well.

"The feeling is mutual, but I'll behave until my parents leave, then all bets are off."

"You've got a deal," she said as she quickly walked into the bedroom and began straightening the bed.

JR followed her and took over straightening one side of the bed while Rockie did the other.

"Playing house naked with you is something I could get used to," he said. "Have you given any more thought to moving in here with me?"

While focusing her eyes on placing pillows back into place on the bed, she said, "I know about all the things you have done for me."

JR stood after placing his own pillows and said, "Do you care to elaborate?"

Rockie stood, still naked on the other side of the bed from JR as she said, "First, I want you to know that I figured things out completely on my own. I didn't hack anything to do it."

"Okay," JR said tentatively. "What exactly did you figure out?"

"I figured out that you are my 'good luck charm', as Abby referred to you. First, you got me into the Emerging Leader Program, which happened only because you mentioned me to Karen Mason, then you had my car insurance policy revised to cover the replacement cost, followed by covering the additional amount that my claim payment was short in order for me to get the car I wanted. Then, of course, there's the matter of getting rid of Brad that we have already discussed. There are probably more little things that I am overlooking, but I know that from the day I met you, and hopefully for the rest of my life, everything good in my world will be mine because you love me."

"You met Abby?", he asked, only because her words had otherwise left him speechless.

Rockie smiled and began collecting her clothes from the chair where she had discarded them.

"Yes. She introduced herself to me while I was at the mall with Katie and Cile. She thought at first that I was their Au Pair. She's still pretty hung up on you, by the way."

JR followed Rockie's lead and started getting his clothes collected.

"Her feelings towards me were never reciprocated. She thinks that she broke my heart, but all she did by cheating on me was to disappoint me because I thought that she belittled herself with her actions. I had already told her that we weren't going to try to maintain a relationship when I left for California, but she wouldn't accept that."

"JR, none of that matters to me. I only mentioned her because of her relaying to me all the ways that any obstacle in her life seemed to get miraculously fixed when you two were together. That is what made me start considering my own life since meeting you, and I drew my conclusions from that."

"Do you want me to apologize for making things better for you? Most of that was before I had realized what you really meant to me, and no different than what I would have done for anyone who needed help. Now things are different."

Rockie sat on the end of the bed to put her shoes on.

Glancing over her shoulder at JR, she said, "No, I don't want you to apologize. I want to thank you, but not only for what you did. I want to thank you for being the kind of person who would do those things for someone you barely knew. I told you weeks ago how much I treasured your kindness and compassion for others. It's one of the things that made me fall in love with you, and I would never want to change it. So, how are things different now?"

JR walked around to stand in front of Rockie, then knelt in front of her and removed the shoes that she had just put onto her feet.

"You don't need these. We're staying in tonight."

Smiling at him, she said, "I guess you're right."

JR remained on his knees as he said, "You were a girl in this world that I saw a limited opportunity to help out in a few areas. Now you are my world, and there are no limits to what I would do for your safety and happiness."

Rockie leaned forward and kissed him before saying, "And you are my world, Cutie. Your safety and happiness are my priorities as well."

~~~

"I've checked," Rockie explained. "A Presidential pardon carries no weight outside of the United States. Another country, countries, or even the World Court could still charge me with criminal activity if my actions were known. Anyone supporting me could also face charges."

JR nodded his head in agreement, "I think she's right, Dad. Plus, even if her intentions are honorable, internet privacy laws in other countries may not view that as an excuse."

Bobby glanced at his wife, who was sitting next to him, across the dining room table in JR's condo.

He asked, "What are your options then?"

"I'm not sure of all of them just yet," Rockie said. "I am confident that my intrusions are undetectable, at least for the time being, so I'm not concerned about getting caught. It would be helpful to have access to the servers and network infrastructure legally, but doing so could compromise whoever was allowing me access to their systems."

"What makes you so confident that your intrusions won't be discovered, or tracked back to you?" asked Patty.

Grinning, Rockie explained, "Similar to my use of the GPS chip vulnerability in cell phones for the Secret Chaperone application, every device that accesses a network has a single-chip controller on the network interface card that handles encoding and decoding of data through the seven network layers. While not all of these chips are identical, they must all follow the exact same command structure for network protocols to be standardized around the world. If there was a vulnerability identified in the standardized command structure, it would exist on every network interface card."

"And let me guess," said Bobby with a grin, "you found just such a vulnerability."

Rockie smiled and winked across the table at him.

"Of course, having a way in is just the beginning. The encrypting and decrypting of data still exists, but I have developed algorithms that track that process, applying filters that target only specific data. Anyway, since my intrusion process gets applied during a firmware update and then resides in the hardware, instead of within any operating system or application, it is virtually impossible to detect using technology currently available."

JR put his arm around Rockie's shoulder and asked, "Is it the testing of your algorithms that require you to seek out more powerful servers and systems?"

"For the most part, yes. Deanonymization is a strategy in data mining in which anonymous data is cross-referenced with other sources of data to re-identify the anonymous data source. When I am trying to filter out a lot of traffic to isolate any originating from the Dark Web, as an example, that could be millions of devices sending data that needs to be analyzed. My laptop can't handle that much processing."

"Let's expand on your activities some," Bobby said. "Currently, you're well along on your goal of having a process whereby activity on the Dark Web can be traced back to its source. What are your thoughts on how that data could be used once you're able to reliably track it?"

"I plan to notify the authorities in whichever country the illegal activity is occurring. They could then track the suspect IP address through the local internet service providers to identify an exact location."

"There are several problems with that," said Patty. "Aren't there, Bobby?"

"Yes, not the least of which will be your ability to remain anonymous. Few legal systems around the world would act upon information that they couldn't use as evidence in a court of law. They would need to be able to demonstrate that the evidence was obtained legally, which would typically require them to identify you as the source. Then there would be potential privacy violations brought against you in some countries. Without some legal authority behind your actions, you would have very limited credibility and even less success."

"Even if she went to work for someplace like the NSA," JR said, "a lot of other countries would reject the information as the US spying on their people."

"Interpol could be an option," Bobby said. "I could make some inquiries if you would like."

"Let's do something first," Patty suggested. "Rockie, would you feel comfortable coming out of the shadows some before considering Interpol? I don't mean revealing any of the secrets of your skills, but your true education level and things like that should be visible to them."

"Sure, I have no problem with that. However, I'm not really keen on working directly for Interpol. While I do have a passion for fighting child predators around the world, I don't want to give up other pursuits or interests that I may want in the future, such as this cute guy here beside me. Maybe I can be a contractor for them or something like that?"

"So, let's put a strategy together," said JR. "Dad could start inquiring about how much interest Interpol would have for someone with the ability to track criminal activity through the Dark Web, but not mention anyone specific. If there's definite interest, let's run some options by Interpol to see if the individual would need to be an employee or if a contract arrangement could work for them to maintain the legal authorization that any ensuing investigations or criminal proceedings would require."

"Right," agreed Bobby, "and while I'm doing that, Rockie can start updating the records on herself that we would need to showcase her education and background qualifications."

"How much of your tracking success can you demonstrate without divulging your intrusion method?" asked JR.

"That would be easy to demonstrate to a person with the knowledge to understand network and system logs," Rockie assured them. "Those records, along with my filtered data would show that I tracked a routing emanating from the Dark Web back to the specific network interface card of the originating device. Every one of those has a unique address, so it's similar to a fingerprint for identification purposes."

"Are there agencies within the US government that have the types of servers that Rockie needs for her continued testing?" asked Patty.

"I'm sure there are," said Bobby, "but for the short-term, until we know whether some association with Interpol is a viable option, we should probably keep Rockie's work more clandestine. Give me a list of parameters that you require, Rockie and I'll get you access to whatever you need within Brandt Consulting's systems."

"Okay," interrupted JR, "We determine whether Rockie would be a fit for Interpol, establish the type of role that they would accept, get Rockie access to the servers and systems that she needs, setup any desired demonstrations of her tracking, then what?"

"Find out what kind of maternity benefits are available," said Rockie.

The others fell silent and simply stared at her. Rockie laughed at their perplexed reaction and finally let them off the hook.

"Hey, I'm just planning ahead. Isn't that what a sound strategy is supposed to do? Seriously though, I will need to know how any career options that I have fit in with what JR's dreams are for his own. He has a few years of school to go, but I won't accept anything now that might get in the way of what he wants to do when the time comes."

JR scooted his chair back from the table, and Rockie recognized the invitation that he was presenting her. She moved over into his lap and threw her arms around his neck.

"I love you, JR."

"I love you too, Rockie."

Addressing everyone, he asked, "So, what about the short-term. Does Rockie still work at BWH?"

"No," Rockie said before anyone else could speak.

"If the offer is still open, I am going to move into this condo with you. From what I have learned in my research, I am going to have to devote a lot of time to the patent application for Secret Chaperone, so I can do that while the potential situation with Interpol is investigated. Plus, if you still plan to move after you graduate next month, we're going to need to start packing and finding a new place in Texas to live."

"I don't know about anyone else," said Patty, "but all this talk about potential grandchildren has made me hungry. Plus, I need to ask my son and girlfriend a favor."

"Sure, Mom, what would you like?"

"I would like for you and Rockie to disappear for a couple of hours after dinner so that your father and I can get reacquainted with your hot tub."

Chapter Thirty-One

His erection was proudly pointing directly at Rockie.

JR had never seen a woman lost fully in lust before. His experiences had been milder in the past. She wasn't looking at him, she was studying what was between his legs. She bent down, grasped his erection tenderly, and kissed the leaky crown. JR tried to rise, his thoughts leading to the master bedroom in her condo. Rockie wasn't in the mood to move. She pushed him back into the futon and straddled him. JR smiled at her aggressiveness. It made him want her all the more.

Rockie continued to hold his erection and guided it toward her target. She dragged the crown along her warm moistness which caused a shudder to run down her legs that JR could feel. He held her hips as she slowly lowered herself onto him, engulfing the head, but stopping there. She let go of him and brought her hand to his head, caressing the side of his face.

"It has been too long for me," Rockie said.

JR was about to respond that it had only been a couple of hours when she lowered quickly, fully wrapping him in her tight sleeve. He closed his eyes, arched forward, and stifled a moan as pleasure surged through his body. When Rockie was fully seated, JR opened his eyes to her lustful expression. She watched his face, and JR hers, as she began to move her hips. The pleasure was intense, he had never known such complete and total desire.

JR reached up, pushing her hair behind her neck, and pulled her lips back to his. They fit so well together. They shared the same air as she shifted to grinding her pelvis into his. Their eyes were only inches away from each other. The heavenly sensations began to build, their breathing becoming stronger.

"Wait for me," Rockie said.

JR felt her back stiffen and move opposite her hips. He pulled into himself and tightened his legs, holding back. Her ice-blue eyes were boring into him, coaxing him forward, begging him to release.

JR was on the verge of losing it when her movements lost tempo and became an offbeat staccato. Each surge of her hips was followed by a deep grunt. He could feel her body as it began to shudder. Her face flushed and her stomach curled in.

JR exploded into her; love, passion, and desire for his girl released in volcanic fury. Their eyes never left each other. Rockie's blissful face drove him further into nirvana. JR held her as she shook, her body gripping and releasing him. She collapsed onto him and began laughing softly.

"Kind of taking a chance, aren't we?" he panted.

"There are no risks for me where you are concerned, Cutie. However, I will make an appointment this week to explore our birth control options. Condoms won't work as far as I'm concerned."

"Your spontaneity makes that obvious. I would either need to be sheathed constantly or keep my pockets full of foil packets."

"Feeling you release inside of me; I mean the actual result of your release is too wonderful for me to describe. I love the feeling right now as the warmth and wetness flows within me. That's your love, your desire shared with me. Thank you."

"Believe me, the pleasure was all mine," JR said.

She nibbled on the tip of JR's nose and said, "Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree on who's pleasure it was. Can I ask you something?"

"Certainly, but why the sudden serious tone?"

"It's s serious question, and I want the full answer. Please don't make me struggle to find all the questions to ask."

"I promise," JR said. "What do you want to know?"

"Why is all of your significant wealth being held in trust accounts?"

JR laughed in relief that her question wasn't more complicated for him to answer.

"Other than a couple of thousand dollars in my regular bank account, everything else automatically gets routed to one of two revocable trust accounts that my parents help me set up when I started trading derivatives in my teens. Actually, only one trust account handles the income from my trades, the other was funded by my parents. Katie has her own trust account as well. Neither of us is supposed to have access to the funds in those accounts until we turn twenty-five, unless both of our parents are deceased before our twenty-fifth birthday."

"I understand the estate planning aspects, but why does all of your trading income go into a trust account? Are there benefits to that which I might want to take advantage of when the time comes?"

JR was thankful for the added context for Rockie's question, "There are a lot of benefits, but for me, the biggest benefit is the slight bit of anonymity it provides for me. I may have millions of dollars in my total financial portfolio, but most of it is hidden in the trusts. Sure, someone who knew the name of the trusts could probably see me listed as the trustee for each, but they wouldn't necessarily assume that the funds in the trust were exclusively mine. Do you know that my credit score is probably lower than yours? That's because I have little visible credit history for the report agencies to track."