The Layered World Pt. 10

The Layered World - Part 10 - Aftermath

Chapter 40 - Barcelona

Kelly was acting the new Sybil. The gourmet dinner, provided by one of the best restaurants in Barcelona, was superb. There was even a proper dining table with service for six. The three men worked to divert their women from the tension of current circumstances.

Jay was quiet, preoccupied with thoughts of bringing Orange to a successful conclusion. He said, out loud, "Number girls, we have equations with too many variables. No solution converges at the moment. Tell me what your mathematical minds suggest?" He smiled widely.

Outrage crossed their faces. "You are such a terrible Boss! We have done all this good work and now we must devise the final Act?!"

Needing something to do, Kelly and her two men left to find a suitable SUV. Jay rose from the table and walked through French doors to the veranda. Pointing to a generous sofa, he removed the pretty dresses and his own clothes.

Lying down, he held out open arms. They looked at his crotch, which was behaving.

"What now? You are attacking?" He frowned and they obediently lay on him, pulling the sofa throw over.

"You are helping me think." They sighed and closed their eyes.

"You are very nice to me. Doesn't it feel strange, relaxing here in a foreign country and wondering what our wily enemy is up to?"

They hummed. It did feel strange, but what was the great brain of their boss and lover going to come up with?

"Unfortunately, thinking about what they are thinking requires that we think about what we want to do with ourselves and the insurance enterprise."

There was silence, and then a whispered, "Oh Jay, that is so complicated!"

"Yes, and we can't be cavalier with the lives of the people who work for us..."

It was cozy and warm and he didn't mind the taut, slender bodies lying on him.

After a silent period, Jennifer's small voice inquired, "Jay?"

No response. The women relaxed and closed their eyes. A nap instead of more talk.

But Jay wasn't napping. He had retreated into his deep self, almost layer zero, where the most serious questions were dealt with. What was the point of going forward from here? For that matter, what was the point of existence? His body was calm but the brain whirred. Part of him laughed at metaphysical quandaries. He had been here before with no result. Perhaps humans manufactured these questions with no answers simply to have something to think about. Circumstance had brought him and his helpers to the foot of Gaudi's unfinished masterpiece, the Sagrada Familia basilica. Not since Medieval times had a church construction gone on so long.

Perhaps that was an answer, or part of an answer. Set a path with no end point. Sustain work where process and profits enabled good things to happen. Endeavors that continued to attract followers. Especially affectionate followers of the opposite sex.

His ears detected the return of Kelly and her men. Time to park these deep thoughts and return to action. His fingers slyly moved and the Twins instantly awoke.

"We are about to be discovered," he said. One on each hip, they went to the rail, where the lights were going out on a vehicle shining in the dim light. "Hola," he hailed them.

"Success!" came back from the courtyard and soon everyone was sipping beer or soda and talking about the next day.

Jay said, teasingly, "We are hostages to these two, who hold the electronic keys to our fate."

Jennifer said, "It is quiet. Too quiet, actually. In the beginning of Orange, we agreed to take the battle to our enemy. That is still the best strategy. So, we must move immediately..."

Jay was impressed yet again by the sharp mind and quick thinking of his youngest assistant. He raised his palms in the dimness and her fists were quick to land.

"Agreed. But we need more freedom of movement than the electronics allow. Tell me, where is our next base of operations? We have a strong group in London, and a second echelon about to enter harbor in Nice."

Kelly added, "Our allies are strongest in London."

"But that is also where the Jihadis think we are. There are advantages to having a decoy tactic."

Kelly was on top of his thinking. "Yes, especially if we make a show of having the Nice group fly commercial to London, and have Hugh and Anthony arrange for our crates to return to London from here by military airlift."

Jay was feeling strangely energized at a late hour in Barcelona. These moves would reconcentrate his forces on familiar ground in London, along with clients, MI6 and whatever help might be forthcoming from the CIA.

Smiling in the dark, he asked, "But where are Jay Manco and his close associates?"

While the others thought about that, he said to Kelly, "I am trading you for Sybil. Most of the time the two of you are interchangeable, but right now, her knowledge of our client base in Europe is needed close to me. And I am trading the Twins for Lisa. They will have more resources in London, and her intelligence contacts on the Continent will be valuable to my movements."

He paused and continued, "Do you see the outline of my thinking?"

Fina complained, "His mind goes so much faster than mine!"

From a perch behind his chair, kneading shoulders, Kelly said, "The distinguished CEO of Manco Enterprises is going to continue his series of client visits. Visible visits in locations such as Milan, Frankfurt, Prague..."

Chapter 41 - Rendezvous in Avignon

It took several days, but at the end, most of his forces were repositioned. The twins and their precious electronics were back in London, except for one crate that would travel with him. Stan and Mark had revisited the SUV rental agency, where for a princely sum, the vehicle, with papers good for the Eurozone, would be on indefinite rental. The amount was more than the vehicle's value, but the papers allowing travel without revealing destinations were worth it. The two vans, as previously arranged, would be turned in here in Barcelona as soon as their contents had been loaded into the aircraft for return to the UK.

Relaxing with Kelly after dinner, he said, "Nice is a lousy place to get together with the others. Too many people, too much chance for radical mischief."

"Yes, we need a quiet but accessible place to rearrange the bodies. What if we have the three from the yacht take the TGV to someplace in the Rhone Valley?"

"That doesn't deal with the weapons that are onboard, but I have an idea. Why don't I have Lisa offer them to Avi? His employer is very creative."

She crawled into Jay's lap. "It is such fun working for you. My poor brain is stretched every day. And there is even great loving once in a while!" Her fingers led his fingers inside her top.

They relaxed into the sofa, enjoying the peaceful twilight and kissing.

"Avignon."

"The ancient Roman town, home of the breakaway Popes?"

"Your history teacher would be pleased at your memory. More importantly, it lies on the TGV route. Do you suppose your excellent real estate skills could rent us a secluded house as nice as this one?"

She rose to find her laptop. "Please bring me the secure phone and I will call Lisa."

Returning, she sat on him. "I'm not happy being traded for Sybil."

"I think I need a session with your mother."

His nonsequiter was followed by hers. "When we get to Avignon, why don't we trade the SUV for a proper van like we had earlier on this trip?

He pulled her down and whispered, "I would have to take Tricia and Kelly and Sybil and Lisa all into my bed?"

After a long, wet kiss, she whispered back, "You terrible horny male. After I find us another safe house, I am finding your bed. And I better be the only female in it!"

Later, he chased her naked through the house and found a convenient railing. "Yes, yes," she moaned, twisting and bucking under him. The big cock flooded her into a noisy orgasm which left her clutching his shoulders tight. "Good thing my helpers are out doing logistics. We are supposed to leave tomorrow, you know."

"No more Catalan sex?"

"None. We are rising at four, if you don't remember. Did Lisa like your idea?"

"She admitted to being in bed with Allan, but said she would send a coded message to Avi tonight. Very conveniently, they are anchored out in the harbor, so an innocent trip out to sea will not be noticed."

Later, cuddled into his side in bed, she said, "You must bring Jennifer and Allan together soon. They are very in love."

"And very essential to our plans. Bring me the secure phone again."

He placed another call to Lisa. "Yes? You are interrupting. Is this an essential call so late?"

His brusque voice responded, "Put the phone on speaker, I need your male partner to hear this."

"He is right here, and acting badly."

"Jay, it's good to hear your voice. Don't mind this wiggling thing next to me."

"Is it true that you are providing loving to three different women?"

"That is a very personal question, but the answer is yes."

"Is it also true that Tim has been bugging you about a face to face?"

"Almost every day."

"Good. As soon as Lisa's latest assignment is complete, you and Henry head to London. Lisa will get separate instructions from Kelly."

The call ended and Kelly kissed him hard. "I am not being exiled immediately? I have some value as your PA?"

He closed his eyes and mumbled contentedly, "Yes."

***

At five in the morning, a Starbucks in Barcelona was open. Jay thought the American invasion was hilarious, and enjoyed every sip of his latte as Mark drove the SUV north toward the French border.

The drive gave Jay an opportunity to consider the state of play. A standoff with the Jihadis had been predicted, but not the information vacuum in which they currently found themselves. With no counter attack so far, it was difficult to know whether their opponents were craftily biding their time, or still in the dark about the identity of those who had made off with their funds.

The gorgeous views out the windows distracted him. A fireball of sun was rising out of the Mediterranean, sending lights flashing from hundreds of coastside windows. With a little imagination, one could see several Roman galleons passing close to shore, headed south to Valencia, or farther. Even leaving the coast for a crossing to the North African colonies.

The body whose head was in his lap wiggled. He bent for a light kiss and Kelly said, "I was having the nicest dream, Jay. You and I were someplace warm and sunny. We were in a pool without suits and my mother was standing at the edge asking why we were being indecent at a proper resort."

"What did I do?"

"You used your hands to tell her to lose the suit and join us."

"What did she do?"

She tried to stare you down, but was losing the battle when I woke up."

"Tell me the rest of the dream story from your imagination."

"Her top was gone and the flimsy bottom dropping to the ground when your hand rose out of the water and pulled her in on top of us. Four hands went to work and she was coming in a minute."

"You didn't mind that she got my cock before you did?"

"My mother knows what she wants, and I'm pleased to see her get it!"

Kelly was sitting up in his lap and said to her helpers in the front seat, "Guys, I'm making out with my boss back here. I hope that is ok?"

There were laughs from the front and a response, "Anything that keeps the big Boss happy is fine with us, little Boss."

He pinched her boob tip and whispered, "Little Boss, I kind of like that..."

The morning traffic was light and by ten o'clock, they were following Google directions to the new location, which was hidden away to the southeast near a village called Chateaurenard for its medieval fortifications, now reduced to ruins.

"I found this in a list of corporate retreats. A fancy price to ensure privacy and quiet. I'm counting on Stan and Mark to decide whether it is defensible. The woman I talked to said the grounds are over 50 hectares."

"How far to the TGV?"

"About thirty minutes, depending on traffic. The airport is about the same distance."

It sounded ideal to Jay, and as it turned out, it was.

He told Kelly to have Lisa come immediately. He needed time to think about how to assemble others to this new location. Getting out of Spain, and out of the yacht, seemed to be good moves. They had rented under one of the London shell corporation names that Sybil and Sam kept handy, none of which were traceable to Manco Enterprises and all of which had verifiable credit ratings.

There was a late lunch on the veranda, which had fine views. He looked across the table at Kelly in her revealing sun suit and said, "This must be the fourth or fifth rooftop veranda you have found for us."

"Thank you. More luck than skill, I'm afraid. Does it worry you, being exposed like this? An armed drone could take us out."

He frowned, but turned it into a smile. "Temporarily at least, I think we have eluded their surveillance. Have you been thinking about how Jay Manco and helpers should resurface?"

He finished the dish of fresh fruit in front of him and added, "We need a visit from London people."

She smiled at him, "Yes, and you are not to separate Allan and Jen for at least several days."

"What if I said I wasn't going to separate you and me for several days?"

She was around the table and in his lap in seconds. Their joined lips prevented any words for a long interval.

"Your happy PA would ride you right here, but it is a little public..."

"Yes, where are your helpers?"

"They asked permission to take the SUV and go looking for vans, possibly even one with some armor such as might be sold or rented to a corporation worried about physical security. They will retrieve Lisa from the TGV at 1630."

"Who are we going to summon from London in what order? There are some important decisions to be made."

"By the way, what are we going to do about your California commitments?"

There was silence for a few minutes. Jay wondered if she was napping, or thinking like he was prone to do. Her head raised for a tender kiss.

"Jay, you must allow the PA's to spend time with you, close up. It's required for good business decisions and it's required for good loving."

"So, you mean to be substitutable for each other everywhere? That involves a lot of hard work."

"Do you agree that our performance together the past month has been satisfactory?" Her head laid in the crook of his arm with a thin smile.

"I do believe you are using your charms on me. Isn't that called pussy power?"

She sat up, "Certainly not. We are proper women!" He reached under her skirt and she bolted away. "Bad!"

She walked to the other side of the veranda and returned. "Send me to London tomorrow morning, and have Natalie join us. We will sort out the issues and one or more will return here with a proposal."

"You can do other work there? Like secretly rejuvenating our finances while pretending they are demolished?"

***

Alerted by phone from the SUV, Jay went down to welcome Lisa, who was in strange clothing and explained that she and Allan had decided that, for the time being, she should disappear. She now was a Portugese national visiting her uncle in France with no fixed itinerary. After a hot kiss, she asked, "Are you the randy uncle with hands everywhere they shouldn't be?"

Kelly was watching and laughing. Mark and Stan fixed everyone drinks and joined them to report on the search for a new van.

"This part of the world has lots of bad guys and there is a cottage industry to toughen up transport vehicles. We can't wait for a custom job, but the choice of vans already hardened is good. Prices are a hundred to two hundred thousand Euros over the price of the van itself. For three hundred total, we get a van with bulletproof windshield, some protection for engine and radiator, and hardened doors. Also, believe it or not, six gun ports, a protected gas tank and run flat tires."

Jay asked, "The base vehicle has the performance options on engine and brakes?"

"Yes, almost all of them."

Jay looked at Kelly, "How do we pay for this in cash without drawing money laundering attention?"

"I will find out in London when I get there and will send a coded message to Lisa."

Later, in bed with both of them, Lisa said, "We should not take delivery of the van here. Better to do it in the first city Jay Manco arranges a client visit. And from now on, people arriving and departing should do so at night."

The two women were wound up and putting on a show. Kelly groaned and accused Lisa of stealing her man.

Lisa pinched and complained, "She does not own you. She is leaving tomorrow. Got that, wench?!"

Kelly stretched out on top of her fake rival and whispered, "It is so nice to have you here and looking after him."

Jay poked both of them and said, "Looks to me like you are taking care of each other. Give me a kiss and go to sleep. There is an early start tomorrow. I am coming along in order to get a look at the airport."

Chapter 42 - Rethinking the Future

In the morning, there was a standup breakfast for everyone at four in order to have Kelly at the terminal by five for her flight to London. She was deliberately dressed in her tourist outfit from Palma and would not be picked out of the crowd.

Lisa, on the other hand, was dressed all in black leather, with a pilot's close fitting leather helmet. Kelly spoke to Stan and Mark. "This is Mme. Chapelle, who has been hired as our driver since she knows the area."

Lisa pulled the goggles down in place and did a good job of looking fierce. The men blinked and caught on to the disguise.

"Is she actually going to drive?"

Jay spoke up, "She is, at least for today. She thinks it is good practice for a time when the two of you may need backup."

Lisa drew a nasty looking pistol from the slender holster in the middle of her back and checked the magazine before putting it back.

Squeezing them, she said, "Don't worry about your jobs. I am a trained agent and supposed to keep your Boss alive."

The tension in the room relaxed. The two tough civilians from California had never seen Lisa in her full agent outfit, ready and able to kill an opponent silently and quickly.

After dropping Kelly off with hugs and kisses, Lisa and Jay decided on a detour to the TGV station since both terminals would be used in coming days and weeks. After that, they headed back to the rented villa and turned the SUV over to Stan and Mark so that they could zero in on a specific van to be acquired.

The morning sun on the veranda was very nice. Lisa opened chilled champagne at the bar and poured two mimosas. As he sipped, she stood a few feet in front of him and removed the fighting outfit. The layer next to the skin was similar to men's long underwear and fit tightly. "Flameproof," she said. After it came off, there was nothing but gorgeous Lisa skin and muscles.

"Am I allowed a few moments of tanning while we talk? I promise not to make bad moves."

Her smile was brilliant. He frowned, "I'm sending you back to Tel Aviv."

She crawled into his lap. "Please Master, not that." Her kisses were insanely hot and she whispered that she had a high standard of loving to meet, keeping up with the PA's. Shortly, she was over his thighs, getting her tough behind paddled.

"We need to talk about advancing your career while working for Manco Enterprises. What are you doing about ties to Israeli intelligence?"

"Because of family, I will never get entirely free. The leash can be very long and invisible to others. Perhaps being a shared agent like Allan would have advantages?"

"What about fingerprints? I've been thinking about sending you and Allan and Sybil to Riyadh to carefully wave the flag. They can and will no doubt collect all your prints for analysis."