Crazy Seduction(erotica)

“Are you hunting tonight, as well?” Raymond asked.Property © NôvelDrama.Org.

“Yes, but not for food. I’m searching for the serial killer. I hope to track him to his lair so the authorities can capture him.”

“The authorities haven’t been very successful so far. I heard through my contacts on the police force that he struck again, and this time he killed two of New York’s finest. The police are trying to keep a tight lid on that story,” Raymond said grimly.

Meixiu looked at him in dismay. “That will make things much, much worse! I must tell my friends!”

“Before you go, could we trade contact numbers? We meet so few like us, and you are so much more!” Eleanor asked, hopefully.

Meixiu watched them for a moment, then nodded. She slipped her cell from a hidden inner pocket as Eleanor pulled her cell out as well. Smiling at each other, they traded numbers.

“Be safe, Meixiu,” Raymond said, and she smiled at him.

“You too!” Meixiu said, then hopped backward to land ten feet away on a stone stair railing of one of the homes behind her. Showing off, she launched herself across the street onto the roof. Her last glimpse of the couple was their shocked expressions. Giddy, she slipped down to the street level on the other side of the homes before realizing this was another street of infrared spotlights. She opened up her gait and raced down the lane at her top speed, looking like nothing more than a streak of pale white light. She was always a step outside the cone of light thrown from the floodlights. She leapt sideways into an alley and slowed to a more sedate pace as she exited onto a busier thoroughfare. She spotted a taxi and flagged it down, using her will to pull the driver over to the curb.

Slipping into the back seat, she smiled at the driver and gave him the brownstone’s address. Once they were moving, she slumped back on the cushions. She pushed the driver’s mind just a little more so he wouldn’t remember her when she left and wouldn’t talk while he drove her home.

She was exhausted. Her showing off led to her wasting all of her energy. She would need to see Henry tomorrow.

Stupid Meixiu!

-=-

Eleanor shared a look with Raymond. “Can we do that?”

He chuckled. “Not even on our best day.”

“She’s a fascinating one! How did you know she was watching? I missed that entirely,” she admitted.

He sighed. “I would have missed it too, except I happened to glance upwards as I handed you the money from my pocket. I just caught the briefest glimpse of her.”

They hooked their arms and began to walk back to the main avenue to catch the subway. “Did you feel the strength of her presence?” Eleanor sighed in wonder.

“Didn’t I say Hell’s Kitchen would be good? Dinner and a new friend!” Raymond said, suppressing a smile.

She looked up at him and swatted his arm when she saw the twinkle in his eye.

“Come on, Mr. Funnybones. Let’s go home. Tomorrow is another day.”

They walked in comfortable silence for a while as Eleanor’s voracious mind ticked over the possibilities their new friend represented. “Maybe we can arrange to meet Meixiu again,” she suggested.

“We don’t want to look needy,” he quipped.

She sighed and rolled her eyes as they stepped out onto the sidewalk on 8th Avenue and headed for the subway. They’d had enough excitement tonight.

Henry climbed down the stairs of the private jet onto the paving before a large hanger. He’d rather enjoyed the flight from New York to Washington. The view had been spectacular as they flew in over the nation’s capital. Mahati assured him that they would have time to walk the plaza and see a few monuments before they flew back to New York.

He’d assumed they’d fly commercial, but the NSA insisted they take advantage of their hospitality to the fullest. So, here they were.

Henry grinned at Mahati, who rolled her eyes mildly at his childlike enthusiasm before moving forward with Henry to greet their hosts.

Director Granger reached out and shook Henry’s hand firmly. “Good to see you again, Mr. Gable.”

“Nice seeing you again as well, Director Granger. Please call me, Henry.”

“As long as you call me Wallace,” he returned, pouring on the charm.

Henry gestured to his traveling companion. “Please let me introduce Mahati Chandra, VRL’s External Legal Counsel.”

Wallace shook Mahati’s hand but looked surprised. “I assure you, you didn’t need to bring a lawyer to the demonstration today.”

The lawyer in question fielded that one. “We’re aware of that, Director Granger. I’m merely here to ensure any questions you or your team might have regarding the contract can be answered as I represent VRL as well as Mr. Gable. I’m here for him if he has any questions, too.”

“I see. Please call me Wallace, as well.”

“And you may call me Mahati.”

The man nodded. “Shall we go?” They followed him over to the waiting black limousine. It was preceded and followed by two black SUVs. Henry shared a look and a smile with Mahati as the security reminded him of Roy’s.

The drive through the city was quite enjoyable as Henry took in the scenery while Granger did his best to describe what they were seeing while selling up the idea of living in such a beautiful and historic city.

They pulled into the Homeland Security headquarters’ grounds and made it through the security gate with minimal delay. After they parked, Wallace guided them to the main administration building, where the tech team was waiting for the demo. On the way, he pointed out the facilities and what they were for. Henry felt like he was getting a tour of a university by a recruiter before applying.

Inside the admin building, the Director took them through a series of halls and doors until they walked out into a vast chamber at the base of tiered seating.

Henry balked as he looked up at the crowded auditorium. He scanned the group, and there had to be at least sixty people sitting in the audience.

He turned to the Director as butterflies duked it out in his stomach. “I thought I was just giving a demo to a few cybersecurity teams!” He recognized a few faces in the lower tiers: the Tech Leads he met before from the NSA, Robert Miller, the FBI, Yasmin Brooks, and the CIA, Laurence Franklin. They weren’t sitting together this time but instead had people around them. Watching how they were only conversing within their areas, Henry realized they were separated by agency. The center group was all strangers, so were probably the Homeland Security group.

The Director of the FBI, Charles Starkley, and the CIA, Maurice Hall, were standing before the first tier of seats speaking with another man Henry didn’t know.

The rows further up were occupied by strangers as well.

Director Granger frowned as he looked up at the seating as well. “Give me a moment.” He left to join the other Directors.

Mahati joined Henry. “Are you well?”

Henry looked away from the eyes watching him. “Ever have a nightmare where you’re in school and have to make a big presentation in front of the class, but you suddenly realize you forgot to put clothes on?”

Mahati smiled. “No, I’ve never had one of those.”

He shook his head. “I assumed it would be a small group of developers and admins. Not this!”

Director Granger was returning with the leaders of the agencies.

“Henry Gable, Mahati Chandra, I’d like to introduce the Director of Homeland Security and host for this event, Stephen Dawes.”

Henry shook the man’s hand, as did Mahati.

“So, this is the young man who commands such attention from all of these agencies,” Dawes said with a wry smile.

“It was your people who let the rest of these yahoos in,” Wallace grumbled.

“We have many divisions who showed interest in an unbreakable firewall. Some of these scientists are claiming it can’t work as the documentation suggests.”

“I hope your agency had them all under a non-disclosure agreement before they were given access to the documentation,” Mahati said calmly, holding Stephen’s eyes.

“And what role are you playing?” Dawes asked as he moved closer to her.

“I’m VRL’s legal counsel. I’m the one you deal with if we have a breach of contract,” she said, not giving an inch.

Henry cleared his throat. “I haven’t actually given them their software and documentation yet.”

Mahati raised one perfect eyebrow as she continued to look into Stephen’s eyes. “So, whose documentation did you distribute?”

Henry looked to Wallace, who shook his head, then Starkley, who also shook his head. These two men glared at Hall, who scowled. “What’s the biggie? We all knew Dawes would have to get on board once we signed on, and he has access to all these eggheads. I knew they’d pick it apart to see how it works.”

“Do you even know what a non-disclosure agreement is?” Wallace asked wearily.

“Bite me, Granger,” Hall growled.

Henry looked to Dawes. “Were any of them able to grasp the basis for the firewall?”

Stephen begrudgingly broke eye contact with Mahati and turned to Henry. “No, they didn’t. What I got instead were demands from each of them to be included in your demonstration today.”

Henry nodded and looked to Mahati. “Next question, do we proceed?”

“There is a financial penalty for Director Hall, but if he agrees to pay it, we can proceed,” Mahati said.

“What’s it gonna cost? A couple thou’?”

“Did you even read the contract?” Granger retorted.

“And what part of bite me didn’t you understand?” Maurice snapped.

Mahati smiled. “As Mr. Granger noted, the amount is clearly spelled out in the contract. Breach of the confidentiality clause carries a fine of one-half of the purchase price.”

Hall’s jaw dropped. “That’s one hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars!”

Mahati pulled a tablet PC from her purse with a stylus. She pulled up the contract for the CIA and went to the page where contract breaches were outlined. She checked the box for Breach of Confidentiality and added her signature and the date. She looked to the CIA Director. “Your signature, please.”

“I’m not signing that!”

Mahati waited for a second, then looked to Henry. “Our business here today is concluded.”

“My agency hasn’t received the software or training,” Dawes said with a frown.