Chapter 11

"Let's respond to your questions one at a time," suggested Gwen as she studied the photos. "First of all, I'm not running for office, so I certainly won't be withdrawing. I never entered the race. These photos are real, and the quality is excellent. They were taken on our July 4th Ride for American Pride five years ago.

"Jared is a dear friend and yes, we were naked as we climbed into the hot tub with several others. No one had sex in the tub. I've never been intimate with any man other than Steve. I've never gone farther than kiss any man but Steve. In high school, Jared pulled me out of the line of fire of a crazed terrorist. Then he held me and turned his back on that horrible man. He took two bullets in the back and saved my life.

"I consider him a true friend and Steve thinks of him as a brother. Jared is a man of honor. He would sooner take another bullet than harm his friendship with Steve. So yes, we were naked in a hot tub and someone somehow managed to photograph or video us that evening.

"Obviously, Steve did have the very voluptuous Naomi on his lap, and he appeared to enjoy it a lot. However, I am the only woman he has ever made love to, and he has no intention of changing that. I've appeared nude in movies, so this shouldn't shock anyone that knows me. So has Steve. We aren't self conscious about our bodies. Steve just now asked me if he could get copies of these photos. They're quite remarkable.

"Jared and Naomi are extremely fit and attractive, but these pictures blow me away. What I see here is an incredible pair, and Jared doesn't look too bad either! If voters are upset that I would climb into a hot tub naked with some very close friends, they really need to vote for someone that wouldn't do that, if they can. They have choices, as do I. I choose to trust my friends and enjoy private moments with them. No election is more important to me than these people that went to Iraq with me to find and bring back Steve and Chip. I'm actually proud of these photos. The electorate has the final decision on how they feel about my conduct when they enter the voting booth.

"I do have a favor to ask of the public, regardless of their political preferences. For years, Naomi has claimed that my ass is bigger than hers. This is the perfect opportunity to correct that misconception. I'd like to ask everyone to study these pictures on the internet and then let me know which ass is bigger. I'm quite confident that public opinion will be heavily in favor of my little tush being much smaller. It's quite obvious to me in these photos. Are there any more questions?"

"Are you really telling us that you're more concerned about who has the bigger butt than you are about what voters think of you being seen naked with a man other than Steve Hammer?" asked a female reporter.

"That pretty well sums it up. This 'not running for office' is really quite liberating!" laughed Gwen. "I could arrange an interview with Steve, me, and some friends naked in a hot tub if you'd like to join us. You could report on how well behaved we are. You could even sit on Steve's lap while you asked him questions. It would have to be audio only since seeing naked people upsets some folks."

"You'd give me an exclusive?" asked the reporter quickly. "Could I wear a swim suit?"

"You seem to have trouble with the term naked," chuckled Gwen. "Too bad for you. Sitting between Steve and Jared naked is a treat few women get to experience. Any more questions?"

"Aren't you treating this situation awfully lightly?" asked a female reporter for a major network. "This sort of thing can destroy a political career, yet you're asking people to compare derrieres and suggest that is more important to you than being photographed naked with a man not your boyfriend."

"Is it that obvious?" countered Gwen. "I really don't want people to vote for me if they're uncomfortable with me or my lifestyle. As I've stated numerous times, I've had one lover in my life. I have several very dear friends. You may think you have close friends, but mine take bullets for me, or at least risk it. Now that's a friend!

"These pictures are real. They were taken without permission, and posted without permission. Jared is really buff. Steve is, well ... he's Steve Hammer. I have to admit that Naomi looks like a goddess.

"People need to decide what is important to them when they vote. I'm half way thought Stanford Medical School. I work very hard to help veterans and children. I'm successful in movies and music. My best friend and lover is a U.S. Navy SEAL and a graduate of the Naval Academy, and quite accomplished in international diplomacy. I'm totally transparent, maybe too much so for some people that see these photos.

"Everything I do and all that I am is out there. People can decide for themselves, but I'm not going to lie, and I'm not going to apologize. I love my friends, but this amazing guy standing behind me is my man, and the only man I want or need in my bed. I think most females can understand my feelings on that account. Any further questions?"

"No one has told us how Steve escaped his captors and if the state department deliberately or accidently dropped the ball," pressed a male reporter from a major newspaper. "The last we saw on the internet, you were in the hands of the terrorists and they were preparing to behead you. Then Gwen goes to Iraq and brings you home. There's a lot left unknown. Can you tell us anything more?"

"I'm not going to say anything I do know not for a fact to be true," replied Steve carefully. "I will say that my very good friend, and fellow SEAL, Chip Martin, saved my life. He was the difference. He was badly injured in the process, but he's recovering now. I will never be able to repay him for the tenacity, intelligence, and courage he displayed finding me and pulling me out of a very bad situation!"

"Do you blame the state department, or the CIA, or both for your near death at the hands of terrorists?" asked the reporter in a follow-up question.

"I haven't learned enough to blame anyone for anything," responded Steve. "I willingly agreed to be exchanged for those students. There are a lot of questions about what led up to that exchange and what was done to remedy the problem afterward.

"What happened to the man that held the sword to your throat and promised to behead you on the internet? Is he still at large, or was he captured?" asked another reporter.

"Neither," answered Steve with a straight face. "We're done here, everyone. We have appointments to keep. Thank you."

Once Gwen and Steve were back at the Anderson's, Gwen asked Steve, "Do you think I need to start taking these stupid accusations more seriously. First, it's you and Mom having an affair. Now it's me and Jared and you and Naomi doing the dirty. Should I protest more, or be more indignant?"

"Not even a little bit," insisted Steve. "You handled it perfectly again. It really ruins these attempts to discredit you when you laugh at them rather than become defensive. The headlines will be about how you don't really care about the pictures and you're not running for office. Your approach to this election thing is so foreign to voters and reporters, it has them totally confused. I wish everyone knew as much about all candidates as is known about you."

Billy had been listening to Steve and Gwen discuss the situation while he perused the photos. "These pictures are great! I was there and I still can't believe how great Gwen and Naomi look. Never mind who has the bigger ass, I'm wondering which girl has the bigger..."

"Never mind!" interjected Charlotte. "If you recall, you awarded that title to Naomi that evening. Are you starting to waffle?"

"Well, I'm looking at the pictures and Gwen sure doesn't have to be embarrassed or ashamed of her big..."

"Once again, I caution you!" warned Charlotte as she pounded Billy's arm. "We're all aware of your admiration for Naomi and Gwen's attributes. It's too bad that Lisa and Jordan didn't make any impression on you that night."

"Now that you mention it, there must be pictures of you and me naked, along with Jordan, Charlie, Lisa, and Jason. I wonder if we could find them someplace on the internet. Do you think we'll be blackmailed or something?" wondered Billy.

"How can they blackmail us if we're proud of our bodies and the pictures, like Gwen was? Their attempt to bring Gwen down failed miserably. I do wonder who released those pictures. They aren't our friends. That's for sure," observed Charlotte.

"Look! I found a site where people can vote on Gwen and Naomi's relative ass size!" exclaimed Billy as he waved his smart phone around. "Go to www.gwenssweetass.com. There are six thousand votes in already. It seems to be pretty well divided. Thirty two per cent think Gwen's ass is smaller and twenty six percent believe that Naomi's ass is smaller, while forty two per cent feel it's a tie. I'm going to vote, and then search to see if there's a boob voting site!"

Just then Naomi and Jared came through the door. "You're voting for my ass being smaller, right, Billy? I just saw the news where the reporter asked Gwen about pictures of us on the internet. I couldn't believe it. How did they get photos from that night? I called Mom to try to explain how that all happened.

"She asked me if Steve was really naked when I was on his lap. I told her that he was. Then she told me I had nothing to explain! I think she was a little jealous! It's a little weird that my mother is so turned on by Steve, isn't it?" asked Naomi rhetorically.

"Not if my mother is anywhere near normal in that regard," stated Jordan as she entered the room. "She paraded around topless in front of him and tried to get him to tell her how nice her tits were."

"Really? I can't wait to tell Mom about that," chuckled Naomi. "That'll really make her jealous. When I told her about Chip's sleep talking, she was extremely interested. She kept asking me if Steve's really seen all of those woman undressed. I told her I couldn't really be sure, but everyone acted as if he had, so I'd guess he did.

"She was especially interested in hearing about Paula, Diane, and Jordan's mother. I think she was disappointed that I couldn't tell her more. Is it possible she's thinking of teasing Steve a little? I don't know what Dad would say about that."

"That would be awesome!" blurted Billy. "Let's have her visit sometime when we're near a hot tub. Your mom has some seriously nice..."

"Billiy! You've got to learn to filter the thoughts in your head before they slip out your mouth," scolded Charlotte. "It isn't polite to keep referring to the anatomies of our female friends the way you do. That goes double for their mothers. And even if Naomi's mom felt like giving Steve a little peek, it doesn't mean that you'd be included. I'm sorry, Naomi. Billy has a one track mind."

"I can't wait to tell Mom what Billy said," laughed Naomi. "I bet she'll smile like the cat that ate the canary. I think when women hit their forties, they need to prove they're still attractive and desirable, and can still attract the eyes of younger men."

"If I'm around when she gets in the hot tub, I'll be all eyes!" promised Billy. "Your mom is hot!"

"I thought you had a thing for my mother," pointed out Gwen. "Now we find out that you're attracted to Naomi's mom, too? What's wrong with you, Billy?"

"He's pretty normal, except he keeps blurting out what he's thinking!" complained Charlotte. "That's the problem. Steve and Jared are just sitting there, acting like they'd never even think about your mothers' unusually nice figures, but they're just as perverted as Billy. They just have more couth."

"That gives me a great idea!" announced Billy. "When we build Valhalla, we need to be sure there's a giant hot tub installed. We'll use it to unwind after saving a small country or making a block buster movie. We'll have Kate, Jordan, Becky, Ashley, Naomi and her mom, Paula and Diane and..."

"I think we get the picture!" laughed Jordan. "With all of those boobs in there, you'll feel right at home. Naomi and her mom won't have the biggest boobs in the tub with you there, leering at us ladies, you big boob! Poor Charlotte. He must molest you endlessly."

"I have to admit that he seems to enjoy my B cup boobs pretty well for all of his talk about big ones," agreed Charlotte. "I think Gwen's right when she says that men like all breasts and all sizes."

"Jared and I didn't stop in to discuss my mother's chest, although you'd never know it from the conversation," continued Naomi. "What should we do about those pictures on the web? If they were taken off videos, there can be an endless stream of photos of us naked coming out the rest of our lives. It's a bit of a rush to have so many people vote for my ass, but guys like Billy will be starting a web site to vote on our breasts pretty soon. No offense, Billy."

"None taken!" retorted Billy immediately.

"Let's call Ashley and have her figure this one out," suggested Jordan. "She'll know who to contact to get to the bottom of this. We know the pictures are from the night we stayed at that log cabin. Now that I think about it, there could have been cameras in our rooms, as well! We could have sex tapes coming out on the internet!"

"Oh no!" groaned Jared. "I never thought about cameras in our rooms!"

'What are you worried about? You were alone that night. I didn't sleep with you back then," recalled Naomi.

"Yeah, I know. I was in a hot tub with five of the sexiest naked women on the planet and I went to bed alone. Don't you think I might have had a little pressure built up that needed release?" asked Jared.

"Oh, no!" exclaimed Naomi with a blush. "I was a bit stimulated after seeing all of those naked men. I sure wouldn't want anyone to see videos from my bedroom that night either. We'd better hire a hit man or something to get the bastard with the pictures, and soon!"

It was decided that some of the wealth and connections of Lady in Red Productions were to be devoted to finding out who had possession of the videos, and either securing them or litigate until the perpetrator was broke, and then secure the videos.

The next day the group traveled to the site of Asgard. A new road was being built into the area but was nowhere near completed, so they used SUV's to access the lake and the building sites over a winding dirt road. Steve was impressed that two foundations were already poured and a crew was setting forms for a third.

"That one is where Lisa and Jason and their daughter will be living," explained Ashley. "The contractor promised their home would be done before the baby was born. Over there is Charlie and Jordan's home. The contractor couldn't guarantee that it would be finished when they return from their honeymoon, but he's going to try.

"Ted and Paula will be here and should be the third one completed. All of these houses will be over four thousand square feet and have five bedrooms since we don't know how many kids everyone is going to have. We want to be sure that they're big enough."

"Why would Gwen's parents want such a big house," asked Billy. "Their kids will be moved into homes of their own."

"I think I can answer that one," responded Paula. "It appears likely that Ted and I are going to be blessed with more than a few grandchildren and we want room for them when they stay with us. Our daughters also have some very good friends that will be having children and may want us to babysit them while they're off to strange lands doing who knows what. The plans allow for an addition to the house if it appears that we're going to need more room."

"Steve and I have picked out a spot over on that hill," revealed Gwen. "Valhalla will be over near that huge oak, and it'll take up most of that knoll. It'll have twelve bedrooms with private baths, a banquet hall, an industrial sized kitchen, an indoor pool, a media room, an exercise room, and a big game room with pool tables, table tennis, and other games.

"There'll be a huge hot tub where my sisters, Jordan, Naomi, Charlotte, Mom, Aunt Dianne, Becky, Ashley, Jen, Nadiya and I will be naked most of the time. We'll have a direct video feed to Billy's home, just in case he's too tired to come over and watch us in person," finished Gwen as she fought to maintain a straight face.

"Oh, man! You really had me going!" admitted Billy. "I was visualizing everything as you were naming the ladies that would frequent it. No need for the live video. I'll make sure I get over there in person every day."

"We'll probably have to have a full time security guard to keep an eye on Billy keeping his eyes on everyone else," teased Jordan. "They already started building the huge fence that's going to surround the property. The irony is that Billy will be fenced in with us. That's like having the fox watch the hen house."

"Hey, I've always been a perfect gentleman when you're naked, haven't I?" questioned Billy with a crooked grin.

"Actually, you have," agreed Jordan. "Your eyes get awfully big and drool runs down your chin, but that's kind of flattering in a strange way. The other guys don't even give me a second look."

"I don't think that's too accurate, at least with Steve," disagreed Kate. "He can describe every inch of your body. If he could paint, and it really wouldn't surprise me if he could, he'd have nudes of all of us hanging on his walls. Billy might act like the pervert, but Mr. Hammer is always looking, even when it seems like he isn't! He just conceals it while Billy stares and grins."

"That's my boyfriend you're calling a perv," pointed out Charlotte. "He just happens to have a lot of testosterone pumping through his veins. He's all male and he really appreciates attractive women with long legs, great smiles and..."

"Big hooters!" finished Billy. "I'm just manlier than these other guys. I would never want to insult a naked woman by ignoring her. I was raised better than that!"

As Billy finished speaking, Ashley arrived to join the group. "I've asked investigators to approach the situation about those photos from both directions. We have some super computer geeks trying to determine where the server is that hosts the web site the pictures are on, and we have guys visiting the owner of the cabin. Most of the folks I've talked with seem to think that they'd be happy to have pictures like that on the web if they looked like you guys."

"As you know, that isn't the point," replied Gwen. "This was done with the intention of hurting us, or at least hurting me. It's illegal and it's wrong. Plus, there could be videos of a more intimate nature circulating at some future point. I love Steve and I don't care who knows it, but I don't want the world watching it. Unless, of course, they're buying tickets in a movie theater, or renting it on Blue Ray, and even then they don't get to see the whole repertoire!"

"As far as hurting you goes, your poll numbers are up!" revealed Ashley. "The Democratic candidate pulled out and offered his meager support to the Republican. Polls out this morning show that it isn't easy to get Democratic supporters to go Republican. Your support went up almost ten per cent after those photos came out. It seems that every dirty trick they try backfires on them."

"I think that goes back to what Steve and I learned when that woman sneaked into our hotel room and took pictures proving we had spent the night together," replied Gwen. "We decided then to simply tell the truth and it's worked for every situation we've encountered since then."

"Except for your temporary insanity with Jack Timberline," recalled Lisa. "You were a mess that day, but Steve, Naomi, and Nadiya made it all look like part of the plan. You really have some great friends."

"Ashley, would you walk with me for a ways?" asked Steve as he led Ashley away from the group so no one could overhear what they were saying. "I know that you've heard that the guy you met wasn't really Mark Neary. He was an imposter, and I was the one that told you he was an okay guy. I can't tell you how much that bothers me. Maybe I'm not the one you should ask about men. You're a beautiful, accomplished woman and hardly need me screwing things up for you."

"I heard all about how he impersonated the real Mark Neary," admitted Ashley. "He wasn't who he told us he was, but it doesn't mean that he can't be a good guy. You liked him, Steve. I could tell. He was a gentleman with me and I think he really did like me. I'm reserving my opinion until we know the truth about the situation. He could have been misled, or tricked, just like we were.

"Don't blame yourself and please don't stop looking out for me. I like it. I don't have a dad and it feels really good that a strong, capable male has my best interests at heart. I don't know what I'd do if something happened to our friendship. Gwen's very lucky to have you, but I think I'm doing pretty darn good having you for a close friend!"

Kate nodded toward Steve and Ashley as they spoke privately. "I thought I was in deep over Steve, but Ashley worships him. Look at her eyes when she talks to him. You're very trusting, Gwen. Don't you ever worry about her seducing him? I love her like a sister, but she's another woman in love."

"I understand what you mean. The short answer is that I do trust them. I know Ashley loves him deeply, but so do a few of my sisters that shall remain nameless. Look how you were able to transfer some of that emotion you had for Steve to Chip. Jordan found Charlie. Lisa has Jason. I've noticed that loving Steve allows my friends and relatives to find very good men for themselves.

"I couldn't be prouder of the guys you three have found. In the beginning, I was a bit nervous about Steve having woman fall over him all the time, but now I understand how it all works. When Ashley finds the right guy, she'll love him unconditionally. She's learning what to look for in a man, and she'll find one. In the mean time, she can lean on Steve. His shoulders are broad. And Steve feels bad about the guy we thought was Mark Neary turning out to be someone else. He's apologizing about that right now."

The next day, Steve and Gwen received a phone call telling them that Senator Chatham wanted to meet with them on the following Friday. Curious about the significance of her wanting to see them, they agreed to meet with her in a private room at LiR CPA.

"It's good to see you both again!" schmoozed the senator. "You've been doing some remarkable things since we last met. I knew you were both headed for great things after our trip to Russia."

"Thank you, Senator," replied Steve. "We appreciate your high opinion, but we know you didn't come here to tell us how fond you are of us. What can we do for you?"

"You don't waste time getting to the nitty-gritty, do you?" chuckled the Senator. "We have a PR nightmare going on in Washington. The fact that you willingly traded yourself to save those kids and the U.S. government didn't appear to care in any way is causing a serious shit storm in D.C.

"When Gwen made mention of the state department and the administration failing you the night she brought you back makes it even more damning. Add in the fact that she, along with some very special friends, managed to go to Iraq, find you, fight for you, and bring you back to safety really leaves those of us in leadership positions looking very poorly. I just don't see how we can shine this so it doesn't look like shit," stated Senator Chatham frankly.

"And just where do we come in?" asked Gwen. "The truth is that the government did fail Steve badly. We aren't going to pretend it never happened. Quite the opposite. We're looking for answers and will go where the evidence leads us. If it's you, the President, the Secretary of State, or the CIA, it won't deter us. How does that fit with your mission here today?"

"It makes me more determined to get this right," responded Senator Chatham. "We're trying to get to the bottom of this mess. At the time, I didn't even know that Steve had gone to Iraq. It's my belief that President Hanson had no knowledge of it either. It seems that you were led to believe the state department wanted you to go, but that wasn't the case. We don't negotiate with terrorists, and we felt that sending you to the scene would only add fuel to the flames. Someone had different ideas. I strongly suspect the CIA, but can't find anything to link them to the debacle.

"The possible motive is pretty easy to determine. The CIA has been urging the President to send more troops into Iraq and to consider bombing Iran, since many of these terrorists are bleeding across the border from there. If a terrorist that trained and was based in Iran had managed to behead Steve Hammer and post it on the internet, all hell would have broken lose. The public would demand justice, which would include the bombing of terrorist strongholds in Iran.

"When you and your friend managed to escape those radicals, you also managed to keep the U.S. from being dragged deeper into an already untenable position. I can't tell you how relieved President Hanson and the state department were when Gwen somehow managed to show up in Sparta with you and your friend.

"Of course, we felt about as foolish as possible. We'd all been convinced by the CIA that they were hot on your trail and would have operatives rescue you any minute. Then they had a drone drop a hellfire missile on a warehouse north of Baghdad and, as it turned out, several miles from where you were rescued. We were told that their intelligence reported that you had been beheaded, so they retaliated by killing about nine terrorists in the drone attack. There was so much explosive material there that the explosion destroyed almost all human remains. No bodies were found, just a few charred pieces.

"We were in a high level meeting discussing retaliations when we were notified that Gwen Anderson and friends had returned to Sparta with Steve Hammer in tow, and he was alive! That's when the meeting became interesting. The Director of the CIA seemed genuinely surprised. President Hanson was ecstatic. The Director was ordered to draw up a report on its actions concerning your situation. It was delivered to Hanson two days ago and there are a great many questions left unanswered. They had no idea why you went to Iraq, how you got there, and who ordered you to go. A guy that had recently been promoted to the position was in charge of the search for you in Iraq, and he screwed the pooch with his efforts.

"That's all very interesting, but how does it change anything for us?" asked Gwen. "It sounds like you know the CIA was behind this aberration. Can't you just water-board them until they admit their duplicity?"

"It isn't that easy. There appear to be some rogue cells in the CIA and the Director has no idea who they are or what they're doing. We need to methodically follow the progression of events. The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence wants you both to testify after Labor Day, when Congress is back in session. We need to be open and transparent about this. You'll be given a public forum to explain what you did, and why, as well as answer questions that will help Congress understand what happened."

"Will we be allowed to present any evidence to back our responses when we're asked questions," quizzed Steve. "I know how those things go. Some of the senators will call us liars and challenge everything we say. There's a few of them that think along the same lines as the CIA. They'll try to keep the Agency clean and drag us through the dirt."

Senator Chatham nodded in agreement. "I keep forgetting the depth of your understanding of the government and politics. You're absolutely right. You'll be insulted and attacked by a few members of the committee. They'll accuse Gwen of grandstanding to get elected to Congress, or to sell more music, or movie tickets. They'll question your honesty, integrity, and patriotism. So, will you do it or do they need to subpoena you? It would look better if you both appeared willingly."

"Sure, we'll do it!" chuckled Steve. "You're so persuasive. We can't wait to be called liars, traitors, and thieves. You need to be prepared for the truth, because that's what we'll be bringing. It may not be common in Washington, or well accepted. That won't stop us from delivering it."

"I would ask that you be sure anything that you tell the committee is accurate. As far as the individuals members are concerned, treat them with the same respect they show you. Be polite as long as they are.

"There's another subject I wanted to broach. You'll be transferred to Washington when you're recovered and able to report for duty this fall. There has been a surprising amount of discussion about where you would be most useful. After this Iraq debacle, some higher ranking people in government felt you should be buried in some far away location. Others still wanted to take advantage of the amazing press you garner wherever you go, even if may become unflattering to portions of the government.

"To that end, I have used my considerable influence with the president to have you assigned as my aide. It isn't unheard of for a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to have a military attaché. I have seen enough of your style to know that if you don't want to work with me, I'll be the one to pay the price. I simply need to know if you feel that you can serve the government by working as my aide, or is that asking too much?"