Chapter 30

Jake questioned Cindy for a half hour about the Tremonts, their friends, and their mansion. Cindy could not tell him a lot. Beyond a few names of the people at the party and some personal observations about Alfred and Michelle, she did not have much to offer. Melissa and Trish had a huddled conversation of their own while Jake was questioning Cindy. Cindy’s status in the family had changed abruptly as a result of her revelations and obvious need for recovery. Melissa no longer saw the beautiful actress as a threat to her marriage, instead she saw a frightened, wounded young woman who needed their assistance. When Jake and Cindy finished their conversation, Trish took charge.

“You are staying with us for a while Cindy. I’ll go with you to your place to pick up some clothes and whatever else you need,” Trish stated.

Cindy nodded, actually smiling a little in relief at Doctor Wellington’s declaration. She knew that she would feel better here with Jake and Patricia. Even Melissa made her feel better, something she would have found hard to believe a month ago. The peace and tranquility of this house and these people were almost palpable. It stood in stark contrast to the overly formal pretentiousness of the Tremonts’ mansion or the modernistic sterility of her new house on the river. At least, it was tranquil. Then Nina and Leslie burst through the front door, loaded down with loot from a serious clothes-shopping spree. Both Nina and Leslie had grown over the summer and needed new winter wear. Leslie especially had hit a growth spurt and was inordinately proud of her need for bigger bras now.

The teens came to a screeching halt when they saw Cindy sitting at the kitchen table. They recognized her, immediately. She was currently the hottest young star in Hollywood. Jake made introductions then asked Nina to show Cindy around. While Nina was giving Cindy the nickel tour, Jake brought Melissa, Trish, and Leslie up to speed on what he knew about Alfred Tremont.

The women were shocked by Jake’s revelations, especially about Alfred’s ability to loop himself back in time. Jake had given that topic considerable thought since Elliott told him about it. He told the women that he believed that if you make yourself die on the date of your original jump, nothing would stop you from occupying the same host body again.

“No wonder Alfred doesn’t want the future disturbed,” Trish said. “His ability to make the transition back could be put in jeopardy if things happen differently.”

Jake excused himself as the women discussed the implications of repeated returning to the past. Leave it to Trish to hit the nail squarely by observing that it would not take long for such a person to come down with a serious case of megalomania. Jake said amen to that, then went to make some phone calls. His plans for some down time just went out the window. His first instinct was to just kill Alfred and be done with that particular danger to this line’s future. Yet, if he did that he might be dooming another line with him and his family in it to Alfred’s whims. All these implications were making his head spin, but out of the chaos a plan was beginning to form.

After making a couple of calls, Jake snagged his car keys off the dresser in the bedroom and went back to the living room. He kissed his women goodbye and headed into town. Jake’s first stop was at Data on Time. Mrs. Stanton, the head research librarian, met him in the lobby. Marion Stanton was a cheerful, efficient woman in her early sixties. Marion had appointed herself Jake’s unofficial grandmother almost as soon as she was hired. Marion led Jake to her office and sat him down at a small conference table stacked with newspapers and magazines.

“Here is all we have on Alfred Tremont to date, Jacob. I have had two researchers looking for anything on Michelle Tremont since you called. The stacks are divided by year, the one closest to you is this year.”

“Thanks, Mrs. S! You’re the best. Do you think I could get a cup of coffee and someone to help me go through this stuff?”

“Of course, but hot chocolate would be better for you,” she fussed.

Jake laughed, then stood up and kissed her on the cheek.

“You’re the greatest. How are things going here, now? Do you have enough help?” he asked.

“Yes, Dear. I just hired two new researchers. They are both doing well with all the automated systems you have installed. We are putting twenty periodicals and newspapers into the optical character reader each day plus at least a thousand pages of text. The new storage units that the Texas people designed are great.”

DOT was Jake’s pet project. He was actively involved in both the data storage and media development parts of the company. The latest innovation from the media storage company was a data platter using record-album-sized discs. The discs stored information on both sides and held a hundred megabytes per side. The discs were stacked twenty to a rack the size of a milk crate. One disc held the index for all the others. A query took fewer than ten seconds to find the right disc and track. To the computer industry, the storage systems were a quantum breakthrough leaping over megabyte to gigabyte capacity. TnT had patented the technology and manufacturers were fighting to license them.

Mrs. Stanton departed and Jake sat down to read. Three minutes later, a pretty young woman brought him a steaming cup of coffee. Jake stood up and introduced himself, then they sat down and started working. Jake had the young woman photocopy the magazine and newspaper columns being careful that dates were assigned to each one. Then they collated everything by date started with the oldest item first. Jake thanked the woman and tracked down Mrs. Stanton again. Jake asked Marion if she could contact someone at the Chicago Tribune to search the newspaper’s archives for any references to the name Tremont going back ten years. Also, see what they could find on his wife Michelle prior to her becoming Mrs. Tremont. Mrs. Stanton said she would call immediately but that it would take a few days. She suggested that they query the University of Chicago through the data-link to see if they had archived the paper. Jake swept the woman up in a hug.

“Great idea, Mrs. S! No wonder you’re my favorite.”

Mrs. Stanton laughed and shooed him out the door.

Jake’s next stop was to see his buddy Tiny Johnson. Jake wheeled his pickup into the lot of the newly refurbished Tiny’s Gunrack. Tiny had gone full bore western, with everything but a hitching post out front. Inside, the store featured glass display cases as if it were a jewelry store. Tiny now had an incredible selection of firearms with pistols, rifles and shotguns of every description. Long gone were the days when all he had was a few used weapons he had taken in pawn. A nicely dressed young woman was behind the counter when Jake walked up to it. Jake was about to ask for Tiny when the big man came out of a door next to a large mirror set into the wall.

“I’ll take care of this one, Maxine, he’s an old friend,” Tiny said.

Maxine nodded and wandered over to the cash register. Jake stuck out his hand but Tiny grabbed him in a bear hug that almost crushed Jake’s chest. Tiny finally let Jake go and clapped him on the back. Tiny was as big as ever, six-seven if he was an inch, two-eighty if he was an ounce. Tiny was not all that fat either, sure he had a gut, but he also had shoulders an axe handle wide. Tiny was wearing Levis and a tee-shirt that had a confederate flag over the heart. The back of the shirt said, “If the north is so great why don’t you go back.” Subtlety was not Tiny’s strong suit.

“Tiny, do you have a few minutes? I need to talk to you in private,” Jake said.

“Sure, Jake, we can talk in my office.”

Tiny led Jake into the door the big man had just exited. A huge desk sat so that the person behind it could look into the store through the large one-way mirror. Jake was impressed with Tiny’s office. It was neat as a pin with framed memorabilia on the walls. Jake noticed that the autographed Yankee’s uniform shirt he had given Tiny was prominently displayed. Most striking, however, were the items from Tiny’s military service. Directly behind the desk was a shadow box with Tiny’s awards and decorations. A Silver Star topped the two rows of miniature medals. Jake was most surprised that Tiny had served in the 173^rd Airborne Brigade in Vietnam. He must have done at least three tours judging by the number of stars on his campaign ribbon.

There were five or six 8x10 photographs in black metal frames arranged on the wall around the shadowbox. Jake was particularly impressed with the photo of a slimmer, more muscular Tiny carrying a 81mm mortar. He had the tube over his shoulder, the bipod and sights across the top of his rucksack, and the base plate in his left hand. The 81mm weighed in at close to a hundred and fifty pounds and was normally carried by a crew of three. Young Sergeant Johnson was a stud if he really carried that thing plus his own gear, even if it was for just one patrol.

“Tiny, I didn’t know you were in the Herd. Hell, I didn’t even know you were a paratrooper. What’s your story?” Jake asked.

Tiny regarded him for a minute, uncertain about letting Jake in on his past. Then he thought about the bomb he was going to drop on his young friend in a few minutes, he smiled and leaned back in his chair.

“Not much to tell really, Jake. I was a big ambitious country boy and the army seemed a way to get ahead. I enlisted in sixty-two and let the recruiter talk me in to going Airborne. In sixty-three I was assigned to the 1^st of the 503^rd in Okinawa. Later that year we were the first full-strength unit sent to Vietnam. I was a machine gunner in a rifle platoon. Vietnam was ugly but it also offered me ways to make money like I never dreamed of. We made and sold fake NVA flags to Air Force guys, sold cigarettes to mamasan, and dabbled in selling greenbacks on the black market. It took me three tours to get enough to stake me to my business.

“In between making money, me and my boys made life hell for the Viet Cong around Dak To. We were young and dumb and full of cum, bloodthirsty warriors sure every day would be our last. Around Thanksgiving of sixty-seven, my platoon was part of an operation to capture hill 875. I was a platoon sergeant by then. Thirty-three of us went up the hill, nineteen of us returned. That’s when I decided I’d had enough and came home. Only twelve members of that platoon are still alive. We all know we are going to heaven when we die because we’ve already survived hell.

“That’s enough war stories, now what can I do for you? I owe you some favors, my man. Betting on you and your hunches is making me rich.”

Jake told Tiny that he needed some kind of security system for the ranch. He wanted some sort of passive system that was undetectable and unobtrusive. Tiny nodded his understanding then asked how elaborate a system Jake wanted.

“Museum quality,” Jake replied.

Of course, Tiny knew a guy who specialized in high-end security services. Tiny knew everyone. He took an address book out of his desk drawer and called Orlando. Five minutes later Jake had an appointment at the ranch with David Newton of Newton Security Services for the next morning. Jake hung up the phone and turned his attention back to Tiny.

“Why is it that you seem to know everyone in the state?” Jake asked.

Tiny gave Jake another hooded look. Once again, Jake had asked a question that he would normally sidestep.

“That’s what I do, Jake. That’s how I really make my living. I deal in information, and I’m a facilitator. I help people make things happen. Maybe we’ll talk more about that some other time. Jake, besides liking you, there is another reason I’m glad to see you today. Your sister Debbie introduced me to your cousin Claudia a few months ago. Claudia and I hit it off immediately. We are in love, or at least I know I am. We are also both crazy about Debbie. I asked them both to move in with me. They have agreed but told me I needed to talk to you about it. I was hesitant to do it because our relationship is sort of out there. They said that you would understand how we feel. This is not my style, Bud, to be asking for your blessing. Yet, it seems to be a big deal to them, so that makes it important to me.”

Jake gave Tiny a baffled smile.

“Jesus, Tiny, don’t tell me they’ve snagged you into the family, too. Of course I approve, not that it really matters what I think. I don’t even have to give you the ‘if you hurt them, I’ll come after you speech’ with Debbie in the mix. Claudia is a sweetheart, but are you sure you are up to dealing with my sister?”

It was Tiny’s turn to chuckle.

“I hate to admit it but sometimes she scares the shit out of me. She is, hands down, the mentally and physically toughest person I’ve ever met. My intentions are honorable, though, so I’m not worried too much about really pissing her off. Besides, the benefits of being with them are worth the risk,” he finished with a grin.

Jake left the gun shop still smiling. He liked the hell out of Tiny anyway and now the big man was family. It was a surprise about Claudia. However, he knew that she had broken up with the lawyer but thought she was still unattached. He would bet money that he was the only one in the family that did not know about Claudia and Tiny. Tiny had hinted as much when he said that he had met Claudia’s father Sean and passed muster because his grandmother was Irish. Jake was going to have words with his cousin and sister. They had not even obliquely mentioned Tiny while they were in Ireland. Poor Tiny, it was only a matter of time before the big guy was as pussy-whipped as Jake himself was.

Jake received another surprise when he returned home to find Nina, Jennie, Claudia, and Mary Murphy waiting for him.

“What’s the occasion, ladies?” he asked.

Mary started, “Jacob, we need to talk to you about Donna.”

“What about her? I said I’d do what was required of me and I will.”

“That’s not going to be enough,” Mary said. “She’s out of control, Jacob. Your rebuff of her has made her even worse. She has announced her intention to sleep with every guy she meets if that’s what it takes to prove you wrong. You have a responsibility to try to fix that before she takes the trip to Slutsville.”

Jake understood his mistake immediately. As conceited as she acted, Donna was still young and insecure. Jake’s putting her off must have been a big blow to her self-esteem.

“Oh, shit,” Jake said aloud, “I really messed this up. I let her bad attitude make me an asshole. I’ll call her this evening and try to correct that.”

“That’s good, but it’s going to take a while to change her thinking. You need to make sure she focuses her energy on you until she is thinking straight,” Mary said.

Jake agreed that he would do whatever was necessary. The women got up to leave but Jennie hung back. She asked Jake if she could talk to him in private for a minute and Jake led her out to the pool area. They sat down at a patio table and Jake looked at her expectantly.

“Jake, I appreciate you leaving me alone like you do. You know it would not be hard for you to get me in bed. I use to be ashamed of how I would get cravings for you until Mama told me about our family. I try hard to avoid you but it hurts not being with my family. If I spend more time with everyone, will you still leave me alone?”

Jake took her hand and kissed it. Jennie drew a sharp breath.

“You are safe with me, Jen,” he said. “I am attracted to you like I am to the others but I respect you and Larry and the love you have. It would be great to see more of you around here. If I can’t have you, I’ll at least get to look at you. Deal?”

They shook hands and she gave him a mischievous smile.

“Deal,” she said, “now that I know I’m safe, I might even enjoy tormenting you.”

Jake thought he was beyond surprises for one day until he went to bed and saw Cindy’s blonde head peeking out from the covers. Cindy was ensconced between his wife and Trish, cocooned in their safe embrace. Jake mentally shrugged, stripped off his clothes, and started to slip in the bed.

“Sleep in the middle next to Cindy, Hubby Bear,” Muffy said, “I need to be on the outside in case nature calls.”

Jake did as he was told as Melissa scooted back to make room for him. One of these days, Jake thought, he was going to say no to something one of the women told him to do just to be contrary. Today was not going to be that day, however, as he squirmed in between his wife and Cindy. Melissa snuggled up against his back as she always did when pregnant. Jake draped his arm protectively across Cindy from one side while Trish did the same from the other.

“I feel safe here with you all, thank you so much,” Cindy said, her voice quavering on the verge of tears.

Trish shushed her and stroked her head until she fell asleep. Jake drifted off shortly after. He dreamed about the dungeon under the castle’s ruins on Croagh Patrick. Jake woke at his normal six-thirty the next morning with Cindy somehow wrapped in his arms. His nose was pressed into her strawberry scented hair, her hard little ass pressed into his groin. Jake did his oft-practiced trick of slipping out of the bed without awakening anyone and headed for the kitchen to put on a pot of coffee. When the coffee was ready, he poured a cup and went out on the pool deck to enjoy the cool morning air.

He was at one of the patio tables watching two colts cavorting in the south pasture when Cindy walked out with her own mug of java. Cindy Sorenson even woke up looking beautiful. Her sleepy eyes and disarrayed hair were sexy as hell. Cindy was wearing a red negligee of the type Melissa favored. It was floor length but hugged every curve like a crimson coat of Chinese Lacquer. Even Ray Charles could see she wore nothing under the gown.

“Morning, Cindy, I hope you slept well,” Jake said.

Cindy bent down and kissed his cheek. Jake could not help but admire her firm breasts down the gaping lace bodice of the nightie.

“I slept like a baby until you got out of bed,” she replied. “It was the best night’s sleep I’ve had since ... well, in weeks.”

Jake told her that was great then asked her if she was up to answering questions he had after reading some documents he had brought home from Data on Time. When she said sure, he questioned her about the home for run-away teens that Alfred funded. The charity struck Jake as out of the ordinary because it was the only thing besides museums that Alfred supported. Cindy told him that some of the kids worked at the mansion. They all were polite, good looking and devoted to the Tremonts. The seemingly happy teens were part of what put Cindy at ease staying at the mansion. Although now as she looked back on it, Alfred and Michelle were very touchy feely with them and some were barely in their teens. Funny, she reflected, that it did not strike her as strange then.

Cindy’s story reinforced Jake’s belief that Alfred was somehow controlling the runaways just as he had controlled Cindy. The thought of leaving the underage kids in Alfred’s clutches set Jake’s teeth on edge. Yet, he knew that he could not do anything about it at the moment. What he needed was to get his hands on one of Alfred’s young servants. He was willing to bet that, after a day or two away from the Tremonts, the youngster would not be so kindly disposed towards his employers. Jake could not go to Chicago himself, not with Muffy due in the next week to ten days. Plus, the risk of being somehow recognized by the Tremonts before he was ready to confront them made it too risky. He needed someone who could not be linked to him to snag one of the teens.