Out of the Fire, but into the Double Boiler

We spent nearly five hours in Tony’s office going over possible scenarios and what if’ing about whomever could have done this if not Tanner. The questions remained, why target Tanner and eventually they came to include me as one of the potential targets.

 © 2010 by Lilith Langtree & Rénae Dáºmas. This work may not be replicated or presented in whole or in part by any means electronic or otherwise without the express consent of the work’s Owner (copyright holder), with the exception of the private and non-commercial viewing by the reader who is also the end purchaser. ALL Rights Reserved, including but not limited to ownership of Characters, final content decision, and more. This is a work of Fiction. All the characters and events portrayed in this story are fictional and any resemblance to real people or incidents past, present or future is purely coincidental. Any and all images which may be shown within this work are taken through license under Corel with the exception of the title image which is Photo Credit to Irina Sheik. No affiliations, involvement or gender assignations through the use of these or any images of the subject or subjects contained within those posted images is to be implied, intended or inferred.
An Aldoennetti & Langtree Original.

“And neither of you knows who could want some kind of retribution against either of you?”

We both answer in the negative. Three hours in, the word came back that the camera was unlikely to have been duplicated in any way. That either meant that it didn’t make it to whomever wanted it or that this whole thing was just some sort off effort to make trouble for Tanner. Somehow the first seems more likely and the latter not worth the kind of trouble it took to accomplish it all.

We are still beating our heads against the proverbial brick wall when suddenly I have a flash. NO. I mean of insight.

“Emerson! Remember my plane ticket?”

Tony grabs onto this with both hands, “Emerson? The camp’s favorite money man? What’s his role in this farce?”

Tan is looking at me like he hasn’t yet found the brass ring when his face lights up. “Graybeard!” he practically yells. “Son of a bitch!”

Now Tony and I are looking at Tanner waiting for an explanation.

He looks at us like it’s obvious, “Graybeard? Emerson?”

I quietly prompt him, “So I take it there is some sort of link between Graybeard and Emerson?”

“Yeah...”

Tony now prods a little, “So would you care to shed a little light so we mere mortals may bask in your glorious knowledge?”

Tanner comes back with, “Emerson and Graybeard” with a gesture that it’s obvious.

“Tanner, so help me if you don’t begin making some sort of sense I’m going to slap you silly.”

Tony adds, “and I might just help her.”

“I didn’t tell you about his antics in high school?”

I’m still confused but try to give him the benefit of a doubt although it’s beginning to become an awfully big doubt.

“So I take it there is some sort of link between Emerson, high school and Greybeard?”

“I thought I told you.”

“You told me about the rapes, so what’s Greybeard?”

“That was how he videotaped them. I didn’t tell you?”

“Huh?” this is the first I’ve heard about this, “He videotaped the rapes?”

“Yeah. You’ve got to remember, the man’s an egomaniac. He believes he can never be punished for anything he does and that he is more intelligent than anyone else on the planet. He videotaped the sex sessions with the girls without telling them. Some of his buddies saw the tapes but most of us have no idea where he kept them. Obviously he didn’t keep them at home or his parents might have discovered them.

At any rate he feels he’s immune to any kinds of prosecution for anything he wants to do. That’s part of the reason he believes the company will never get rid of him since he can make them so much money which he does in the drug trade by the way. Which reminds me, Tony have you had a chance to see the documents I sent which show he has branched into illegal pharmaceuticals in Eastern Europe and is preparing to import them into the States and Canada as well as portions of western Europe?”

“No. I haven’t seen those. Did you flag them to my attention?”

“Here’s a thumb drive with all of the documents I sent on it. If this doesn’t match that which they say they received from the London office then Emerson has someone working for him either in that office or in traffic at this one, or both.”

“I hate to bust this up but we were talking about Greybeard...” I reminded them.

“Oh, yeah. I don’t remember what he used to call the business he claimed owned the equipment which was used to videotape the rapes but it was Greybeard something. Back about the eleventh grade he either took or was given the nickname of Greybeard. He was on the debating team and his knowledge and abilities were meteoric. There was no one who could touch his abilities, hence he was called Greybeard or the most knowledgeable of the team. Don’t you see, that’s the link.”

Tony still doesn’t quite get it, “so why would the Greybeard we are looking for, and the Greybeard who was Emerson, have any relationship?”

I’ve now taken flight with the information and wade into the stream, “It’s obvious. Tanner and Emerson have some very bad old history since Emerson raped Tan’s girlfriend who later killed herself when she learned she was pregnant. Emerson and I have some bad history since he has wanted to get into my panties since he met me. This was an opportunity to possibly damage both of us in ways that could take us out of the opposition to his Greek plans as well as from the search for evidence against him as to being the”newcomer money man” who is funding large portions of the drug trades in Europe.”

“And you know about this, how?”

“Well, I know just from the conversation here in this office during the past five hours as well as a little prior knowledge of the man. Tan obviously has some evidence which was documented but somehow deleted prior to transmission or after receipt of same before delivery to the appropriate addresses. Again a little of this is conjecture on my part since I’m not privy to a lot of the information the two of you seem to know.”

“You seem to have an awfully tight grasp on those things you don’t have access to.”

“I warned you Tony, she’s smart.”

“Yeah. I remember. God, if the two of you begin working together all the time, the other side won’t know what hit ‘em.”

Tan points to Tony’s computer, “Put that thumb drive in your computer, scan it for viruses and then bring it up on the screen. I’ll guide you to the information about Emerson’s efforts in Europe. His Greek venture is even more worrysome. If they manage to follow through, Greece might just become a political power again as well as the new Rome with much of Europe falling at their knees. That would fit right in with Emerson’s need to be the new Hitler.”

Tony looks at Tanner blankly for a moment before digesting everything Tanner just finished saying.

“Emerson wants to be the power man of Europe?”

“Not just of Europe. He intends to be the “Emperor of the World”, or at least that was his declared intent while he was in high school. Hell, it was even his caption in our yearbook. Who knows, by now maybe he wants to include the moon and other planets as well. Most of us in school thought he was so far off the wall that we all avoided him like the plague. That only served to make him angry. He has a long memory and there have been a number of people who he perceived as enemies back in high school who now have had some very bad times befall them. There’s nothing which can link him to any of it, though I’m certain the agency isn’t really all that interested in learning if there were.”

“Tanner, I hope the information on this drive isn’t as far fetched as what you’re saying seems to be. Poor information would go a long way to hurting your chances and do a great deal to strengthen his.”

“Tony. I have been, as always, very careful with my information gathering. Look at the drive. Most of that information was collected by a number of your own assets, not by me. All I did was compile it. The agency is supposed to be so thorough in their investigation of the people they allow in here. I’d say they have been turning a pretty blind eye toward Emerson.”

“That tends to happen when someone can double the money they have been entrusted to nurture and in only six to eight months.”

“Even though a doubling comes so quickly and the manipulator won’t reveal his method which produces such doubling? I’d say the agency has gone to the dogs. The money has become more important than the people it’s supposed to be protecting.”

“That’s an unsubstantiated accusation.”

“Look at the thumb drive and say that again.”

Tony’s reluctance is palatable. If substantiated then the agency has no recourse but to remove Emerson from the financial loop, possibly from the agency itself. That would have an effect both on some of the ‘black’ programs as well as the nest egg the agency has been creating so there will still be plenty of funds should there be a sudden reduction in the flow of cash provided for agency tasks.

“So what, exactly, am I going to see on this?”

“Several things actually. The first is Emerson’s siphoning off of about a third of all the money he makes using agency funds. If he reported what he really made then the agency would be taking home at least another quarter more than they see from him now. The second is how he makes that money. More than sixty percent of it is in illegal drugs or pharmaceuticals. The other forty percent is in a slow buy up and resale of certain business assets. Before he resells them, he strips the important patents, developments or hardware and funnels them into one of his own companies. This isn’t, of course, illegal; but it makes for a wonderful cover for the drug money.

Probably the most interesting information is that which shows his link to a small but very efficient organization who’s sole purpose is to financially and possibly physically destroy anyone whom he has ever deemed to be a threat. He likes to hurt people in a long term way. Some of the women whom he has made pregnant were well known and well connected politically. This little organization has taken them slowly down a path which finally resulted in the destruction of their families, their reputations, and in some cases their own lives. He is a very methodical psychopath.”

“Okay. It’s up. Now show me where this stuff is and then the two of you get out of here and go home. OH. And before you go, let Jim download all the high definition images off that computer. I don’t want any more evidence of our prototype floating around out there than I absolutely must have in existence. All your lower definition images will be protected so you will still have your scrapbook, Miss VanDerholt. Go on you two, scat.”

“ Start here in the documents, Tony.” Tan turns to me, “You heard the nice man, Kat. Let’s go.”

~O~

~~~~ Home — Finally ~~~~

Tan tries to get me to study but I put my foot down and declare I am taking a day off... And so is he. I just want a day to relax and be with my boyfriend, which sounds so strange to me. Who would ever have thought? I begin to worry that maybe there is something wrong with me then start laughing a few minutes later when I decide that ‘yes, there is’ I’m in the right body but have the wrong sex. I remind him I need to talk with his sister to see what can be done.

After an hour and a half we are both antsy. He heads into his office to ‘get a little work done’ and I march myself out to the kitchen to see if there are the makings of anything edible still here and relatively unattached by whatever attacks food when no one is looking. I finally decide there isn’t anything safe and prepare to go to the store, wandering in at the last moment to let Tan know I’m going.

“Wait up, Kat. I’ll go with you.”

This is a first. Tan want’s to go shopping with me?

“I thought you didn’t like shopping and it was... ‘girl’s work’.”

“That’s when you go clothes shopping. Food is something in which I can take an interest.”

I have my doubts remembering the sort of things he had on hand and loosely called ‘food’, but I’m not going to turn down his company nor the opportunity to have him pay for everything I intend to purchase in order to prepare our meals. I only hope he doesn’t dislike my using him as the foil for my cooking learning curve. At least I can boil water without burning it and I’ve got a couple of great cookbooks packed away in my room.

Anyway, soon we are at the grocery store and I have him pushing a cart as we walk the aisles checking on everything. When we first arrived he made a beeline for the frozen foods and it took a bit of convincing for me to drag him away to actually shop for the healthier stuff. His face is amusing as he stares at me carefully selecting different vegetables and fruits and bagging them before placing them in our cart. I also pick up a pair, no make that two pair, of rubber gloves (one for cleaning the pistols). Ah, dishwashing liquid, now on to the meats counter. I’m a bit disappointed but with nothing in the house I suppose I can’t be too choosy, at least not yet. We round everything out with me placing one of nearly every spice/ condiment in the cart and then two prepackaged types of coffee and one of mixed beans which we ground on the spot.

Now that I am finished we check out and he nearly has a heart attack as the cashier rings it all up.

“Don’t worry Tan. It won’t be this expensive every time. All the spices added nearly two thirds of the expense to the total. It only hurts the first time.”

He grumbles but he pays as he eyes the large roast and the ham along with the flat of eggs going through the checkout. That’s something I noticed about Mom. She would appeal to Dad’s stomach in order to win an argument. It seems to work with Tanner as well. He’s only just beginning to realise I haven’t selected any premade, prepackaged foods. Everything here is do it yourself. Maybe I should make him some cookies to munch. Children seem to like that, at least I did.

~O~

We arrive ‘home’ and I managed to get him to help put things away until he started getting in the way then I sent him out of “my” kitchen, “Go find something to do in your office for a while. Call your sister and let her know were back. Maybe ask if I could see her concerning my gender issues. I know I’ll need to see doctors but I would like to know the legal issues and she seems to have some knowledge of them.”

He dutifully wanders off. I think he is actually relieved he doesn’t need to help anymore. It only takes me an hour and a half to get to know the kitchen and put everything away. I can’t believe he doesn’t have a spice rack, nor kitchen towels, nor paper towels. Another trip to the store is called for. I need a list. How did he get along without paper towels? And doesn’t he ever defrost his freezer?

Everything is finally put away and, more importantly, I know where it is all located. Now to prepare something. I think I’ll do the roast for supper and that will give us some meat for sandwiches tomorrow. Lettuce, catsup, a touch of seasoning, a healthy lunch that doesn’t cost twenty five dollars at a restaurant or seven dollars for burgers and fries. I roll my eyes even as I just think about it. I could even prepare some for Irina. And fresh fruit and a just a little milk. What? I know, I can’t help it. I like milk, it’s only one percent for crying out loud, it’s not like it’s fresh from the cow with all that butterfat.

Oh God... I’m going to brain Tanner. The selection of pots and pans is almost non-existent. Does he have a mixer... and bowls? Electric hand mixer - yes. Bowls - sort of. How does he cook? Then it dawns on me. He doesn’t. Everything he prepares is prepackaged, microwave TV dinners. I could scream... and do, which brings Tanner running.

“How could you not have pots, pans, mixing bowls, roasting pans, cookie sheets. What in the world did you do for food? I can’t cook, if I don’t have anything in which to prepare or do it.”

He stutters and stammers and beats a hasty retreat to his office again as I prepare to go out to purchase the bare necessities. I go to his office to invite him along but he opts out so I give him a kiss and am on my way. An hour and a half later I return and corral him to help bring in the cooking utensils. A large pot, and several smaller ones, pans, a skillet, everything I need. It actually was pretty easy. I pretended he had nothing and started from scratch. I even purchased hooks so I could hang some of the things. Speaking of hanging, I return to the grocery a third time and purchase a few more items including fresh garlic to hang and PAPER TOWELS, dish towels and rags and a few dozen other ‘little’ things like all the kitchen measuring cups, spoons, more bowls, kitchen knives and even a set of barbeque utensils, I might ever need. Another hour and this is beginning to look like a kitchen. I need a larger spice rack... Or a second one.

Sometime soon I need a large self supporting mixer but this electric hand mixer will do for now. I’ve finally had the roast in and cooking for about an hour and a half and the vegetables are just going on. I’ve been whiling away my time by making a batch of chocolate chip cookies for the children (Tanner and Irina) baking them in the second oven. It’s actually a nice kitchen, large with lots of counter space, two ovens, six burner range top and a big microwave. The refrigerator and freezer are separate items which gives me a lot of cold storage, I’ll need to fill them up a bit more. I’m not looking forward to getting up earlier tomorrow but I need time to fix breakfast. No more pop tarts for everyone and rush out the door. I think I better ration the cookies too. It’s tough being a Mom, especially with a twenty five year old teenager. I wonder if I could get away with spanking him.

I take the time to think about our difference in ages. I’m seventeen going on eighteen and Tan is close to twenty five. I’m not certain if he’s a couple of months over that or under it but somewhere close. That means there is a seven to eight year gap between us. I hope that won’t be a problem. I fall back to thinking about spanking him but decide I better not. He might like it. I’ll just place his cookies off limits.

When the roast is nearly finished I begin checking the drippings in the hopes I’ll be able to make some gravy. I remember Mom did that. There has been a lot of juice even though most of the fat had been cut away. I hope that means the meat will turn out well.
~O~

It takes us two days to get things back into motion even with the prescheduling Tanner did before we left on our “tour” of Europe. We also learn that Carlotta finally attributed the damage to the gown I was to wear to a competitor. There’s no real proof but she seems to have decided someone from that other camp was the culprit.

Tan and I need to cut short our day today since we have a meeting scheduled this afternoon with his sister so I can discuss my options. She mentioned she wants to bring up a “few little points” to which I need to give some thought. She’s being very melodramatic about it and won’t say anything over the phone.

“I want the time to do a little research before we talk. Be certain Tan is here with you.”

I’m wondering if Tanner is to be there to give me immoral support or so she may threaten him some more. At any rate, we are to be there at four which will pretty much wind up our day.

I need to bake more cookies tonight. The two children have already consumed those that I made the other day. Tan says I should make twice as many and we could offer them here on a tray for people to snack on. I politely remind him that the models can’t snack on the cookies and I don’t want him or Irina winding up looking like blimps... Well, any more than either of them do already. Which causes Tan to wander around in a huff until we go to see his sister.

“I’m going to ration the cookies to you two. I don’t want your health to suffer so cookies are not going to be a high priority on the menu.”

“More sandwiches?” They both ask, with smiles.

“And fruit. And you,” I point at Tanner, “will be eating more vegetables.” Which probably didn’t help relieve his attitude. You can lead a little boy to his vegetables but you can’t make him eat, and if you don’t have a dog, check under the table after the meal.

After our meeting with his sister, we return home via the grocery store again. This time he is much more relieved as I only purchase about a dozen items total rather than two very expensive trips like when we first stocked up. I’m not much in the mood for cooking tonight after some of the things Jennifer told us. The most difficult thing for me was learning I’m not completely out from under my father’s thumb until I’m twenty one. He could nix this surgery which would delay me another three years or so. I can make most of my own decisions but major things like surgeries could still require his approval, or disapproval in this case. I discovered how close I am to being a woman when upon learning of his continued involvement I burst into tears and I can’t even blame it on hormones since I’m not taking them yet and apparently won’t be or at least will have a very reduced regimens due to some more stuff she learned from the doctor and which made very little sense to me.

Supper that evening didn’t turn out so well. I guess you could say I was distracted. Tanner is having a difficult time of it as well. He wants to be close to comfort me but at the same time he tries to hide in his office since my emotions are flying around unchecked. One minute I’m crying on his shoulder and holding to him like never to let go and the next minute I’m biting his head off for some insensitive remark which, when I come right down to it, didn’t really amount to a ‘hill of beans’.

The next day I’m doing better. This is fortunate as it is our first day shooting since we returned and I need to have my wits about me. Most of the day goes well and we are beginning to ‘slip back into the groove’. Tomorrow I even have a modeling job rather than just assisting around the studio. Tanner is even making little comments to Irina that he thinks it’s great there is a woman around to help with the female models and to smooth things along as ‘only a woman can do’.

This thought causes me to give his comments and myself a great deal more consideration since up until just a few days ago I had been considering myself to be a male in skirts. Now when I think about it I discover I am thinking of myself as a female now. My reactions to sudden situations aren’t thought out but are automatic and are obviously feminine to everyone around me. I guess I was trying too hard or something. Once I just relaxed everything fell into place. Now all I need to worry about is that old 800 pound gorilla and once I’m past that... If I can get past that, then I’m on my way. I hope Tanner’s sister can come up with something that will allow me to go ahead with this without Dad killing me. I thought I was finally free and clear of him.

~O~

The following day Tan’s sister is still working on something to take care of the problem but she hasn’t gotten back to us yet and my head is beginning to straighten out so Tan is feeling a little safer around me.

I noticed that he locked up the knives and other weapons at the house while I was still ranting and raving yesterday. With a little luck maybe I can actually cook something edible tonight. Tomorrow should prove to be interesting since the session is going to be both in the studio and out at a “simple” location shoot with two other girls. It’s still a little difficult for me to comprehend that there are some businesses out there that prefer my “look” and ask for me by name. I mean it’s great and I’m flattered but I don’t understand what it is I seem to have which interests them in having me do the modeling in their shoots. Tan says we even have a commercial queued in the schedule for next week. It’s a “voice over,” whatever the hell that is, so I don’t need to talk; just look good, present the products well and smile a lot.

The next morning we all meet at the studio to do the indoor stuff before going out for the location part of the shoot. Not long after we finish and are en route to the location Tan gets a call from his sister asking for a morning when we could come into her office for a meeting. They schedule it for first thing in the morning Monday next week as I nearly faint from the close calls with other traffic which occur while Tanner’s mind is on the phone call and not on driving. I didn’t do too badly and only grabbed the wheel twice during the call. After we arrive at the shoot location I need about fifteen minutes to crawl back down from the ceiling of the RV and to dump my hysterics so I am able to begin to do justice to the job we have at hand.

Fortunately the rest of the week goes much better and we have made some money by the weekend. That makes us both feel a little better and before I know it Monday has rolled around.

to be continued