Chapter 16

I woke early as we did get to bed reasonably early. I got up, peed, put my leg. shorts, and a T-shirt on, and went to the kitchen to make coffee. I went out to the patio and was enjoying the fresh morning air when Wanda wrapped her arms around me, kissing my neck. "I haven't had the opportunity to thank you for my gift. That was exceptionally nice of you to do for me. I saw that wreck you drove home, although Marie thinks it's just great. Would you enjoy coming back to bed for a few minutes or could we perhaps share some Tai Chi this morning?"

"How about we relax while the coffee is getting ready?"

We went out into the grass standing fairly far apart. I let myself relax by closing my eyes and beginning. I'm told that I learned the Chuan or as some say Chuan Yang forms. It doesn't make any difference though, because as your body exercises, the smoothness and gracefulness of the moves takes over your entire physic, giving an internal harmony that is extremely peaceful.

An exercise can last a long time, but most people flow through five to ten minutes and are perfectly content. I stopped in the classic stance of feet together hands at my sides with my head bowed remaining still for a couple of seconds. As I brought my head up and opened by eyes Wanda was doing the same about ten feet from me. The interesting thing was the three ladies standing on the patio staring at us.

As Wanda and I came in, Bobby said, "I knew you went outside most mornings, but I didn't know what you did. That was beautiful. It was almost sensuous the way you both moved. You weren't doing the same things, but your movements were almost synchronized in the same slow tempo."

Jan and Marie looked at each other, and Jan said, "We're going to the Y after work to check out some of this stuff. I want that."

Wanda and I smiled at them, and Wanda said, "It is not usual that one will intrude upon another while forming, but I asked Chuck if we could do it together. I don't think either of us saw each other as it is very personal. We should have some classes in the evening so all of us can form together."

Bobby said, "Are you ready to swim now?"

I un-strapped my leg, dropped my T-shirt and shorts, hopped to the pool, and dove in. Splashes followed as the others joined me, swimming slower in the beginning, building up to an all out sprint back and forth until we were all winded at the side of the pool. Bobby pulled me to her and gave me a kiss. "I didn't get to thank you personally last night."

Wanda had come up to my back and pressed her big ones into my back saying, "I think I should thank him first, you had your chance."

I laughed, "Ladies, ladies, we're a little late this morning. Let's get rolling. I may have things to do, people to see."

The two ladies hauled me out of the pool, lifting me from my feet and carrying me to the chair where my leg was. Bobby said, "Let's just carry him into the house so he doesn't have to put his leg on again. He has to shower anyway."

Wanda said, "Let's wash him under the shower out here. That way I can tease him too."

That's what they did. Wanda is about five eight and less than a foot shorter than Bobby's six seven, but the two are so different. Bobby is big, full, and large. She's as firm as can be, with large breasts that barely sag. Wanda is slim, tiny waisted, but with huge tits that are firm, but are so long they just have to sag. There was no way out of it.

While being thoroughly washed, I played with both sets offered to me, bringing me to a full very hard erection. I saw Bobby out of the corner of my eye motion to Wanda, who was soon leaning against the side of the open shower with her legs spread as Bobby guided me into her. I enjoyed a very nice mutual orgasm with Wanda. When she turned around to hold and kiss me she said, "I still owe you. That was just for fun."

Bobby said as she kept stroking my dick keeping it up, "Now me."

She assumed the same position, but because her legs are so long, she has to spread her legs out wider or bend her legs a little. We matched up, and just the excitement of us doing this with each other in the open, got me wound up so fast that we were both quickly coming. The good feelings washed over me and I'm sure over Bobby. We had to wash up a little more while the two ladies were giggling and laughing, enjoying their camaraderie in totally draining my morning excitement.

Now we were running late. Jan and Marie were eating cereal when we came in the house. They hadn't seen the open fooling around we had been doing, so they didn't understand the way the two were acting. They were carrying me as I held all the clothes and my leg. This was really strange.

Soon, we three supposedly more mature folks, were dressed with Bobby saying, "I have to get in to give the briefing. I need to print out the logs for the guys as it is a busy day. Chuck, could you bring me a couple of biscuit sandwiches from Burger King. Bring me a milk, too. Anyone else?"

I ended up with orders from everyone. Marie went with Bobby so she could help Bobby get ready for the briefing, and Jan wanted to ride with Wanda. After putting dishes into the dishwasher, I locked up and went out to the ratty old Camaro. When you started the thing, it was so loud that it rattled your senses a little. I drove reasonably to the Burger King, and on into the federal garage. I tossed Hank the keys and gave him a couple of sandwiches. He said, "I heard about someone doing wheelies on I-4 last night. Little Marie already called me to give me the whole story. Your legend grows."

"I'll be better. I couldn't resist trying it out. That thing could be dangerous."

Hank asked, "How about I clean it up, make it a little quieter and into a pursuit car. A deputy could use it on a capture. It might come in useful."

"If anything is near that fast, we shouldn't be chasing it. That car is a rocket."

"I know," Hank said, "I took it home night before last and had to beg to get out of a ticket. Good thing I have a badge."

I laughed as I headed across the street to our building. As soon as I came in, Wanda said, "Your station transfer is on hold. I canceled the charter without it costing us anything."

After distributing the breakfasts, I was doing my e-mails when Conish came in and sat down. She spied my two sandwiches and said, "I'll come back after you've eaten."

Before I could tell her to sit, she was out the door. I ate my sandwiches and walked to the door and asked her to join me in my office. As she came in, I shut the door, but left the door to Wanda's office cracked. She sat, and instead of going behind my desk, I sat in my other side chair in front of my desk.

Conish looked me in the eye and said, "I was not a hundred percent truthful on my application. I'm afraid you may find out and terminate me because of it."

"Should I have Wanda come in to hear this? She is the person hiring and firing in this case."

"No Sir, I have already spoken with her extensively about this."

She took a deep breath, looked all around, then straight at me, "I gave you a false name. I gave you my maiden name as I want to change back to it after my divorce. I have only been separated for about six weeks and have been almost hiding since the separation. I found out my husband has become a man that will be in jail as soon as he is caught doing what he is doing. I do not wish to be associated with someone like that and I do not wish to go to jail as an accomplice. I hope my false name will not prejudice you against me."

"If Matathena is your maiden name, what was your married name?"

"Houston, Sir."

"And your former husband's name?"

"Mathew Houston, Sir, he now goes by the nick name big T as he says his business empire will be as big as Texas."

I thought for a moment then held my hand up for her to stay seated. I went to my PC, hit the Bureau web site and logged in. My status allowed full access to everything. I put in Mathew Houston and in the block for aliases, I listed T and Big T Houston.

I came up with a folder generated in Miami and another in New Orleans. Both had pictures of a guy. I waved Conish over to look and she nodded. "That's him. Where did you find these?"

Pointing to the FBI header for the page, I went through the files quickly, seeing that the man was busily importing Mexicans, some middle easterners, and what do you know, Russians. He had connections to some slave importers in New Orleans and some suspected slavers in California. These slaves were noted to be children under the age of sixteen to be used within brothels. There was a link to an ATF site. I went to it to find that Big T was linked to several firearms dealers and was purchasing large quantities of firearms. An investigation was underway to discover where the guns were ending up.

"Conish, if I were to have some people come to my office, would you talk to them. You might be able to assist them in their investigation."

"I know a wife does not have to do that, but I would be happy to do it. I spent almost twenty-five years happily married to a real estate broker and before he became involved with some foreigners with names that ended in trov, ski, and like that. They were really scary people. They would joke in their language, looking and winking at me. I know they were not being nice. Matt would just go along with them, humiliating me in front of them by openly fondling me. He often attempted to encourage me to be more physically friendly with his foreign friends. As soon as I discovered what he was doing, I took a few thousand from our checking account and fled. I got on a bus and ended up here. I will be happy to speak to law enforcement about his activities and what I know of them."

I called the Bureau chief and asked it he had anyone working on the file, referencing it by the number. He said he didn't, but asked if I needed him to assign someone. I told him to consider it as I was going to get an ATF guy and probably a Homeland Security immigration specialist involved also. He told me to call him back when I needed an agent.

As I stood, I said, "Conish, I'll gather the appropriate people and have them interview you collectively. I will be present and they will not divulge where you are. You will state that you will give information, but cannot be used as a witness as you would be under threat and didn't have any direct proof anyway."

She stood up, smiled, and went back to her desk, re-closing the door. As soon as she left, Wanda was in my office with a stack of papers for my in basket. She said to me, "I see you did some research. Quite a story for Ms. Metathena."

"No kidding. She's agreed to a mass interview. I'm going to get someone from each group that is involved in the investigation and see if they will prepare sufficiently to do this only once. If any of them get careless, Conish will have to go into protection. I think we would rather keep her here."

Wanda said, "I would, she seems to be thriving in our environment. When I took Angie and her home last night, I found that they both live in public housing. She was lucky to have gotten in. I'm sure as soon as she begins getting paid, she'll probably find something near here. Angie has already said that the only reason she lives alone is to get away from her folks who she says also live in public housing."

"Wanda, how did you get a clearance on Conish? When did you find out her name and situation?"

Wanda looked as if she were trying to avoid the subject but answered, "During her initial interview, I told her we would perform a thorough background check. If there was anything in her background that would cause her to not get the job, what would it be. She gave me the whole story during that first interview. Something about her made me want to hire her. Somehow I knew she would be a good employee. Everything she told me checked out exactly. I hope you don't feel I broke any of the rules or jeopardized our security."

"Probably not Wanda but when you are confronted with something like that, you need to include me as soon as you can. Had I found out on my own, the result would not have been good."

"I won't let it happen again Mr. Johnson"

After clicking through the Houston files she said, "You don't have hardly any e-mails of any value and most of the stuff I just put in your box is also of little value. You are clear to work on this project if you need to. I can even take care of everything in your in box."

"I'll look at them. It's my job and will give me hints at what's going on where. E-mails are fine, I need to answer them and again it will give me an idea of what's going on."

I called ATF and they had an agent assigned to the file. They would have him contact me. Homeland Security was tougher. These people were trying to become the all powerful, all consuming, arm of the government that would give the Spanish language total acceptance. I was a little pissed that the girl answering the phone could barely speak English and kept asking me questions in Spanish. I told her in my few Spanish phrases, "Give me your supervisor."

It took almost five minutes before a voice answered the phone. I identified myself, but not my position because I didn't know what it was. It was a multi-jurisdictional position. I asked him if he were the manager or the supervisor of the receptionist.

When he said, "What's it to you?" That did it. "Please give me to your station manager now. Do it now, or D.C. will be on the phone ripping you a new asshole. Well no, that's not true, that's my job, now get me the office or station supervisor right now."

Two seconds later I got a "Customs,"

"Are you the station supervisor, chief, manager, or whatever you might be. Are you where the buck stops?"

"Yes I am, may I help you."

I identified myself and I heard him gasp. "First get someone as receptionist that speaks English and enroll the young lady that is there right now into an English class. Do it today. I want that to be reported to this office later today. You might want to make sure all of your people who regard English as their second language enroll with the former receptionist. I repeat; former receptionist. Second, teach your personnel to be respectful of all callers, regardless of how rude the caller may be. We still work for most of the callers. Third, I need to work with one of your immigration specialists, one who might be familiar with a specific file."

"What file is it. I'm supposed to be aware of all active cases. I'm trying hard to be a good station chief."

I gave him the file number and I could hear him typing. "I have someone familiar with the case, I can have him help you."

"I'm going to have a multi-agency group interviewing a person knowledgeable about the subject under investigation. She will not be a witness and her identify must be protected or she will have to go into the protection relocation program. Will you have your agent contact me?"

"Yes Sir, I'll do that and take care of the other matters you requested. I'm sorry for the treatment you received. I should observe my personnel's phone manners more closely and I will. You did a great job on that incident up in Jacksonville before your promotion. Congratulations on your promotion, I guess now that the super chief is in Tampa, I'll have to be on my toes."

"Just do the job you know how to do. Oh yeah, are you supposed to answer customs?"

"Sorry, Chief, I was customs for twenty-five years. It's a hard habit to break. I don't even know how to answer the phone because D.C. doesn't know how to do it either."

"That is a problem isn't it. You're still customs, but now you're immigration too, plus you're part of the Homeland Security investigative division."

"Yes Sir, I have responsibility for the ports, the airport contractors, and the customs and immigrations workers, and yes, thank you for saving my guy out there just a little while ago. This has become a monster job. I'm proud they chose me, but it can be a struggle. What do you think we should answer the phone as?"

"I would say the receptionist should say Homeland Security for customs and immigration, and everyone else with their rank or title. You can just say chief, or boss, or God."

"He laughed, thanks Chief, I appreciate your understanding. Let me get to work, too much bullshit before five is not good."

I left with, "Talk to me when you need help."

I called the Bureau chief back and found him waiting for me. "How about we hold this interview in your conference room?" I suggested. "There will be too many for my office. I'm going to set this up for next Tuesday. If you have a chance, come up and meet the interviewee. She is quite remarkable."

"You have her there? How long will she be there?"

"She's one of my new clerks, like I said, you would enjoy meeting her."

"I'll be right there since I haven't seen your new digs yet."

I told Wanda that the Bureau Chief was coming up so to usher him in when he got there.

First was Conish, in her very proper refined voice, asking "How may I help you?" Next was Wanda, in her equally proper tone asking, "Mr. Harris, let me escort you to Mr. Johnson's office."

I was already standing when they came in. As I seated Frank, Wanda asked, "May I get you coffee, Sir?"

"That would be great, haven't had a cup all morning. Black, please."

Wanda looked at me questioningly and I nodded.

"This place is gorgeous. I would be jealous except I wouldn't want the responsibility. Who did the decorating?"

"My new office manager, Wanda. She enjoys plants and I'm very happy to have them as well."

"That's what we need in our place, plants. Perhaps she can show my office manager and clerk how to pick some out."

"How's your health, Frank? You scared me out at the airport."

"Scared me, too. I've not had a problem for a couple of years, then that whole month leading up to the airport thing just did it to me. I had four arbitration things with Forest, plus I was going to have to defend my office on an ACLU thing. You may or may not know that my divorce was finally final the week before the incident, and the final straw was out there where I should have been able to be in charge and just take care of it. With all the personnel problems we've been having, the divorce, and the shit that Forest stirred up, it's been too much. I'm doing better though. I've exercised every day, walking everyday, eating right, sleeping good. I think having you around is keeping me calm too, and that's not blowing smoke up your ass."

Wanda had heard most of what Frank had said and added, "Mr. Johnson does have a calming affect."

Frank blushed, but accepted the coffee. Wanda had a donut and said, "This is a cake donut. It's not real bad for your diet and for you to come up makes this is a special occasion."

When Wanda left, I asked, "I didn't know about your divorce and I'm not good with gossip. You okay? Did you come out okay?"

"I came out fine. When I found out I was sharing my wife with several others, I tried to get her out of my life but she was like a bad penny, she kept coming back. I finally had to have a restraining order, hired Sarah Perkins, the most vicious divorce lawyer in the city, and was able to keep my home and my pension. I had to give up a little savings and a car. That's all. Financially I'm great, but my personal or social life sucks."

"It'll get better. The most important thing though is to take care of yourself, stay healthy."

We had finished our coffee and snack. I put the cups on the sideboard where the bar was, then after waving for Frank to remain seated, I went out to get Conish.

I introduced the two and explained briefly to Frank what the deal was. He said he would pull all the files so his person would be up on the case. He looked at Conish, "If I may suggest, I have a divorce attorney you should use. She is excellent at taking care of contested and potentially explosive divorces. You have a case like that, that's for sure. And the best thing, she charges guys like me a lot so she can do divorces for ladies like you pro bono."

Conish smiled broadly and said, "I would love to meet this woman."

Frank held his hand up as if to say stop, took out his cell phone and in a couple of seconds he said, "Sarah, Frank, can you come over to the Federal building real quick to see someone you need to help. Come to the top floor, when you get off the elevator, walk straight ahead to the old judges chambers. Thanks, Babe, I'm sorry, thank you, Sarah."

"She gets all uppity when I say 'Babe.' I mean it in a nice way though."

I stepped to the door and warned Wanda about Sarah Perkins. She came in and pulled an additional side chair to be next to Conish. I suggested, "Lets use the table, it's friendlier. I hate to talk across the desk at people."

By the time we were all around the table, Sarah was being ushered in. After all the introductions were done, Wanda asked Sarah if she could offer her a refreshment. She grinned and said, "I could kill for a Diet Coke."

Wanda looked at Conish and she was almost embarrassed, she asked, "May I?" Wanda said, "Of course, what would you like?" It was another Diet Coke and I asked Wanda to bring Frank and me a bottle of water each. It a minute, Angie and Wanda were bringing our drinks in. Once that was done, I gave Sarah a brief history so Conish didn't have to keep going over it. I'm sure it sounded better when I talked about it instead of her.

When I was done, Sarah turned to Conish and asked, "Are you just angry at your husband for doing something that may be illegal, or is there more?"

Conish looked down, then back up and said there's more. She looked at me and asked, "Will you say the words instead of me? It's very difficult."

I explained that the husband was trying to get her to have sex with his foreign business associates and was becoming increasingly more aggressive in his attention to Conish.

Sarah said, "I get the picture. I'll get you taken care of, but it's going to be tough to keep our secret. I'll handle it as if you're out of the country. Are you a natural citizen?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I was born here to Austrian parents. We lived both here and in Austria throughout my youth. I went to Harvard. That's where I met Matthew. Neither of us went to graduate school, although I had aspirations of becoming an attorney."

Sarah said, "Go right across the bay and enroll. One of the best law schools in the country. I could use a partner."

Conish was flustered, "Oh, I don't have the money to do that."

"You will, Conish, you will. I will separate your ex with a bunch of it before I'm done with him. Let me get right on it before these guys arrest him. We have to work fast. I'll get an emergency order for some heavy maintenance."

Conish was smiling beautifully. "If you do that, I will be able to pay for your services. Thank you."

"I know, Honey, that's why we'll work on this one. I am in this for the money. I'll do handstands for you if you don't have any, but I love to be paid, just ask Frank."

Sarah turned to me and asked, "Hey, Chuck, need a good divorce lawyer?"

"Not married, Ma'am."

"Want to get married and see how you like it?"

I laughed, "You need to meet some of the ladies I've been meeting lately. You're just as forward as they are."

"I just like to have fun. Thanks for calling me, Frank. Conish can you come to my office after work? We need to get a whole bunch of information."

Conish looked a little panicked, I said, "It's very difficult for her to get a bus if she misses the early ones."

Frank offered, "Conish, let me walk you to Sarah's office. I will wait for you and make sure you get home safely."

Conish said, "Thank you, Mr. Harris that would be excellent. I will see you, Ms. Perkins, as soon after five as I can."

Sarah and Conish got up. Conish left to go to her desk and Sarah turned to Frank, "That one is right up your alley, Guy. She's class, probably more than you, but you got some couth. When you take her home, be cool, be nice, and offer to take her to supper. Take her somewhere nice, open, safe to her. You'll both have a great time."

She turned to me and said, "Don't mind me, I'm a matchmaker in my spare time. I just can't find a match for me yet. Thank you for letting us use your office."

Sarah Perkins was gone as fast as she came, saying thank you and goodbye to Wanda and Angie as she left. Frank said, "See why I like that Babe, lady, that is. She's good, but she's full of it."

I said, "Okay, our deal will be Tuesday, say ten in your conference room. For security, I would like to enter it through your hallway entrance. Have one of your folks out in the hall to direct them. Let me know who your agent will be for my file. Just tell Wanda so she can e-mail them to confirm."

"Got it, Chuck, sure glad you're doing this instead of me. Talk to you later."

I looked at my watch to see it nearing the noon hour. This had been time consuming. I quickly called ATF and Homeland Security to give them date and time, and to have their agents contact Wanda. I would call the IRS, but those guys had loose lips and always screwed things up. I was thinking I needed to get Bobby to assign someone but it wasn't within our jurisdiction and all we would do was to cloud the issue. If we couldn't keep Conish hidden, it would be our problem but not until then.

Okay, that was set. I wrote a quick e-mail to Wanda with the details and what to expect and to notify me if she had not had responses by Monday noon. Silly wasn't it to send an e-mail to my Office Manager a few feet away. I walked to the door and explained the coming e-mail to Wanda. She said, "You did exactly right. You don't have to warn me it's coming. I would expect an advisory. It's better that you put it down on paper instead of just telling me about it. Now the project is real."

Hank called me and said, "Bring me a Subway. I want a roast beef, provolone, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise and jalapeños peppers. I have soft drinks here. I need to talk to you."

I walked in one direction to get the Subways, bought two of the same and walked back to the garage. I gave Hank his sandwich and sat down on a folding chair in front of his desk to eat my sandwich. He gave me a Coke, got himself one as well, and began eating.

Between mouthfuls, I asked, "So what's up, what can I do for you?"

"Let's eat first. I love these sandwiches. We'll talk in a minute."

We ate, we both wadded up the paper from the sandwiches and hit the waste basket with our basketball type shots. Almost at the same time we drained our Coke cans and tossed them as well.

A car came up to the ready spot near the door. It was an obvious police car of some form, a neutral color, which is sort of tan. The driver came in and tossed the keys on Hank's desk and said, "It's ready."

Hank said, "Come look at this, it's pretty nice." I noticed the car looked new and when we opened the door, it even smelled new. It was a Chevrolet Impala. Hank opened all the doors, then opened the trunk. The trunk had compartments and gun racks so it was fitted as a police car. Every thing looked pristine. The part that bothered me was the leather seats. Police don't get leather seats.

Hank said, "This is a protected car that does not fit the SUV directive. I picked it up because it has a modified engine instead of the stock for this model. It ain't real pretty, but it sure is fast. It handles real tight. I'd like to see if we could test it on the TPD track just for fun. I'm sure they'd like to test the Camaro there as well. I got this for your driver. You said fast, this is fast. You said it didn't have to be pretty, it ain't pretty. You said protected would be a bonus. This is protected. I did put some wheels on it and installed all our radios and telemetry in it. Please note that there are no exposed antennas."

"It's just different enough I thought you would like it. You could have a Ford, but we have a ton of Fords. I might find another Chrysler and I know there are more SUVs. There are all kinds of Mercedes and BMWs, but you're not the foreign car type. If you decide you want this to be pink, I'll get it painted. But this is a nice car. If you don't want it, it will make one hell of a duty car. Oh yeah, this came with a deal. I got this with no transfer fee because it was on the back of my new flatbed, or rather my new used flatbed. This truck's bigger so I can haul the heavier SUVs that we've been running into. Now we have two trucks. Every time you've needed a truck, you've needed a bunch of trucks. Now we have two."

I said, "Let's see what it feels like."

Hank locked his office and jumped in. The car had the heavy-duty wide seat belts and we buckled them up and I rolled out onto the street. I accelerated gently up through normal street speeds. It felt good.

There were cops out everywhere, so I couldn't nail it. I rolled up on the Leroy Selman Expressway and as we hit the straight away at thirty-five, I floored it. It didn't fishtail, but it did burn a lot of rubber and we were almost instantly at one thirty. I let off. I didn't know what it would do but this wasn't the place to find out. I got off, hoping there was a Sun Pass transponder for the tolls. For fun, I did a power one eighty to get back on the toll road and it stayed flat as a pancake. We went through the toll gates so fast, that it couldn't have taken our picture anyway. I let off this time before one twenty.