Chapter 11 - Anna Stages a Test
Two days later, we were in a very private room in a data center downtown. Clients were encouraged to bring their own scanners to check the privacy in their conference rooms. They also brought their own computers and encryption software. There was an Ethernet jack in the middle of the table which was guaranteed to be anonymously connected to the Internet. This was a hard promise to know the truth of. The proprietors did no advertising. You had access to their services only by referral and after iris scans and other recognition technology was used on your person. The fees were high. As far as was known, exposure of a session at their site had never occurred.
Anna's message was recorded, and dealt with a small group that was masquerading as a Hispanic gang of car thieves. They were employed by enemies of the family from time to time to organize trouble for family enterprises. In this case, the trouble was intimidating store owners in a redevelopment area in which the family had a large stake. The event to be stopped was arson of a major shopping complex under construction. Names and addresses of the gang leaders were provided.
Collecting our gear, we left and headed back to Karen's house for a skull session. On the patio in our swim suits, the sun was hot and inspiration was lacking. Carolyn said, "I don't know anything about stopping arson."
Karen pushed back, "I think Sophie and Carolyn probably hold the keys to our counter-attack." Carolyn stared at her.
She continued, "We don't have to put out a fire, we have to prevent a gang from starting the fire. We need to think through their mental state and motivations."
I added, "You two know about approach-avoidance syndrome. How do we make them decide this job isn't worth the money they have been offered?"
They looked at each other and went off to be creative in Karen's office behind a closed door.
Karen sat in my lap and pulled me in for a motherly kiss. I liked her feel, always had since I was a small boy. "When did you decide your body could be involved in my growing up?"
"We are not supposed to be talking about me."
"Tell me."
"After you were eighteen and legal, I asked Anna. Told her my sex life was miserable and I had the hots for you all the time, and you were going to find out soon."
She paused and gave me a different kind of kiss. Warm, wet, hard.
"What did she say?"
"A typical, frustrating Anna response. 'Follow your instincts, Karen,' she said to me."
"Your instincts landed you on my cock. I never imagined it, but now I wouldn't give you up."
"Nor I. When you hold me like this, and lean your head on mine, I just melt. It feels like we are one person with two personalities. Would you like to inhabit a female body, just for fun?"
"I could feel your tingles and juices, and even an orgasm?"
We hugged tighter. "If Anna ever lets us graduate from her army, we could experiment."
Changing the subject, I said, "We need to talk to Anna about more tools. We need more secure Internet access, and ways of tracking the gang members."
Karen said, "She must know this already, let's make a call."
We lay on her bed and dialed Anna's number. She did know about our needs.
"I appreciate your arranging the secure session so quickly. I assume you are making plans for dealing with them. I expected your call, because you obviously need better tools. Tomorrow morning, a truck with plumbing signs on it will park in your driveway. The driver has secure identification details on you, and you don't need to worry about him. He is on constant surveillance from here and any monkey business will be noticed immediately."
"I will be available if you need me."
Late that afternoon, the two academics emerged and said they needed a swim and some wine after. Karen and I finished dinner preparations and joined them. After twenty laps, they jumped me. I was getting spoiled by so much naked woman flesh in my hands. I was instantly hard and in the grip of their fingers.
"Predictable, isn't he? Rub on him and he will be hard for you. We shouldn't complain, I guess. How many women have lovers that get them off as well as he does?"
"Getting analytical, are we? What if we just go for a hike and I find a convenient rock? No analysis needed."
They beat my head and pulled wet hair. I boosted them on my hips and walked out of the pool. "No sex until we have a plan."
Karen brought wine and munchies. I got towels and a hairbrush. They sipped their wine while I worked out the tangles.
Carolyn started, "Gang psychology is a mix of things. Male bonding, ethnic loyalty, competition for women..."
Sophie added, "Convenient criminal activities to provide money."
Karen asked, "What buttons are we going to push with this bunch?"
"We plant seeds that this job they have been hired to do is actually a DEA trap to get them on drug charges. We arrange for one of the leaders to disappear without a trace, and show up a week later with amnesia."
I said, "Ambitious. Should do the trick."
Karen said, "Seriously illegal. Cops don't like vigilantes."
Carolyn asked, "Are we good enough to pull this off?"
The silence lengthened and they looked at me.
"Anna hasn't given us much time, and we haven't moved to the new house yet. But I think this is a test. She wants to see if we can be creative, forceful and willing to take risks. She probably has a backup strategy to keep us out of jail."
I smiled, but there were no happy looks in return. I could see in their eyes that Jeremy looked too young to be taking on an armed urban gang. Timeout for more planning.
"We need to fill in the details. Why don't you work on dinner and I'll see what I can pull together."
An hour later, dinner was tense and quiet. I could feel the unhappy mood. Testing was great until you were being tested and there was serious physical danger involved.
Karen broke the silence. "Jeremy, I think we need a less ambitious approach to the assignment. If this is a test, Anna will be watching to see whether we proceed in a way that is consistent with our talent and training. Hail Mary's that don't work are not in her playbook. What is the least complicated, least dangerous plan that we can accomplish on our very first effort?"
We didn't need to be touching heads for that to sink in. There were nods around the table.