Chapter 30: Marta Arrives

Wednesday

(Note: Chapters 32, 33, 34, 35 and 36 are mainly sex. There is no violence in this part.)

After an hour of cleaning at the Fort I was off to the Batcave and the Casa. At the same time Courm, the indian who lives as my Casa, was at LAX with a limo picking up Marta, my aunt who raised me like a mother would. They arrived about 10 minutes after I did, I heard the door chime so I finished my shower. Courm was setting her up in the bedroom next to mine, my door was open so when she heard me turn off the shower, she came in. As always, she was overjoyed to see how her ÔsonÔ had grown up into a handsome man. We shared a hug and a very unmotherly kiss. As we embraced she could not pass up the opportunity to feel how ÔbigÔ I was. I admit we are a bit unconventional.

As my flesh swelled in her hand she asked me, as she always does when we greet each other, “This visit, are you going to make love to me? Are you going to kill me?” Since I was 21 these were the questions she always asked me, my upbringing prompted the first question and gave us a reason to smile, and the second was because she knew my nature, and was convinced I would end her someday. (I had no wish to do so, but she was convinced.) Once when I was much younger she had badgered my into promising truthful answer whenever she asked these questions.

I looked her in her single eye and said, “My dear Aunt Mother, I need you to take care of Gracie for me, and you canÔt do that if you are dead. As for the other, as delightful as it sounds, I fear there will be no time for us alone. Qwit will be here tonight, along with others you may pick, to keep you satisfied.”

She liked the last part of my answer best. Marta was six feet tall, had the complexion of an indian, and for a woman in her early fifties she was strikingly beautiful. Her body put me in the mind of those classic Hollywood stars that stayed skinny in their later years. She disdained an artificial eye, saying it just made people stare more. Instead she had plastic surgery so the single eye seemed almost natural; there was not any patch or empty socket visible, just a meeting of forehead and cheek. She said, “people will stare anyway, so why not be special and beautiful!” She was.

As I dressed we talked about the plans for the day. I made it clear that she was the mistress of the house, and talked about who was coming. Courm had filled her in on the basics during the drive from the airport. We had a few minutes for family gossip, then Abril arrived at the side door with the first-timers. While I finished dressing, Marta and Courm, made our way to greet them on the main staircase. As agreed, Marta welcomed all to “her house” and said we would all have a wonderful day. I joined them while the girls were introducing themselves to Marta. Everybody knew me, but the big surprise was Courm. He was 6 foot 6, had muscles like a “lanky” NFL linebacker, and was handsome enough to be a actor. When he spoke, in his easy, perfect, unaccented Spanish the girls were all very impressed. Abril had met Courm before and, in the dark, she might actually prefer him to me - if she was going to have a man that way. Most of the first-timers could not tear their eyes from Courm, but I noticed Cynthia only had eyes for me.

Telling them to leave their bags where they were, Marta took the gaggle of first-timers to the kitchen, to get them started. She said Courm would attend to their bags, they had been assigned beds and space on the third floor. They would help her cook during the afternoon, and then attend the gala as ladies. Courm had carefully picked out the fresh ingredients Marta requested. The first priority was to get the girls chopping veggies and such so they would have time to simmer. As they walked I heard one of the girls ask about Toad. Marta answered that “her dear brother” was expected for dinner, and might be convinced to stay for a dance or two. They did not realize that Marta was ToadÔs family. That made her a celebrity to them.

All the first-timers were 18 or 19, without current boyfriends. They had asked to attend and been selected by me. We had an agreement about what was allowed and expected. They all claimed some sexual experience, and were frankly hoping to learn something from a handsome adult tonight. They were all very excited, with the dinner and dancing in fancy gowns with handsome men plus the thought of bedding the soldiers it would be like a hispanic adult version of a Disney movie, adding an XXX ending if they wanted.

After the work was started Abril took Marta to her room next to mine. Abril explained her status with me (confirming what I had told Marta) and by surrendering her room she also surrendered her position in the household to Marta. Naturally Marta asked where Abril would sleep and she said it was likely she would sleep with me “as a sister” which was her preference. (I knew better than to express an opinion to these two ladies.) Abril said we loved to tease each other as siblings will; it was a strong memory Marta also shared, both about her own siblings, and with me. Abril and Marta then talked about what the schedule would be. Marta made some small adjustments, and said there would be a surprise I was not to know about, but that was all.

Marta and Abril then had a talk about the formal waltz that would start the post-dinner dancing. I was going to be moved around like a puppet, and the two ladies would enjoy the exercise greatly.

It was clear I was no longer needed in my own home so I went to the office for a couple of hours before I got drafted to slice onions.

Li had mentioned the car policy last time I was at work and I was curious, so I took note of the partnerÔs cars (in reserved spots with their names) and when they came up for replacement. The key was that when the car was replaced, a new plate was also issued. Some had personalized plates, others were happy with normal plates. The firmÔs staff took care of these details. Of 20 partners making up the management committee, 15 were present, so they came to about one new car with plate per month. Looking at which were new and which were almost a year old the rotation was pretty obvious. I filled in with what I knew about the other 5 partners on the committee.

In LA everybody notices your wheels and assumes a personality from what you drive. I did not rate a reserved spot but parked in a area reserved for the firm. Ken Carl, our “Car Czar” (a staff position) was a former high school science teacher who was always suspicious of me needing six parking stickers. Policy did not allow stickers to be moved from one car to another, so what choice did I have? Every year he stressed “only one at a time!” as if I would drive two cars to work some day. He also gave me an extra helping of the Ôstink eyeÔ when I drove my serene Town Car “L” (for extra Long, it was my newest car) which I had today or the H1 Hummer (a 2006 blue Alpha diesel); he claimed they each took two spots. Like it mattered; I usually worked nights.

Our Car Czar drove a 2005 Honda Insight (he would pedal a bike but he wanted to live). He was saving his nickels and lusting in his heart for the future Nissan Leaf all-electric, as would any acolyte in the new religion of climate change. Such people judged all men by their state of carbon grace; his highest praise was reserved for those who got a new, slightly more efficient car each year, as if there was no carbon cost associated with manufacturing a new car. The man had never toured a car factory but he had run out of gas three times in the last year trying to get the most out of his gas tank.

There is some amusement in skewering the believers by pointing out their own hypocrisy. For instance, I pointed out that all my cars, except the Porsche, got to LA using hybrid transportation (diesel-electric trains) while his came on a ship which burned really dirty fuel. (Yes, I know the fuel per ton-mile numbers, but he didnÔt.)

My two hours at work were very useful, I had an inspiration about the brief I was writing and made a few very productive changes.

MarkÔs First Call

On the way home I got the call from Mark. He was not pleased. First he went over the facts Gracie had explained. I confirmed them all. Next he wanted to talk about my sex with Gracie, but other than correcting him (“it was really more rape than sex”) I declined to play along. “I did things, she liked it, what is done is done. Those facts will not help you, lives are at risk.” That did not lower his blood pressure.

Next we went over the things I had learned since then, about Darnel, and his extreme desire to question Gracie in ways that were not nice. He did not believe anybody would do such a thing, but then I asked what had been found in the basement and he agreed that he was not into sex with “cable ties, dry ice and pliers” like the people I saved Gracie from were. That was when he got around to thanking me for saving GracieÔs life and actually letting her go with a degree of safety and assurance. He admitted that he was very confused about the type of person I was. I suggested “vigilante” but we both knew that did not fit.

I did tell him he and I had met, and that I had worked with Dr. Percy in Belize. Those facts impressed him. As that sank in I agreed that he was confused, allowed him to stay that way, and said he was not going to resolve that issue today. But I thought it likely he would not appreciate when he learned more. Then I suggested that we had talked about the past, but what we needed to do was talk about the future.

First, I made it clear that Gracie would leave on her own tomorrow. “You are not the only one with friends at the FBI. I can call in a favor. Some of your old co-workers would love to see you again, in handcuffs, with an open-and-shut case. I stand ready and willing to give them an excuse,” Then I quoted the relevant statute on kidnapping. He did not like that but he saw how he could not stop Gracie.

“You know the law,” he said, still trying to identify me. I did not take the bait.

Next I stressed the two items Darnel could use to find Gracie. One was my license plate, I told him I knew it had been run unlawfully. He was aware that having a covered plate meant some relation with law enforcement, but again I cut his speculation off, he was following a false trail and the less I said the more he followed it in his FBI-trained mind.

The other thing Darnel would go after was the recording of Gracie in the book store. The clerks would know her name if they saw that tape. So he had to get the tape, and make sure nobody else saw it. “GracieÔs name ties to her home, and her home ties her to you, so you and your wife have skin in the game.” He was not thinking that Darnel could take the recording, but I said “he does not have your scruples; he charms, bribes, and uses mindless thugs as needed. Dig out that old spare badge you have ... go now and destroy that recording before he gets it.” I insisted. Unfortunately, he did not yet think that way, I heard it in his voice. It meant somebody might die. Well, it would not be one of mine. I asked myself why I was helping this guy.

That was when I said he was a fool to put his wife at risk. I repeated the offer Gracie had made, to get his wife to a safe location. For the first time I heard something besides bluster and doubt in his voice, so I expanded. “She must promise not to contact you on the way, but once she is there she can call to check in and is free to leave as she wishes. You have until Gracie leaves to opt in.” Still, since he did not know me, he could not do it. Not yet.