Chapter 18

It was a Monday in mid-October when Jan's phone rang. Cindy answered it and found it was Jennifer Chapman trying to reach her. Jen was both excited and upset. Without any preliminaries, she said, "Cindy, you have a Chinese girl working for you who has an extraordinary language capability, don't you?"

"She's Kathy Chang. She's astounding! I don't think even she can keep track of the number of languages she speaks. But why do you ask?"

"Honey, I need to borrow her. I'll fix it with your father, but it's terribly important. Have you heard of Connie and Chip Cartwright?"

Cindy said the names were familiar, but she couldn't place them.

"Connie is my stepsister. She's married to Chip Cartwright who may be the wealthiest young man in the world. It seems Chip has a younger brother, Bill, who was only eighteen when he was sent to Vietnam. He was captured late in 1974 and was never heard from again. There are a whole mass of medals waiting for him, starting with the Medal of Honor.

"Chip never gave up looking for him. He finally found him and got him out of Vietnam. The Army has just released him from the hospital, but now Chip is in worse shape than when his brother was a prisoner. Bill says nothing. Not a word. Not to anyone. The psychiatrists at the Army hospital had microphones in his room. They kept the tape recorders running twenty-four hours a day.

"The only thing they ever heard sounds like some Asian language. The problem is that not even the experts at the Foreign Language School at Monterey could identify it. Everything has been tried including high-speed re-taping, computer analysis ... everything!"

Jen was crying now as she said, "Cindy, it's very important. Chip is the nicest guy in the world as well as my brother-in-law. I know it's one hell of a long shot, but could you please ask Kathy to go out to Los Angeles? There is no price Chip Cartwright will not pay. None! He'll pay Kathy absolutely anything she asks. He knows it's less than one chance in a million, but he wants to take it. Could you persuade Kathy to go out?"

Cindy said she would call Kathy immediately and did. She reached her and quickly explained the situation. All Kathy did was ask when the next plane to Los Angeles left O'Hare. She would be on it. She was leaving immediately.

When Kathy got the call and heard what Cindy had to say, her heart leaped into her throat. Bill. Bill Cartwright. His name was Bill, too, she thought. No, it's impossible. But maybe I can help someone.

She was wearing her uniform, but now because of the cold weather, was also wearing a leather jacket. She raced out to the airport and just had time to call Cindy and give her the flight information. Cindy said she would be met at Los Angeles International Airport.

As she cleared security in Los Angeles, Kathy saw a tall silver-blonde who was dressed the same way she was. The girl came running up and said, "Kathy? Kathy Chang?"

Kathy extended her hand but the girl took her in her arms and kissed her warmly. She said, "I'm Connie Cartwright, Chip's wife. We can't thank you enough for coming out. Can I have your baggage checks?"

Shaking her head Kathy said wearily, "This is it, I'm afraid. Cindy said it was important so I didn't take the time to go back to my apartment to pack. Could we stop somewhere so I could buy a toothbrush? I have some money..."

Connie looked at the girl closely and whistled softly. "My God, you're beautiful!" Then she frowned and said, "Forget your money. If Jen and Cindy didn't make it clear, this is the most important thing in the world to my husband. We never had a chance even to talk, but would $5,000 a day for your time be adequate? I understand you have a language capability that surpasses human understanding. Maybe that's not enough? $10,000?"

"No money! I wouldn't hear of it. I'll let you buy me a toothbrush and toothpaste, though. And could you also call Mr. Martin's office and ask if I could take my week's vacation this week? I'm just leaving the bank in a lurch."

Connie was using Bill Clifford's limousine and driver. She picked up the telephone, made a quick phone call, and then told Fred, the driver, they were going to the hotel.

Kathy was utterly exhausted. She had been working eighteen-hour days for weeks. Although they had more analysts in the unit and she now had a car of her own, the business was growing far faster than the three lending officers could handle it. As the limousine sped towards Los Angeles, Kathy fell asleep and was awakened by the sound of the car door being opened. Then she heard Connie being greeted by name by the doorman at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel where Ali and Bill Clifford lived and which they now owned. She was taken up to a suite by Connie, who rang the bell. The door was opened by a young woman about her own age, who looked very familiar.

Connie hugged the woman and Kathy heard her say, "Hi, Mom! You're looking great, as usual." Kathy saw a woman who looked very much like Janice and Cindy. She was deeply tanned, with golden hair and brilliant blue eyes. The girl wore no makeup and needed none. She, too, was wearing skin-tight Levi's and a chambray shirt.

The girl looked at her, then took her in her arms, hugged her, and kissed her softly. "Welcome, Katherine Chang." She held Kathy at arm's length and said, "Don't the stores sell any other clothes for women these days? Do you realize we're all wearing the same thing? I'm Ali Clifford, by the way. Come on in and meet my husband, Bill. Chip Cartwright will be here any minute. We're going to get acquainted, have a couple of drinks and then eat. You can start work tomorrow."

They were seated after Kathy was introduced to a tall man of about thirty-five who was prematurely gray at the temples. Like Ali, he was deeply tanned. He made martinis for the other three and asked her what she would like. Kathy had never had a martini, so she decided to try one. When she had a sip, she found it was very strong, but she liked it nonetheless. A few minutes later, another very big, tall man arrived. She didn't know why but he reminded her of someone. He made himself a drink and they all sat down.

Ali said, "Kathy, I apologize to you. There is one problem in this group that you'll soon recognize. We're all hopeless when it comes to teasing people. While you were coming in from the airport, Bill was talking to Dave Chapman. Among us we own 96 percent of the stock of Chicago Trust Company. I'm the mother of Connie, Jennifer, and Janice. As far as Don Martin is concerned, there will be no talk of vacation. This is a short leave of absence at the request of the Board of Directors — Jen is chairman, of course. Your pay will be $5,000 a day."

Kathy was just shaking her head slowly from side to side. This is impossible! She's Connie, Jennifer, and Janice's mother? It's impossible, she thought. She said, "But you can't be! You're not as old as I am and I'm only twenty-five! No woman can give birth at the age of five!"

Ali laughed, jumped up from her seat and pounced on Kathy, giving her a kiss full on the mouth. She said, "Katherine Chang, I love you! I may adopt you, too." She grinned and said, "Kathy, I'm thirty-seven years old. The girls are not my natural daughters ... I wish they were, though. Jennifer is Bill's daughter by his first wife. The love of my life is past fifty. I try to make sure he gets his rest and plenty of exercise."

Bill interjected, "The problem is, Kathy, she wants the exercise when I want the rest. The only exercise she really likes is on her back with her legs spread. The woman is insatiable!"

Ali stuck out her tongue and said, "It hasn't killed you ... yet! Clifford, you really don't look half bad, either."

Kathy was utterly aghast. "But that means you're William H. Clifford? But you're ... you're..."

"You have a couple of bucks, Dad," Connie interjected. "I'm pretty sure that's what she's trying to say. And I guess that's true, too." She looked at Ali and said, "Are you really sure Kathy is good with languages? She seems to have some problem with English." Connie shrugged and added, "Oh, well, I guess I read somewhere that it's a very complex language. Maybe she does better with easier ones."

Everyone laughed at Kathy's expense. Kathy just giggled until Bill came over and gave her a check. It was made out to her for $35,000. Her eyes widened and she gasped when she saw the amount. Carefully, she tore it into small pieces and put them in an ashtray. Bill just shrugged, took out his checkbook and wrote another check. This one was for $70,000.

When he gave it to her, she looked at it and then looked up at him. Tears were in her eyes and she said, "Please stop, Mr. Clifford. Maybe I'm tired, but I can't really take this. Why are you doing this to me?"

Bill took a chair and pulled it close to the girl. He took her hand and looked into her startling green eyes. He said softly, "Kathy, I'm sorry. You were warned about our teasing, though. You see, the problem with us is we kid with money. Ali, along with everything else, is probably the world's finest money manager. Try as we might, our money just grows like a weed. Please help us out and take some? I'm very serious. Please?"

Kathy reached out her arms and Bill folded her in his. As he held her he could hear the girl crying. He just held her close, then lifted her from her chair and sat her across his lap. The girl slowly stopped crying and grew still. She had fallen asleep.

He lifted her up in his arms and carried her into the second bedroom. Ali followed him in and pulled down the bedspread and then the covers. Bill put her on the bed and went back to the sitting room. Ali undressed the girl, pulled the covers up to her chin, and kissed her goodnight.

When Kathy awakened the next morning, she didn't know where she was. She was naked in bed and it was the most luxurious bed she had ever slept in. It reminded her of Cindy's bed in the "slave quarters." Getting out of bed she went to the bathroom and found everything she needed laid out for her. After taking a shower, and washing her hair she returned to her room. There was a note on the dresser saying clothes were in the drawer. When she looked she found more chambray shirts and stone-washed jeans that fit her perfectly. After dressing, she went out to the sitting room where she found Ali and Bill, wearing white terry robes, eating breakfast.

She said, "When do I meet the patient? I'm sorry I missed breakfast. But why didn't you just awaken me? What happened last night, anyway?"

Bill grinned and said it must have been the martini. Ali glared at her and said, "You're eating breakfast, young lady! Why the hell do you think we bought the damned hotel? First, I can't cook to save my life. Second, they cook when I want to eat. Now order!"

She passed her the room service menu and Kathy ordered a huge breakfast, realizing she hadn't eaten since breakfast the day before. She had slept through the meal service on the flight out from Chicago, too.

After eating, Connie came by and drove her to a private hospital where they found Chip in the lobby looking very nervous. They went up to a private suite of rooms and were met by a nurse on duty who merely shook her head. Going into the next room, Kathy was surprised to see that it looked more like a hotel room than a hospital room. Even the bed was a normal one, not the mechanical marvel normally found in a hospital room. The room was dimly lighted but she could see a man in the bed. She knew why she was there so she tiptoed to the bed and saw that he was asleep.

When she got a good look at him, she almost fainted. She quickly sat down on the edge of the bed to keep from collapsing on the floor. Then, ignoring the others, Kathy stripped off all her clothes and slipped into the bed beside him. She found he was wearing pajamas, so she carefully eased them off his body. When she got to his groin, she was shocked. His penis and his testicles had withdrawn up into his body. Only the tip of his penis showed. Then she remembered how they loved to torture his genitals with wires and flame while she held him and was forced to watch. She winced as she remembered his screams of agony. Bending down, she took the tip of his penis in her lips and sucked. Dimly, she was aware of the others withdrawing from the room.

With her mouth encircling the tip of his organ, she gently sucked on it. She heard him moan and then start to speak. Moving up in the bed beside him, she just lay with her body partially on his. She could feel the hair on his chest chafe her nipple and it was exactly the way she remembered it. His free arm came around and held her as she fell asleep on top of him.

Later, she awakened and could feel his eyes on her. He whispered to her in the obscure Laotian dialect they had discovered they both knew but which no Vietnamese spoke nor understood. She looked at him and pulled herself up so she was lying on top of him.

He looked in her eyes and she could see the pain that was in them. He said, "When are they coming, Little Flower? How much time do we have this time?"

"Bill, we have forever, my darling. They're gone for good. You're home. You're safe. Darling, you're in the United States and I'm here with you."

Then she carefully lowered her lips to his. The kiss was the one for which she had been waiting for almost fifteen years. Never did they allow her to kiss him. For that matter, they regularly put a red-hot blade between his lips to be sure he couldn't kiss her anyway.

She could feel the remnants of the scar tissue still on his lips and started to cry. "My darling, they've hurt you so badly! But you're all right now."

Then her eyes glowed as she said, "Bill, you haven't looked at me yet. I was a child when you took me before. Now I'm a woman. Do you like me now?" She was still speaking Laotian.

He went to lift her from him and saw his eyes widen. Then he eased her back down on top of him; he seemed to enjoy the feeling of her lying on his body. She lifted herself up again and whispered, "Bill, my name is Katherine now, or Kathy. Do you like my new name?"

He whispered, "Darling, you're a dream come true."

She moved down on his body to his tortured sex organs. She took his penis in her lips and began to kiss and suck it and used her fingers gently to manipulate his balls that were retracted up into his pelvis. She heard him cry out in Vietnamese, "Don't! Not again! Please don't!" and then he began to cry.

She moved up on his body and kissed him softly again saying, "Bill, it's over, darling. It's over! They aren't coming. I adore you, Bill. I always have."

He murmured softly and looked at her. She heard strange sounds in his throat and then heard him whisper in English, "You're beautiful, my darling."

She hugged him close and cried on his shoulder. She whispered, "My darling, you'll be all right! You will, darling, you will! May I play with your cock again? Do you remember what it was like? I was only ten years old and so tiny for such a huge organ. Darling, you were the only man who has ever taken me. Ever! And you took my virginity at the age of twelve! But I'm a big girl now. Do you like my body? My breasts are far bigger than I thought they ever could be. When I took you, dear, I didn't have any. Do you remember?"

Bill had been running his hand over her hair and smiled gently. He whispered, "You were just a small child ... Kathy? Is that your name, now? Kathy?"

"Yes, darling, it's Kathy. May I work on you again? Could you make me happy again?"

He looked at her and nodded. He even smiled and said, "You were always persistent. I love you, Kathy. You kept me alive all these years. And now you've found me. When do you have to leave? When will they take you away?"

"My darling, I'll leave when you tell me to leave. I'm your woman, Bill. I exist for you to use in any way you wish, for anything you wish. Anything, Bill. May I try again?"

He grinned and the grin was becoming real, now. She went down on him and massaged his penis with her mouth, sucking as hard as she could. She was prying his testicles down from his groin with her long slender fingers and could feel them start to loosen. Whichever muscles were holding them in his pelvis started to lose their grip. She could feel his prick start to emerge. As gently as she could, she dug his testicles out; it was not gentle enough. Bill screamed in agony and she stopped.

Then she saw his hand moving, indicating for her to continue. She looked up at him and he grinned in spite of the pain he was suffering. "Darling, you always caused me pain, but God, it was worth it! Please don't stop."

She continued to work and could feel sweat pouring off his body. It reminded her of Vietnam, too. Suddenly, the adhesion or whatever it was, let go. Bill screamed in agony and fainted, but his cock and balls were back in their normal position. She went back up on his body and held him close.

After a while she could feel him stir and she kissed him again. She whispered, "Are you ready for your Eurasian cunt, my darling? You haven't even felt it. I'm hurt. I thought you liked my tiny cunt. It's still hairless because you liked it so much that way. I have never forgotten."

His hand moved on her body and she could feel his finger gently enter her. It was utterly exquisite. She could feel herself come to life under his hands. Then she went down on him again. This time she took his now-liberated cock in her mouth and tenderly kissed it. She could feel it swell under her touch and again Bill screamed in agony. It was his first erection in years.

She didn't stop. She continued to move her mouth up and down on his organ and then up, sucking as hard as she could. He was getting bigger and bigger and she took him deeper and deeper into her throat. Then she could feel it start to vibrate and he screamed his release. Kathy sucked and swallowed his cum as fast as she could.

When his pulsations stopped, she licked it off carefully, and moved up to kiss him on the lips. "Darling, that was one of the things they would never let us do. I was so small, my darling, I'm not sure I could have done it if they had let me." She grinned at him and said, "I sure would have tried, though."

He laughed softly and kissed her. Then he said, "That's for sure! I never knew a braver person than you, Kathy. And you were just a child!"