Paradox Read online

  Chapter Six

  “Ow, ow, ow... hot!”

  Denny wrestled with the pan of ramen noodles, trying unsuccessfully not to spill the boiling chicken broth as she poured it from the saucepan into a chipped cereal bowl. She took her dinner and headed for the small living space in her studio apartment. She set the hot soup on the wooden cable spool that served as both coffee table and work space, flipped open the cover of her laptop and pressed the power button.

  After she flopped unceremoniously onto the worn futon that served as both sofa and bed, she pulled the computer onto her lap and checked to see who was online. Although she enjoyed the new city and school, she missed her friends at James Madison and always loved to hear the gossip about who was hooking up with whom, and which professors were making someone’s life a living hell. Strangely enough, there was only one person online. She double-clicked on the name of an old buddy from both the softball team and the Information Systems Department, CLCheshire, and typed in a greeting.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Hey girl!

  CLCheshire: Hey backatcha! Wassup?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Nada...dinner break. You?

  CLCheshire: same here. How’s grad school?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Great, challenging, busy...good stuff. How’s life at the ISAT building?

  CLCheshire: same again. Sucks that you got to keep Dr. Rosenberg. Don’t like the new guy. Piles of work.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Yeah, I did all right with that. She’s even cooler than we thought.

  CLCheshire: Oh, do tell!

  AUHackrGrrrl: Well, all of our speculation about her being queer was right.

  CLCheshire: No shit! Not terribly surprised.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Yeah, me neither. I busted her making out in the alley with her g/f last weekend.

  CLCheshire: lol :-)

  AUHackrGrrrl: Can you stand it?

  CLCheshire: That’s pretty cool.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Yeah, I thought so. I got to meet the g/f.

  CLCheshire: and...

  AUHackrGrrrl: And she’s like this totally hot FBI agent.

  CLCheshire: Again, I say no shit.

  AUHackrGrrrl: No shit...she seemed really cool.

  CLCheshire: Well, good for Dr. R.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Yeah, I said the same thing to her.

  CLCheshire: You did not!

  AUHackrGrrrl: Yeah, kind of slipped out. oops

  CLCheshire: You were never good at the thinking before speaking thing.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Nothing’s changed.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Oh, oh... there’s more!

  CLCheshire: What?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Remember last year. Right before spring break when she got so weird.

  CLCheshire: Yeah?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Dude, this crazy guy showed up at her house and tried to kill her.

  CLCheshire: WTF?

  AUHackrGrrrl: No, really. She told me about it. Put a gun to her head and threatened to blow her brains out.

  CLCheshire: Explains a lot.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Doesn’t it. That’s how she met the hot FBI agent.

  CLCheshire: Aw, man. Not a great way to meet girls.

  AUHackrGrrrl: lol...she said the same thing to me.

  CLCheshire: Why did she tell you all this?

  AUHackrGrrrl: I got a strange call about a job. Hacking for cash. I asked her about it.

  CLCheshire: yeah?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Yeah...she told me that she did that in school and the crazy mofo that tried to kill her had something to do with it.

  CLCheshire: So what about the job? Gonna take it?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Don’t know. I really need the cash.

  CLCheshire: Are you worried about it?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Nah... what’s the chance of that happening again? Like getting struck by lightning.

  CLCheshire: That would suck... but so does being broke.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Like you’d know. How’s that new car from Daddy?

  CLCheshire: err, um...nice, red, fast. I know....

  AUHackrGrrrl: No worries... just kidding.

  CLCheshire: s’cool.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Just me talking before I think again.

  CLCheshire: No problem. Still doesn’t answer my question.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Which one?

  CLCheshire: Scroll up... gonna take the job?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Probably. I’ll decide when the person calls back. The money might be too good to pass up.

  CLCheshire: Sounds like a plan.

  AUHackrGrrrl: hang on...phone

  CLCheshire: ok

  Denny sat back to retrieve her cell phone. She checked the caller ID, noting that it was the same number that the job offer had come from. She flipped the phone open and answered.

  “Hello?”

  The voice on the other end of the call sounded confident and perhaps a little sultry. Decidedly female. “Denise Robertson?”

  Denny hesitated just long enough to process that the voice didn’t match the first call that she’d received from the same phone number. “Yes, this is Denise.”

  “Well, Ms. Robertson...Denise. Do you prefer Denise?”

  “Actually, most everyone calls me Denny.”

  The voice was smooth, like silk, maybe a little bit of an edge. Attitude perhaps. “Well then, Denny it is. My boss wanted me to give you a call. Have you had a chance to think about his offer?”

  Denny struggled against her trepidation to answer the question. “Honestly, the whole thing makes me a little nervous.”

  Denny heard a small chuckle on the other end of the call. “Would a little more money cure those nerves? The original offer was thirty-five hundred dollars. Right?”

  “Umm, yeah. That’s right.”

  “Would seventy-five hundred help with the jitters?”

  “Umm, wow. Umm, probably.” Denny’s mouth quirked into a crooked smile, still unsure, but that was a lot of money. She looked at the cooling bowl of soup, and quickly came to the realization that seventy-five hundred dollars would nicely remove her from the I’m-so-poor-that-I-have-to-eat-ramen-noodles club. She was okay with that, despite her trepidation. The smooth voice brought her back to earth.

  “So, Denny. Can we put you on the payroll?”

  Denny exhaled loudly and steeled her resolve. “Yes... count me in.”

  The voice brightened. “Rockin’ good choice, Denny. Welcome aboard! I’ll bring the paperwork by your apartment in a little while. I can’t wait to meet you.”

  The nerves were back. “Umm, ok. You too. Do you need the address?”

  “No, thanks. I’m good. Later.”

  Before she could ask for a name or description, the call was terminated on the other end. Denny set the phone on the cable spool next to the computer, all the while wondering if what she had just agreed to had been a mistake. The call jarred her nerves to the point that she almost forgot about her friend online. She woke her laptop and got back to the conversation.

  AUHackrGrrrl: back.... Sorry about that. It was someone about that job.

  CLCheshire: Well?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Well, they offered me more money, so I said I’d do it.

  CLCheshire: Are you sure about this?

  AUHackrGrrrl: What’s gonna happen?

  CLCheshire: Yeah, you’re probably right. Gonna tell Dr. R. about it?

  AUHackrGrrrl: Nope... she made her feelings clear. It’ll be fine

  CLCheshire: Good plan. She’s kind of high-strung anyway.

  AUHackrGrrrl: Yeah, someone’s on the way with some info, so I need to go. Later?

  CLCheshire: ok...Later :-)

  CLCheshire has signed off.

  Denny started to fold down the screen of her laptop, but changed her mind as she wondered if she’d need it for the impending conversation with the mystery caller. Cloak and dagger or not, Denny just couldn’t turn down seventy-five hundred bucks. A few minutes later, the door buzzer sounded. “Wow, that was quick,” she said into the air. As she opened the door, the first thing she saw was a worn p
air of motorcycle boots leading up to the tightest pair of black leather pants that she’d ever seen. Any attempt at not staring was lost as her gaze traveled upward, over a more-than-snug black tank top with ample cleavage spilling over the low neckline, and short black leather jacket. Denny’s mouth dropped slightly open as she met the dark brown eyes of the stranger. Speech was gone, replaced by a sense of wonder. Holy shit... she was gorgeous. The stranger shifted the envelope filled with paperwork to her left hand, offering up her right one in greeting.

  “Hi, you must be Denny. I’m Faith.”

  After a failed attempt to say hello, Denny cleared her throat and finally squeaked out a greeting. “Hi. Yeah... Denny... that’s right.” She finally remembered her manners enough to shake the offered hand, releasing it to invite Faith into her apartment. “Come on in.”

  “Thanks. I can’t stay long.” After stepping into the room enough to close the door behind her, Faith tossed the envelope on the cable spool in the middle of the room and pointed toward it. “All the info you need for the job is in there. There’s also a little down payment for your trouble. Look it over tonight, and if you have any questions, give me a call.” Denny looked at the envelope, but quickly returned her gaze to Faith, who was now looking her up and down with an almost feral glint in her eye.

  “Okay, I’ll do that.”

  Faith smiled. Actually, Faith leered at Denny. “So are you a real skater boi, or do you just dress like one?”

  Denny realized that she was being cruised, and kind of enjoyed the sensation, despite the fact that she was also struggling against feeling like a scared shitless thirteen-year-old. She looked down at her clothing. Baggy cargo shorts with boxers peeking over the waistband, loose sweatshirt, a ratty pair of Vans skater shoes, and her old JMU baseball cap turned backward over her short haircut. “Umm, no. I don’t do the skater thing. I was a shortstop at JMU....softball, you know.”

  “Softball, huh? That’s cool.” Denny could only watch as Faith stepped forward, closing the gap between them. “I think we’re going to work well together; don’t you?”

  The only thing Denny’s brain was capable of piecing together was, “Holy shit, look at those tits!” Fortunately, she was able to keep the comment to herself as she took a breath in an attempt to compose herself and tried to come up with something more meaningful to say. All that came out was, “Umm, yeah. Work. Okay.”

  Faith licked her lips and, motioned toward the envelope with her chin. “Why don’t you get started on that? I’ll call you in a couple of days and see what’s up.”

  “Umm, sure. Okay.”

  Smooth, Denny. Real smooth.

  Faith moved closer again, this time forcing Denny to choose either to step back or face the tantalizing prospect of those magnificent tits smooshed up against her own under the soft fleece of her sweatshirt. Choosing the more chivalrous option, Denny stepped back, knocked the backs of her legs against the futon, and sat down hard. Actually, she fell down, but made a show of nonchalance that she hoped didn’t make her look like too much of a dork. Evidently, it worked as Faith stepped back and spoke.

  “You’re cute. Maybe we’ll need to go out for a drink next time we talk.”

  Oh, shit. Gulp again. “Sure,” she squeaked out, cleared her throat, and repeated the word, with much better effect this time. “Sure. That’d be great.”

  “Yeah, I thought you might think so.” Faith turned to leave, swinging her hips around in a manner that forced Denny to lock on to the fine, leather-clad butt that was right at eye level from her seat on the futon. Faith pulled the door open and left the apartment with a quick, “See ya, D.”

  All Denny could do was continue to stare, open-mouthed, as the door closed, cutting off the gorgeous ass from her sight. As the bolt clicked shut, she shook her head and smacked herself on the forehead with the palm of her hand. “Jeez, you’re a dork!” Denny finally collected herself enough to turn her attention to the envelope sitting on the cable spool next to the computer. “So what do we have here?”

  *

  Faith made her way slowly down the steps of the converted townhouse into the early evening darkness of the Tenleytown section of DC. Whistling as she hit the sidewalk, she turned and headed toward her motorcycle parked around the corner. Once she was sure that she was out of sight and earshot of the hacker’s apartment, she pulled her cell phone out of the inside pocket of her leather jacket and made a call. She didn’t have to wait long for an answer.

  “Any problems?”

  “No, sir. She was eating out of my hand in seconds.” Faith cradled the phone between her ear and shoulder as she rooted in her jacket pocket for a crumpled pack of smokes. She pulled the last one free with her lips, lit the cigarette with a Zippo lighter, crumpled the empty pack, and tossed it into a nearby planter.

  “I knew you were the right person for this job. Let’s just say I’ve heard really positive things about your particular skill set.”

  “Thanks. I don’t think we’ll have any problems with Little Miss Skater Boi.”

  “You didn’t scare her, did you, Faith?”

  “Well, maybe a little, but isn’t that part of the skill set that you hired me for?”

  “Yes, it is. Just don’t break her.”

  “No, sir. She might be quaking in her sneakers, but I promise she’ll be back for more. Consider it done.”

  “I knew I could count on you. Call in tomorrow, and we’ll discuss what happens next. Thank you, Faith.”

  Faith drew heavily on her cigarette. “Yes, sir.” She snapped the phone closed and returned it to its pocket as she blew smoke into the lightly chilled fall night air. A quick flick of her fingers and the still-burning butt flew into the street. Faith climbed on the motorcycle and pulled a black helmet on over her head. A turn of a key gunned the bike to life. She knocked the kickstand up with her booted left foot, twisted the gas with her right hand, and released the clutch with her left, roaring off down the quiet side street and back into the lights and traffic of the nation’s capital.

  Mission accomplished.

  Chapter Seven

  Jen woke up and attempted to shake off her confusion at the fact that it was still dark in the house. It didn’t take long to realize why she was awake as Terri thrashed lightly next to her, pulling at the sheets, murmuring the word “no” over and over again, like a mantra. Nightmare again. Jen immediately shook off the cobwebs and rolled over to prop herself on one elbow to try to calm Terri from what Jen knew were horrific images.

  “Baby, shhh. Wake up.”

  Terri continued to thrash, pulling harder at the sheet as it quickly became soaked with cold sweat. The nightmares had become less frequent, but Jen knew she had to act quickly to pull Terri out of the clutches of the frightening dream.

  “Terri! Wake up!”

  The words apparently reached Terri as she startled awake, sat bolt upright in the bed, and shouted, “No!” She looked around the room, wide-eyed, obviously confused by her surroundings and the partially moonlit darkness of the house. Jen sat up fully and rubbed small circles on Terri’s quivering back, hoping her touch would calm the shakes.

  “Baby, I’m here. It’s just a dream.”

  Terri looked at her, confused in the semi-darkness, searching for understanding. Jen watched her face as realization began to dawn. “That’s right. Just a dream. You’re okay now.”

  Terri slowly rubbed her face with both hands, but her body would not stop shaking. “You’re okay, Jen?”

  “I’m fine, baby. All kinds of fine here.” Jen smiled, sliding her hand up to Terri’s neck, kneading lightly at the knotted muscles there. She could feel the change as Terri’s breathing slowed to a more normal rate “You’re okay too. I promise. Nothing bad happened.” Jen used her free arm to wrap around the front of Terri and pulled her into a comforting sideways hug. Terri nestled into the embrace, welcoming the comfort that had become such a habit over the past several months. Jen lay back against the pillow, her arm still wrapped
around Terri. She tucked Terri’s head in under her chin and lightly kissed the top of her head. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

  “No, I don’t think so.”

  Jen hugged her closer and urged her to reconsider, “I think it would help.”

  “What makes you think that?” Terri pulled back and disentangled herself from Jen’s embrace.

  Jen bit her lip. She had to fight the urge to let it go like she usually did. She wanted desperately to see the worry lines on Terri’s face disappear, but she knew the discussion had to happen sooner or later.

  “Because you don’t talk about it, and you’re still having nightmares. Why won’t you let me help?”

  Terri sat up and met Jen’s gaze with one that was almost defiant. “Because this is something I need to fix.”

  Well, it was out there now, and Jen figured she had nothing to lose by pushing. “How are you going to fix this by yourself? It doesn’t seem to me that the patented Agent McKinnon stoicism is working. Please, Terri, let me help you.”

  Terri’s lips pressed into a thin line and her nostrils flared as she took a deep, slow breath. Jen cringed as she realized the expression on Terri’s face was one she hadn’t seen before...anger.

  “So, the brilliant Dr. Rosenberg has all the answers now. Great. That’s just fucking great. Thank you so much.”

  Jen recoiled, shocked by Terri’s harsh tone of voice. “No, no... that’s not what I meant.” She reached out, once again offering comfort, but Terri shied away from the touch, and pulled her knees up to hug them against her chest. “Baby, please...”

  “What?” Terri shot back through clenched teeth.

  “Please, let’s not do this. I really do want to help. Please, it’s Sunday morning and we don’t have to get up for anything. Let’s go downstairs. I’ll make us some tea, and we can talk.”

  Terri appeared to relax a little at the suggestion, visibly lowering her shoulders. Jen could see that she was still guarding. Terri still had her arms wrapped around her knees, but any sign that Terri might let her in was welcome.

  “Okay...maybe you’re right. That might be a good idea.”