It Ain't Paranoia if... Pt. 02 Ch. 09

Kaitlyn had her eyes squeezed shut, trying to imagine - or maybe not imagine - the scene Ashlyn had described, so she didn't see the gleam in Ash's eyes as she continued.

"Once she was in bed I brought a trash can and put it beside her, washed her shoes in the sink and her dress in the tub, and got the hotel to launder it. I had puke on my dress, so I sent it too.

"I sat in the chair and watched her for a while, but it was chilly and I was afraid if I left her she would start puking again and choke on it, so I decided to stay."

She had been telling the story to her amused audience, but suddenly she was looking directly at Kaitlyn. "I'm sure glad I did. She snuggled that naked, curvy little body against me, and, well, dang, Rob, she's everything you said she is in bed!"

Ashley winked at me when she finished loudly exclaiming the last part. Kaitlyn's eyes were still squeezed shut, she was shaking her head, and then she protested, "I don't remember any of that! I swear Rob! I must have been completely out of it, because surely I would remember THAT!"

Having caught on, Claude piped in, "You didn't happen to video it, did you Ash? All I lack to complete Kaitlyn's first porn video is a little girl-on-girl action. Heck, I'll bill you as a co-star if it's as good as I expect!"

Kaitlyn's eyes suddenly popped open; recognition came to her, and her demeanor changed. "Wait, Bitch! You're making this up! You were sleeping on the other bed in your jeans when I woke up and staggered to the bathroom this morning!"

Her mouth curled cutely, she looked Ashley up and down, and proclaimed, "Besides, Bitch, you look way too healthy to have spent a night naked in my bed!"

Everyone broke down laughing, and my sex kitten snuggled deeper into my lap. "Even drunk as a skunk, I was your good girl, honey! Me and my body belong to you, and no one else!"

She pulled my chin down, gave me a soft but promising kiss, and, in an affected little girl voice insisted, "Now, carwy me upstairs - you know how horny tequila makes me after the hangover!"

****

The need to cancel the weddings averted, the two fiancés enjoyed their reunions and awoke refreshed, and ready to face the spiraling tension as the date drew nigh.

The three women reviewed their lists and made last-minute decisions; Claude, Clay, and I went over lists of our own, with Felix, Armando, JJ, and Esteban. Too many people we cared about would be congregated at the Desert Lair to take any chances with security; five days to make sure we're prepared, and get a thousand other things done.

JJ hadn't found the bugs he was certain existed, so he had contacted and contracted with a shadowy figure considered the best in the world at eavesdropping, and counter measures. That she/he was a criminal wanted in almost all western countries and would be paid in crypto wasn't off-putting to JJ or Esteban; they wandered through that domain frequently, and were confident she/he would help them find the leak.

I shrugged and told them "Whatever it takes - I ain't made of money, but I can't spend the money I've got if I'm dead, so do whatever you need to find the leak or leaker."

One thing that worried me on a number of levels: he/she had demanded a live video tour of the facility and a schematic drawing of the plans. Should 'they' be working for the other side that information could lead to disaster; on the other hand, if they have us bugged, disaster is nigh anyway.

Clay was in agreement with JJ: we had an electronic leak of some kind! Not a human leak, he declared, but some kind of electronic spying - our adversaries know things that have only been discussed among the denizens of the house!

With Esteban monitoring the air above and around us 24/7, and JJ searching the physical/electronic inventory of the dwelling, Clay decided to search the security archives, beginning from before the kidnappings. If inordinately lucky, a nefarious person would be seen committing acts of betrayal; if not, perhaps there is a gap or gaps in the record during which the betrayer did the work and they could figure out who had access to the house during that time.

Clay created two stand-alone 'dummy stations', not connected to the internet, at which to review the backups, and then pulled in two men with the expertise and skills to know it when they saw it. After a few minutes of working together, he turned them loose on the digital records. Armando, whom we trusted implicitly, was one of the men.

Esteban decided the ISR members on hand should sit in on the electronic meeting with their consultant tomorrow afternoon, in one of SCIF vaults at Crescent Moon. He and JJ were like bloodhounds on a trail now, and hoped / expected to be directed toward a new scent by their consultant.

That evening, Eva and Kaitlyn approached Claude and Rob with a plan that dovetailed perfectly with their own: a brief visit to the wedding and reception sites. The women's purpose was to refresh their memories of the facilities to ensure they dead-on for the weddings; the men's to ensure they weren't missing anything with the security measures.

The parents tucked their children in, said night prayers with them, and then adjourned to their own bedrooms. Kaitlyn let Rob shower while she got her things ready for tomorrow's quick trip, and then she showered. Rob was in bed when she came out of the bathroom dressed in a lavender negligee that left little to the imagination, and promptly let him know she was randy and ready.

The look of disbelief on her face when I told her that we should remain celibate the rest of the week, so our honeymoon would be extra special, almost broke my resolution. She argued that the honeymoon would be extra special even if we had quickies before and after the ceremony, but I wouldn't budge. She huffed, she puffed, she got up, changed into a set of the flannel pajamas she wore during her period, and lay stiffly on the very edge of her side of the mattress.

Rob chuckled to himself, said "Good night, Honey. God bless and keep you," settled in, and went to sleep. For the first time in a long time, there was little to no touching and no cuddling. Neither one liked that, but Rob knew if she was wrapped in his arms he would capitulate, so he maintained his distance in spite of his longing.

After dropping the kids off at school, we made our way to the Desert Lair in my Jeep. I had a caretaker who looked after things when I was gone, but it had a sad, abandoned look. It was still a sight for my sore eyes, and Duke whimpered, whined, dashed around smelling things, checked his doghouse / garage, and made a big pass around the premises, before returning to show us just how happy he was to be home.

Everything inside appeared in good shape, considering the neglect it had suffered. Kaitlyn and Eva put their covered dishes in the refrigerator and began looking for dust and dead bugs. The rest of us carefully surveyed each room, each outbuilding, and what passed for a yard, given the xeriscaping.

After determining it was properly cured, Duke dug up a mule deer shoulder bone he had buried months ago, and then retired to the porch to gnaw. He was a good boy in so many ways, and that included gnawing on bones rather than breaking them up and swallowing the little pieces, which is not good for a dog's digestive system.

The security system validated that, other than the caretaker, no human incursions had taken place while I was gone. I invited Claude to come with me to check on the IEDs; we armed ourselves, put my toolbox in the bed of one ATV, and headed down the road to the dry creek bed.

All the devices along the creek bed and around the western side of the mountain were functioning properly the propane bottle connections were tight. We had just finished checking the one farthest northwest when I nearly pissed myself.

After checking the bottle and detonator, I straightened up and looked toward the western slope of Bald Knob, the taller granite mountain a half mile to the north-northwest, and saw extensive desert camo covering a most impressive missile defense station! There were two banks of missiles; one pointed south, the other southwest!

"Whatthafuck!" I exclaimed.

Claude chuckled. "Yeah, we never told you where they put that one, did we? Remember that you gave us carte blanche to use your property, so if you ride down that dry arroyo that runs northwest around the base of Bald Knob, you'll find another well-camouflaged SAM nest between a couple of house-size chunks of granite. The one you're looking at covers to the south and west; the one at the base covers northwest to north.

"If the mob of airborne Arabs, Chechens, Russians and North Koreans make it past Raymundo and head for Fort Davis, or if aircraft or cruise missiles are launched toward a local site or toward Austin or San Antonio, they'll have to contend with these missiles."

"Well, I'm feeling a lot more secure now," I assured him. "May I assume we've also got armed personnel out here somewhere?"

Claude's face lit up and he shook his head. "Damn, Buddy - your senses aren't as keen anymore! Two of them are within rock-chunking distance right now. You need to get out of the office more!"

"Shit! I'm too embarrassed to even look. I may have to start sleeping outside and roaming around in the dark again; I haven't seen, felt, or heard anyone!"

He let me be in front of the women, but rubbed it in when we were alone. I vowed to revive and revitalize my woodsman skills; you never know when you might have to spend nights walking through wilderness infested with enemies, or stalking one approaching your home.

With the Lair properly assessed and plans firmed up, the bright-eyed, excited women insisted we eat the casseroles they had prepared and then go to La Kiva.

Kaitlyn's King Ranch Enchiladas were excellent, and Eva's cinnamon, sugar, and pecan Mexican cobbler, topped with drizzled chocolate syrup, was delicious. I really wanted vanilla ice cream to go with it, but the freezer was berift. More evidence of the groceries we'd need to stock up before we returned tomorrow with the kids, and the guests arrived for the rehearsal.

La Kiva was already dressed up for the festivities, as much as a cave can be. Berta, Rene, their kin, and a few of our friends had added a few new flourishes, including pictures of fun times and celebrations hung in abundance. A large black and white photo of Eva and Claude gazing into each other's eyes while dancing had a position of honor, on the opposite wall when you stepped off the stairs to enter.

Centered above the bar was a color picture of Kaitlyn taken that first night she reappeared. The photographer captured her in a provocative stance on the dance floor, wearing the red short shorts, form fitting white blouse, and white sandals. She was breathtaking, with that crown of golden hair cascading around her beautiful face to her shoulders, and her graceful, shapely limbs exposed.

I stood and stared, until she interrupted her emotional greeting with Berta and Rene, and came to me. "What is it, Honey?"

"Look up over the bar. That might be the sexiest, most gorgeous woman I've ever seen, present company excepted."

"But, Honey, that's me!" she exclaimed, squeezing my arm against her boob.

"Sort of, maybe... she's about ten pounds heavier and not nearly as fit as you are, but... there was a softness to that woman that took my breath away that night. And captured the hearts of all the men with her beauty and her sad tale, I might add."

"Come here!" she ordered, and pulled my head down until she could give me a proper kiss, with bodies plastered together.

When she finally turned me loose, she whispered, "I only came to the Big Bend to capture one heart. It took me a long time and I invested a lot of effort, but that's what you do when you realize there is only one man on earth you'll ever love.

"I know you still have questions about me, but I swear now, just as I'll swear Saturday night, that I will gladly forsake all others for all time, because I have you, my beloved."

****

La Kiva was more than acceptable to the brides as is, but Rene said he had one more surprise that he would hang before the rehearsal. He refused to give us a clue, other than to point at a large open spot on the wall beside the table I so often shared with those who had been bequeathed nombres de Jumanos. I hoped my intuition was correct.

The trip back to Fort Davis was spent in conversation and note taking, as we finalized everything from grocery lists to the placement of the podium on the patio, where the bridesmaids and groomsmen would stand, and the best location for the parents. Normal seating wasn't an option because there wasn't enough room for all our guests, but we wanted certain people in positions of honor.

We spent the last few minutes of the trip laughing at our incredibly precise plans, which had roughly equal odds of making this the most memorable wedding anyone had attended for good or bad reasons.

She didn't say a word, but Kaitlyn must have come to accept my rationale for a week of celibacy because she wore long gown and slept on her side, after an affectionate kiss.

****

The four children were excused from school Thursday and Friday, and we left for Study (stoody, not study) Butte at seven, after a good breakfast. The hibernal (winter) solstice fell on our wedding day, but sunrise was late enough that we were able to enjoy its splendor as it slowly arose over the Glass Mountains to the east during our drive down TX 118 toward Alpine, and thence our destination northwest of Study Butte.

There were five identical black Suburbans in our well-armed convoy. Claude was driving, I was riding shotgun, and we were in the rocking chair. Clay, Ashley, and a load of security men were in the other Suburbans.

Paul Peveto was piloting an attack helicopter flying a half-mile in front, and, although not visible, we knew one or more RPAs (remotely piloted aircraft) were somewhere near our procession. We weren't immune from roadside IEDs or something like a Javelin, but otherwise...

And then Paul's voice came over the radio. "Probably nothing, but Sam the Super-Patriot's big black truck is sitting facing the highway in the roadside park coming up, and another similarly outfitted pickup is down the road a bit, backed up to a gate. If this were the other sandbox I'd say ambush, but I doubt this is the time or the way they want to fire the opening salvo."

Claude calmly said, "Let's find out. Bring the aircraft up, and if they so much as move when we get there, blow their asses up! Paul, go up a little higher and look for anything else suspicious."

Sam gave us a leisurely wave and a shit-eatin' grin as we drove past and the other effin'F'er gave us a middle finger salute as we passed him.

A mile down the road, Kaitlyn asked, "What was that about?"

"I think we just witnessed their first big mistake," I replied. "They're letting us know they know where, why, and when we're going. That's all the proof I need; we ARE under surveillance, and I want their devices found! Tear the damn house down if you must, but find the damn things!

"In fact, use any measures necessary to solve this problem, Claude!"

Twenty minutes later we came to the intersection in Alpine, turned left onto US 90, and then back south on 118. We were all quiet, mulling the 'warning' we had received and questioning the danger. A few minutes out of Alpine, my mind turned to solutions, beyond finding the devices.

Eva and Kaitlyn were back to wedding discussions by the time we turned right on SH170, Duke was standing with his front paws on the console with his ears wagging, and the kids were excitedly discussing things they could do when we got to the Desert Lair.

Only three vehicles climbed the mountain to the Lair; the other two went to the airport at Terlingua Ranch to pick up the grandparents coming in from Tennessee, Jacki, Addy, and Paul. We unloaded the groceries and luggage, put things away, and convened to the patio for one last review of our plan, which looked just as good as yesterday. The women and kids then went back inside.

When we were alone, I asked Claude, "How well do you know Ox and Cuchillo?"

"Not as well as Clay, who served with them. Why?"

"Someone not in our employ needs to have a midnight chat with Sam the Sham. Are they up for that kind of job?"

He laughed. "If there's enough money or incentive, I'm sure they are. You probably don't know, but both are commissioned Rough Riders, so if having a conversation with Sam will help the cause, I'm sure they will."

"What's the best way to get hold of them?" He laughed. "Wait until Paul gets here and talk to him."

We were headed back inside when I received an encrypted text from JJ entitled 'Robles'. I stopped Claude; we opened the attachment and read the content together, and then I forwarded it to Raymundo Escamilla with the note, "Do whatever you need to find out what he knows; I'll cover for you." We waited for a couple of minutes, and got an OK symbol.

I used to play within the commonly accept rules, but the last two years have hardened me; now, I play by their rules. If that makes me uncivilized and no better than them, okay, I can live with that. But I won't let my family die because I refused to fight dirty when they did. The Marquis of Queensbury rules don't apply in The Cage, an insurrection, or with sicarios.

Paul, the grandparents, and a surprise arrived thirty minutes later, and the surprise created quite the uproar. Neither Kaitlyn or I had seen her grandmother, Beverly Hopkins, since our first wedding, and I'm not sure Beverly's daughter Brooke, had either. Kaitlyn was stunned, but ran to her Mimsi and hugged her like a little kid. She excitedly introduced Grace and Dos, who had never seen her before, and then the other members of our party, before pointing to me. "I'm sure you remember Rob..."

After three husbands, Beverly was quite wealthy; a self-described 'gadabout' who loved to travel abroad and who rarely came to North America. She was still stunningly beautiful, and the hug she gave me was so tight and so long I felt certain the body her stylish clothing covered was that of a thirty-something, not a 72 year-old great-grandmother! In fact, if she had wiggled and rubbed herself against me for another second, I would have embarrassed myself.

To make it that much worse, she ended our hug by kissing me on the lips in a very not-grandmotherly way, then stepped back and looked me over like she might buy me. "Kaitlyn, Honey, I never understood how you managed to botch your first marriage to this beautiful hunk of manhood, but I'm certain you've learned your lesson... haven't you?"

Kaitlyn danced into my arms, wrapped me in hers, and replied, "I have, Mimsi! I finally remembered your secret instructions from our wedding night, and we've been quite content for nearly two years now!"

They both giggled like schoolgirls, and Brooke joined in. I decided I needed to ask my fiancée what those secret instructions were as soon as possible. After all, as gorgeous as she is in her seventies, Beverly could be a witch, and I could be under a spell she shared with her granddaughter!

When I could, I got Clay outside and away from the loud, happy crowd, where we discussed the unique skill sets Cuchillo and Ox possess and how those might be leveraged to advance our cause. He agreed to contact them immediately, and I returned to the melee.

Beverly being grouped with Ashley, Addy, and Jacki already constituted a danger to polite society, and they were only sipping their first adult beverages of the early afternoon! But, when the kids weren't around, they were hysterically funny in an hard-R to X-rated way.

Kaitlyn, Eva, and Rosa had prepared casserole dishes of enchiladas to cook, beans and Spanish rice to heat, a massive salad, and apple enchiladas with ice cream for dessert. By all measures, this was more than "a little something to tide us over until supper at La Kiva," but everyone partook enthusiastically and then faded pretty badly for an hour. The beds, couches, chairs, even the loungers on the sunny side of the patio were filled with dozing or napping children or adults.