S7: Holy War

...

Maddy came to see me about a month after I settled in, slapping me for dropping off the radar, then kissing my cheek to make it better.

"Asshole! You know how hard it was to keep track of you? And every time we found you you would disappear again. Fantasy Fest? Really? We got there about six hours after you left. Same when you crossed into Canada. You were probably in Chicago before we knew. What did you do to not leave a paper trail?"

"Prepaid debit cards. I went to six different stores and loaded each with two grand. I learned it off a movie."

She grinned. "Wow, you would be so good at tradecraft if you'd just learn. Now, you owe me a nice dinner, and I expect you to model that red jockstrap when we get back."

She stayed three days, screwing my brains out (like that took a lot of effort) while I pampered her with everything I could think of. The day she left she surprised the hell out of me.

"I'll be eligible to retire in a few months, Pete. Thirty years, you know how rare that is? It's one of the reasons our retirement package is so great, because they never expect anyone to make it that long. I'm going to do it, settle down in a little college town, maybe take up with some professor that is a little more than he seems. Think of the possibilities."

She broke down at the look on my face, before kissing me. "I'm serious, Pete. After thirty years I don't really enjoy what I do anymore. Looking back for the last four years, the only happy memories I have are of you. You're the only person I've been with in decades who doesn't want anything from me but me. In my world, you wouldn't believe how rare that is. I'm not saying that as soon as I retire we're going to settle down into domestic bliss. Even if you won't admit it, you're still hung up on your ex, and I know you've banged a few of those pool pussies that are always around. They have a running bet on who lands you. I hate it for them, but they don't have a chance. Think about it, baby.

I'd be really good for you."

She paused to gauge my reaction before continuing. "I know I have competition, but I have an edge. I'm absolutely ruthless when I want something, and I want you. Now, I have time for one more romp in the bedroom before I have to go. Come on, I want to give you something to remember me by while I'm gone."

She used skills I never knew she had, reducing me to a quivering pile of goo twice before she let me go. Two hours later, she gave me a kiss that would melt steel, and was gone.

She left me with a lot to think about. And a sore dick.

...

Jo told her lover that there would never be a future for them past what they had now, and he slowly drifted away. Jess told me she dated once in a while, mostly for business related events.

I'd see her every week or so, mostly for wedding related plans. Surprisingly, they just barely stayed in budget. Jack was taking three weeks of leave, and he and Polly were due to arrive in two days. Polly was going to be Matron of Honor, and Jack was going to be a groomsman.

Maddy couldn't make the wedding, which I think pleased Jo. She still called me every week or so from some exotic (translation: dangerous) location, reminding me the clock was ticking.

I had given it a lot of thought. The love I had for her wasn't the white hot passion I'd had for Jo, But a more mature, thoughtful love. And one thing Maddy had going for her that Jo didn't was that I had absolute trust in her, pretty odd considering her career. Maybe I was wrong, but I really didn't think so. I shelved my thinking on the situation, and concentrated on the wedding.

Jack and Polly arrived, and we nearly drowned little Jack drooling on him. Polly had to almost pry him out of Jo's arms. The women went of to do wedding related activities, and Jack got me alone, giving me a letter from Teddy.

Seems things had calmed down, but we were no longer welcome at the college, He was thinking about moving the operation to the U.S., but it was still up for debate. He signed off with a warning to not let my guard down.

To my surprise and pleasure, Moshe and his family showed up for a visit, bringing Sherry and Fatima with them. It was the first time we'd been together in eight months. We went out as a group, and raised a glass to Said, our farewell to a friend.

Sherry told us her father and brother were still monitoring things, and it seemed we were old news and our enemies were concentrating on other, more pressing problems. Good for us. They also said the bounties were still out, so we should never let our guard down.

The wedding went off without a hitch. Jo had given them a river cruise through Europe as a honeymoon gift. No doubt that Miles would drag Jess through every wine region he could.

Neither Jo nor I had dates, so we shared the table with the new in laws, their parents, and ours. Again, I sat on one end and they sat on the other. Every one knew better than to try to put us together. Marie had gently brought it up a month before and I not so gently rebuked her. I saw a flash of fear and calmed myself, but she got the message.

What I didn't tell anyone is I ran into him just after her attempt. He was in my town, for some reason, and was walking out of a coffee house as I was walking in. He looked at me like a deer caught in headlights. Making a snap decision I told him, not asked, but told him to sit back down and order another coffee. I got mine, and we sipped for a few seconds in silence.

His voice was tentative when he spoke. "Does this mean..."

"This means I get to tie up a loose end. I don't think you'll ever understood what you did to me, so I'm going to spell it out in simple terms you can understood. I can kind of understand what Jo did, and I know Mike did what he did out of jealousy and spite, but I'll never understand your betrayal. Out of the three you were the only one that was blood. You were my father for God's sake, you should have defended me, told them to let me make my own choices in life. That's what a good father would have done. You manipulated me out of self determination when it came to my life. What kind of father does that? I'll never forgive you, not in this lifetime."

"You ever think about how your manipulations turned out? I divorced my wife, lost my relationship with my mother, destroyed Mike, and despise you with a passion. Yeah, things really worked out, huh?"

He fidgeted. "I was only doing what I thought was right."

"Bull-fucking-shit. Maddy told me a little about your career. You became a courier when every agency you applied for turned you down. I think a lot of what you did was fear I could actually succeed where you failed. This discussion is over."

I left him sitting, and as I walked by the window I was surprised to see him wiping tears off his cheek. I felt no pity at all.

...

The wedding was a huge success, and Celeste caught the bouquet. I think the fix was in. She grinned and tossed it to me. We'd had a quiet conversation during a dance, and at the table later.

"I hear you own a jewelry store, Pops. Just so you know, my dream ring is a diamond circled by small emeralds. Or large. I think the term is substantial without being gaudy. I've seen the bling your daughters and wife wear, so I'm sure I won't be disappointed." She was grinning as she said it. I very seriously told her I'd tell Josh.

The wine flowed, all from the family business, of course. Jo and I danced several times, then I danced with my daughters and soon to be daughter in law, then Mom and Marie had to have a turn. I looked around at my kids, all coupled now, with the first of what I suspected would be many grandchildren.

We stood and cheered as the limo whisked them away to begin their first adventure as one. I hope they have many over their lifetimes.

Jo was crying silently as she stood, my arm casually draped over her shoulders. It just seemed the same to do. "Cheer up, honey, we only have to do this one more time, at least until the grandkids grow up. How many do you think we'll end up with?"

Instead of cheering her up, it made her cry harder. As the guests drifted off, I walked Jo to her car. She looked up at me, still teary. "Can I spend the night? I just need held, you understand? Let me go to sleep in your arms like I used to, let me pretend the last few years didn't happen. Let me pretend for one night you still love me."

I kissed her cheek before answering. "I do still love you. I always will. Yes, you can stay, if you understand that tomorrow will be the same reality as this morning. You can't unring a bell, Jo."

"I'll take it. Can we leave now?"

I took her to my condo, the first time she'd ever seen it. She went into my closet for a shirt, then pulled me into the bathroom. The shower was slow and loving, touches instead of gropes. We snuggled into bed and she spooned to my back, asleep in seconds. I listened to her quiet breathing, regretting all the hurt we'd been through. But regrets don't change facts, or what had happened.

I felt get out of bed sometime in the night. She came back and assumed the same position, and I was just conscious enough to realize she had lost the shirt. Her naked body pressed against mine felt really good as I slipped back into slumber.

We'd rolled over some time during the night, and I woke pressing my morning erection into her bottom. She wriggled sleepily until I slipped in and sighed as we began the age old dance, both of us shuddering as we peaked. She woke me after daylight, pulling me by my erection on top of her. Again we were in no hurry until we neared the finish. Tears were leaking out of her eyes as she moaned out her finish. I slipped off her and she snuggled under my shoulder as we drifted off yet again.

I woke up just after nine to find her gone, a note on the kitchen table.

"Thank you for last night, Pete. It was just what I needed. I'll have the girls drop your car back later, I forgot I was supposed to go to lunch with Polly and Celeste. Preplanning for another wedding, I suspect. Since Celeste's mother is alone, she'll need all the help she can get. You might want to have Josh call your jeweler friend."

...

Life drifted on. I did the odd guest lecture on campuses all over the country. Teddy, after long discussions with both countries, decided to do the rest of the translations in America, but hadn't decided on a location yet. Sherry and Fatima were living in California now and seemed to like it, so I suspected it would be a west coast facility we ended up at.

Teddy decided we'd do a quick trip to several different countries, to return artifacts and generate good will. There would be a large security presence, from the host country and England, SAS I suspected. It took a lot of coordination and planning, but almost a year to the day I left I was on a plane back to England.

Once again Maddy was with me, and she brought four guys with her. "This is my last assignment, Pete. I'll be your companion for the whole trip, and if you say one word about separate bedrooms I'll kick your ass. And I hear you might be relocating to California. Did I ever mention I was from Northern California? Still have a lakeside cabin there, courtesy of my grandparents. Convenient for weekend getaways, don't you think?"

I had been giving Maddy a lot of thought. No doubt, I still loved Jo, but I was pretty sure it was time to move on, finally. Maddy was not an attractive woman in the standard sense. She was more a handsome type, too much character showed through to make her beautiful. But she had a smile that would melt an iceberg, she was sensitive when she let down her guard, and sexually there was no comparison. Jo was good in bed, but to compare her to Maddy would be like comparing a high school quarterback to a seasoned pro. Not that I didn't love our times together, but Maddy took it to a whole new level. And though I never asked, I knew in my heart that if we ended up together there would never be another man for her, as there would be no woman for me. And on reflection, that was just fine.

I smiled and kissed her hand, making her blush, which her crew found hilarious. "Do you have a boat?"

She found the question odd. "No. Why?"

"Oh, it's just an old joke. A guy posts an ad on a singles site. 'Man seeks woman. Must love to fish, and own a boat. Please reply at P.O. Box X. P.S. Send picture of boat.' "

It took her a second to process what I'd said. Then she was all over me while her crew laughed. "We'll go boat shopping as soon as we get home, honey. I promise."

I had to wonder how she could possibly be effective as a bodyguard when she refused to let go of my hand.

As we spent more time together we got to really know each other. She admitted to me that her single biggest regret was never having children, and wondered if mine would accept her.

"What a silly question. Polly has a bit of hero worship where you're concerned. The rest will come around, you can be pretty lovable when you feel like it. If you're not careful they'll start dumping the grandkids on you for an adult weekend. Ever changed a diaper?"

That sent her off on a little crying jag. When she stopped sniffling she said she'd be the best grandma ever. I laughed. "I can see it now, you teaching little Jack how to kill people with just a stapler, or how to clone a phone."

"Well," she laughed back, "what did you expect I'd do? I don't know how to bake cookies."

I lay awake one night, just thinking. I was tired, even the year off hadn't helped. I was ready to live a quiet life, away from the world. I wasn't even sure I wanted to return to my research. At least something good had come out of all this. I gently eased the ring off Maddy's right finger, and put it on her left, smiling as I went to sleep.

We were a plane to Dubai before she noticed. I thought she was going to break my hand when she saw it. "Really?"

"Really what?"

She squeezed so tightly I thought my bones actually broke. "Don't fuck with me, Pete. I don't have much of a sense of humor."

I leaned over and kissed her. "Really. You need to think about what kind of ring you want to go with it. Any combination of diamonds, emeralds, rubies, and sapphires, as big as you want."

"This one will do just fine."

"No, I want to make a statement. This woman, my woman, deserves the very best. If you don't pick something I'll made it so gaudy it'll be embarrassing." I thought she was going to break my fingers again.

Sherry, Fatima, and Moshe met us in Dubai, and we soon were attending receptions and dinners. We were at the university when the Greek professor I'd been with came up. Seems she'd gotten a better offer and taught there now. Maddy knew all my secrets, and Aphrodite thought it was funny the way Maddy was acting until I told her what she did for a living. She immediately stopped the light flirting, and I eased my arm out of Maddy's hand, knowing there would be bruises later.

"I know you have green eyes, honey, but don't get greeneyed. She was a long time ago."

Maddy backed down, muttering. "Bitch better be in the past. I find it otherwise and she'll lose her ranking on the top one hundred. She'll be lucky if they recognize her as human when I get done."

...

I listened as the phone rang, knowing that it was a call she wasn't expecting. She could say what she wanted, but I knew that deep down Jo thought she could get me back, that eventually I'd come around and we were going to be together again. I'd thought about it quite a but, time has a way easing all pain, but in the end, I just couldn't.

"Hello?"

"Hi Jo. It's me. How are you. How are the kids? Josh proposed yet?"

"Pete! It's so good to hear your voice, honey. And the kids are all fine. Josh showed me the ring. I'm a little jealous. You're going to have to open that wallet again pretty soon. Where are you?"

"I'm in Dubai for some meetings to establish a timeline to return some of the stuff we collected. There are several groups claiming ownership so it's a bit muddled. I have some personal news, Jo. Maddy and I are together now, and I intend to make it an official union soon. I wanted you to hear it from me, not some second hand way."

There was a period of silence on the phone, and I thought maybe the connection had broken. "Jo, are you still there?"

There was a muffled sob before she spoke.

I...I'm happy for you, Pete. It's just that I'd always hoped that..."

She was full on crying now. "I'm sorry Jo, I really am. You're a good woman at heart, and I'm sure there is someone out there for you. It just isn't me any longer."

She tried to reply, but kept crying so she hung up. I sighed and put the phone down.

"Let me guess, she didn't take it well."

I stroked Maddy's hand. "Not really. But she'll recover. She's a strong woman. Now that the past has finally been laid to rest she can move on. I truly wish her happiness."

"You're a good man, Pete. I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with you."

I snuggled her tighter, happier than I had been in a long, long time.

The disputes of ownership were getting more strident, and Teddy, in his wisdom. got a panel together, two each from the countries and groups claiming the books and scrolls, and had them present their claims to a three judge tribunal, none from the countries in dispute. They were all highly ranked religious leaders, two mullahs and a priest, with reputations beyond reproach. The petitioners grudgingly agreed to abide by their findings.

There was a lot of bickering and name calling, but when the tribunal made their decision they all agreed to abide by it. I wasn't surprised when a lot of the material ended up in the hands of the Catholic Church. Wonder how much that cost?

Sherry's brother was there, and surprisingly, her father. He was pretty high up the ladder, a confidant and advisor to the King, and was well thought of. Of course, officially he condemned her lifestyle, but privately never mentioned it.

He was keen to meet me, and it was a very pleasant experience. He was witty, fluent in six languages, and would in midsentence slip into another, seeing if I could keep up with him. I'd reply to whatever he said in a totally different language, which he found vastly amusing.

He had heard about my audience with the Pope, and bore a gift from the Grand Mufti of his country, and a message.

"I hear you subscribe to no religion, so I send you this gift. Wear it beside the Christian cross, between both I hope you will be protected. And the Prince has assured me that when you journey to my country, I will get to spend a little time with you. Allah Akbar."

He signed his name in perfect flowing script, a name so long and complex I wouldn't pretend to try to use. I mentally dubbed him Al. I opened the package, a gold medallion on a heavy chain, bearing the name 'Allah' in flowing letters. I immediately put it on, feeling it rub against the cross, wondering which religion the lightning strike would come from. I looked forward to meeting him.

The visits took almost three months, with extremely heavy security the whole time. Surprising everyone, there were no attempts at all, and intelligence heard very little chatter about us. We all started to relax.

...

I had a long talk with Maddy, and resigned. Returning the things we'd studied would be my last act as a member of S7. Teddy wasn't particularly surprised.

"None of you are returning. Sherry and Fatima are happy in California, and are seriously thinking about a baby, with Fatima bearing, because of age factors. Ruth has been worried sick since the attack on your apartments, and has begged Moshe to stay home. Now you. Maddy will be very happy. Have you told her yet?"

"Of course. She's my life partner now, and there will be no secrets going forward. We're going to stay in her cabin for awhile before I look for something to pass the time. There is a small college nearby with a stellar reputation, and several community colleges in the area. I think I'd like to be a History teacher. Maddy says she not going to do a thing but be domestic for the first time in her life. She doesn't know I know, but she's been cruising adoption websites, looking for boy girl siblings from ten up. Looks like I may be raising another family."