Checking thoroughly with Pute, they mailed the rest of the
packs all around Embassyville - "Foggy Butt" she was calling it -
and Georgetown, Putey telling them which mailboxes for which
packets. They drove past the White House at a point, and she
ruminated, "if they had as much passion for peace as they do for
beauty, we wouldn't have to be doing this...though, heck, it is
fun, huh Kit?"
        "Right on, your right on-ness. At least they do appreciate
beauty, though. Gives you a lot of power, maj."
        "You think...Bill," and smiled over, "was just being
indulgent...humoring what I said? You think he'd really be for
what we're doing, like he said, or wanting my brain? He just
wants to plug me, I'm sure. Just bein' obligin', most probably,
huh? Too bad. And they probably really can't do anything
about ending war anyway....I don't know."
        "Me neither, precious. I'm just going on assumptions. But
yeah, I'm sure too..." smiling at her, meaning Bill's probable
desire to plug her. She caught his drift and gave him a smiling
punch. He laughed after an "ouch" and added, "well, hey, they're
mailed!" and they high-fived and kissed. "Congratulations to us.
I hope they all get to where we want and have the most effect."
She seconded the motion and emotion. "Well, sugar honey
dumplin'," he went on, "unless you want to hear some country
music or somethin', I think it's best we get in the air, if we can,
though I'm kinda tired. I'm goin' to have to do some speed. You
want any?" as he reached into the back.
        "Wo! Excuse me?! From the one who gave me grief on
smoke? You rascal...heck yeah, I'm doin' anything you are. But
not as much. I weigh less, you know."
        "Yeah. In most places," eyeing her breasts. Yep, he got
another poke. "You're really somethin'. Have I told you that?" he
added as he got some pills out of the little bag and handed them
to her as he pulled into a Real Quicky Mart to get something to
swallow them with.
        "Well, I've been hearing that around. But I don't remember
you tellin' me. Fact, it was Bill, if I recollect," and smiled wryly.
Somethin', huh? Don't you be workin' too hard on words, now,
Quixote. Hey...mind if I send the word to Sundance they're all
mailed and we saw the Prez again and Foreign Minister and...
maybe have some conversation with 'm?....If I can talk with 'm,
I sure wanta."
        "Can't blame you, princess. Good thinking, too. Sure am
glad you're along, despite your complainin'. Want anything from
inside?" and kissed her hand. She didn't and he was right back
out in a few with Cokes. She putered with Sundance on the way
to the airport - he was home - and excitedly answered his
questions, with Kit's help, and they learned the other Execs were
on board and that Joni and Julio would be on their way soon to
Window Rock! They worked through ideas to give to the
Navajos and music stars already being contacted by the Execs to
do the concert. It was stuff of rapture to Jess. Heck, Kit too.
High and mighty doings. And Sundance one of her favorite
humans of all time! It was rolling, and she was right in it. Right in
the middle. She scooted over to Kit as he drove on, holding him
and letting him see the screen. And they took the pills: Jess one,
Kit two.
        They talked about how they might be suspected to be
involved with the WPO after the morning mail reached the White
House and possible recollections of their words with the Prez.
But she's just a school girl, they figured they might figure in the
Mansion, and he's just what, an uncle? So the suits would
probably be checking out Kit Cody's life, they kept figuring
(wondering if they were thinking too super self-important),
whatever the G-men could check on Kit that wasn't hidden in
shell corporations or Pute's cover-up work in Cybervillage, that
is. Present-known job at a restaurant in Taos, they would find
out, he told her. And so what, brought his niece to Washington.
        "Does that sound fishy?" he asked and got her shaking
head and a quizzical shrug in response. They hadn't let on any
more than that at dinner, either. They just had said he had
saved up to take his favorite niece to Washington for a
graduation present. And the suits wouldn't be able to find any
Jessica Cody in records, they went on, which was OK, since
she was a niece. But they decided to have Pute make up a
bunch of records for a Jessy Cody anyway and get them into
government and other data banks - social security, tax returns,
birth certificate, family and all - to give the suits a wild goose
run, just in case.
        "Edge is edge," Kit said. Well, they had been talking all
that over while Jess had still been "chatting" with Sundance,
and finally she adiosed the Redman. Then they asked Pute to
scramble Kit's records of existence all he could and make up
another Kit with a different middle name. Not Hickok.
Jefferson or Monroe or something. Crockett, they settled on.
And Kit decided to go ahead and resign from Jenny's in a few
days. And to make records of that Kit moving back to
Kentucky and getting a restaurant job there. There would be
pictures of them in the White House, though, they
remembered. But, at worst, they could only be suspected
members of the WPO or WPG, and only because Jess had
mentioned all she had to the President the day before the
documents showed up. Pretty flimsy circumstantial evidence,
they concurred. They were pretty covered, they thought. And
Kit mentioned he had his beard because it could be shaved
off in minutes to change his look.
        "I could shave my head," Jess joked, "or somewhere
else." They thought they were way ahead.
        However. The trouble was, after their departure from
Lunken the day before, the guy in the suit whom had been at
the bar, then up in the tower, had called his NSA protege in
D.C. and given him Juliet's ID and some short story of why
he wanted it tailed. So the suit in D.C. had accessed FAA
tower records and had Juli on the ground at College Park.
Then he had learned that they had rented the Jeep and
gotten the two rooms at the Hyatt. But the trail had ended
there. The suit had only worked his computer, and Kit had
used that different corporate charge card for the car rental
and the rest.
        Pute had finally tracked down the guy's computer
searches and told the guys after he "waved" to them while
they were giving him all the cover instructions.
        "Wow! He's found the surveil, Kit!" she reported.
        "Who is it?!"
        "Some NSA computer. Why are they watching us?"
she wondered aloud. "And who's NSA?...is 'e at NASA?"
        "Naw, a super CIA. I don't know why they're
watching us, actually...yet. But at least we know it and they
don't know we know it," he answered. "I hope Pute's duck
and cover can throw them off the trail and...dam, all I could
get out of Slick was that worthless piece of infra-red
information and he might remember I'd brought it up...I sort
of didn't want to go the dinner because of all this now, but I
did want you to have your moment, magnificence..." smiling
at her, "and then the flip side is the Prez definitely likes you
- fact, everybody was dazzled by ya, huh, maj? Except those
ladies in the powder room. And you even got his farkin'
phone number! O, and Pute's designed to erase the WPO
and our stuff as soon as they miss-key anything three times.
If they get him."
        "Wha hey, that's sure reassuring...so, if I would have
miss-keyed..."
        "Just so you know, Jesso. But I have a backup disk.
And if they don't catch us with the night vision gogs or...
hologram equipment," thinking up the off-road, "they'll have
no proof. And there's been no break-in of Juliet shown up
on Pute - right...?"
        "Right!"
        "...At least not talked about on their computers or by
police. So, unless they bugged this car or our luggage, so far
I think we're OK. See, Jess, this is why I didn't want to get
you so involved. Except, God, you've been awesome help,
highness...besides my dream maker," leaning over for a kiss
with a little moisture in his eyes, "...I just don't want you in
trouble, or even threatened with any. You know?!"
        "I know, darlin'. Don't worry. 'Sides, I wouldn't have
passed this up for all the 'peek 'n duck' in China," she
looked at him and they smiled at each other. "We'll be all
right. I just feel it. You're doin' great. We're doin' great!"
and gave Pute a kiss. "Anyway, it's worth the risk. And a
by heck darn good time," her eyelids and brow going up
like Jimmy Carter did, and probably still does, and Kit
chuckled as he saw it.
        "God, Jessica. I adore you, precious."
        "Same here, maestro...I really adore you too, Kit
Quixote Hickok Crockett Cody."
        "God," and he almost cried as they kissed.
        Then she told him she should call Flece, saying Flee
would kill her if she didn't, especially with the dinner and all.
Well, Kit had software to give 555-5555 and area code 555
as their number as well as having the shield from any tapping
that their computer-companion-magician had been using all
along. So she put that disk in and called on the cell, plugged
through Puter, and told Felecia all about meeting the Prez -
"of the United States!" - and Hillary and Chel, then the
dinner, then their escapade in the Capitol poker room. Flece
wanted to know about all the sex. Then Jess told her about
getting in touch with Sundance, after checking with Kit. And
the girls both promised him that Flee would keep it a secret.
She couldn't tell Felecia why they were in touch with Sunny,
though. "Have to tell you later, cowgirl."
        Jess told her they were about ready to fly out to the
ranch and Flece was having a hard time believing it all,
understandably, but then gave them her news - still partying
with the same folks and joining up with some young poor
singer-songwriter-musician dude and sailing and all - and her
happiness for them. Jess suggested, winking at Kit, that best
cowgirl friend keep her calendar clear for the June 10th
weekend, which was a no-brainer. They always celebrated
each other's birthdays to the max. Then our duo arrived at
the airport, so adioses until the following night were said all
around.
        They sat in the car a little while, checking if they could
see anyone who might be watching Juliet. They didn't. So Kit
decided he would go into the FBO office to see if anyone
suspicious was in there. "If I'm not back in three minutes,
you drive to National - I mean Reagan - Airport and fly
home," taking his cash roll out, peeling off ten hundreds and
giving them to her.
        "Wait a minute! Just like that?! I'm supposed to leave
you?! I don't like that at all!"
        "Me neither, sweetheart, but I see no other choice. I
won't let anything happen to you. But, hey...I'll be back." He
checked the Beretta and put it back in his pocket. "OK?" he
added. She nodded back to him with a sad, worried look.
"OK, lock the doors," he said, then leaned over and kissed
her, got out and walked to the office.
       She was a little more scared than she thought she would
be - for him and herself. That's when she first thought about
getting her own gun.
        Kit checked out everyone inside, making a little small
talk and explaining he was getting ready to fly out, and it was
just who should be in there so he got right back out to the car.
        "Well, they could have someone hidden," he told her as
he gave her the inside report. "I'll go out to the plane and do
a fast preflight. Lock my door again."
        "Oh Kit. Be careful, darlin'."
        "I will, precious. Keep looking around and honk if you
see any trouble and take off if there's too much...to Reagan,
I mean."
        "All right...." They hugged and kissed and he went out to
Juliet, drained the sumps, checked the tanks and oil, did a quick
walkaround, opened her up and saw everything was
undisturbed, found no electronic bugs of any sort in a quick
search, using Juliet's flashlight, and went back to the car.
        "OK," he said after getting back in, "everything seems
all right, Jess."
        "Good, darlin'."
        "I'm thinking, though, let's sneak you out to Jule after I
take everything out to her. You could walk out while I'm inside
paying the bills. I'll keep my eyes on you all the way and you
lock the door until I get there...and if anyone comes toward the
plane looking scary, you know how to call the Tower, or even
how to taxi. But first, let's drive around a little to check out the
cars around here."
        "I'll ask Pute if he has any news on the surveillance out
here. Maybe they're talkin' about us."
        "Dam good call, beautiful." He drove them around the
nearby parking lots and all the cars they saw were vacant,
except one with a couple balling away, and there were no
government license tags and Pute told them there was no new
news and that there should be no surveil, unless it would be
from the Tower. They returned to their original spot and he
took everything out to Juliet, and checked the small grassy
knoll behind her, then, with a head bob, signalled Jess to make
her move as he walked to the office.

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