BR was about Kit's age, casually dressed, but still a shaver,
taller than Kit and handsome as heck. He was from a wealthy
Denver family, Harvard educated and, in Kit's estimate, the best
dam lawyer in the state, if not the whole West. His office was
clean, orderly, elegant, simple, masculine and comfortably
interesting and our three visitors sat down on his rawhide-covered,
deep-cushioned couch after Kit took them through introductions.
They got right to business - the Gold pickup and their new
corporation, "Triumph, Inc.", made up of Kit, Jess and Felecia,
which they had agreed upon during the drive over, and other old
Kit business - and talked on for over an hour, then walked a few
blocks to a restaurant on the old downtown plaza to celebrate.
        The beautiful young ladies were toasted, BR wondering
what in blue blazes the story was and Jess was given the OK to
tell some of it, including the Presidential meeting and dinner,
which floored BR, but no telling of the WPO, WPG or the agent
chase. After finishing their lunch, BR toasted their Gold find with
the last of the champagne but, naturally, didn't say "Gold"
outright there in the restaurant.
        "Well," he continued, "I bet you're up to more than you're
telling me, Kit, but you know that's plenty all right by me, amigo.
No problemo."
        "Gras, 'migo, I sure appreciate having the best dam lawyer
in the country," Kit answered as they got up to go, BR leaving a
hundred and a fifty for the check, and they walked and talked
their way back to the office building and Kit's Dodge pickup
parked outside, BR walking beside Felecia. And some sparks
were noticed there between those two.
        After the fond adioses, our three went to do some shopping
for clothes, some art pieces, artifacts and crafts, groceries and
that inevitable "stuff", then Kit did some auto-banking and they
headed back to the Truchas after sundown. Jess worked with
Puter on the way and Flece watched her and the screen intently
as Kit drove. Jessy showed her how much Kit had made in the
market that week and Felecia was bowled over by the ole
Codeman, certainly not the man they had known ten years earlier,
she told him. Then P had some stuff to tell them, having been on
the cell all day.
        Jess punched the keys and he reported that the Oval Office
had had the documents and the encoding software from day one!
And all of Sundance's messages had been received, analyzed,
pondered, cogitated and debated. The G-guys were frustrated as
hell, though, that they couldn't find out who was sending the
messages. Pute went on to tell our guys how he had used those
numbers he had picked up from inside the WH again, including
Bill's, and had also cracked some codes and picked up all the
diplomatic computer communications about the WPG and WPO
stuff over the government nets. The spin doctors were doing
triage. And the Oval word was no one - and no country - should
respond to WPG or O, branding them "terrorists" and or
"extremists" of some sort who would be identified, neutralized
and prosecuted.
        Putey had picked up on some real fears among the Oval
Officers and others that the "game" was being called. This
WPO thing had the sound of authority, maybe mega money
boys, they were comming. Some in the inner circles were
quietly for it, though, saying things in private calls like, "no
more of the dam criminal behavior by countries" or "no more
of the goddam waste" and "a lot better use of the money",
besides sentiments like "these guys won't make it out of this
alive...whoever they are." But the official line was ignore it
and find out who the hell it WAS.
        Jessy read all of the report to Kit and, at the end,
subdued her rebel yell of victory, quietly underexpressing,
"Puter's done it again, Kit!" and typed a "way to go, P/yur
amazin/luv ya" to byte boy.
        Kit was even a little surprised at the cybernaut's
breakthrough. "Tell him he has a raise, a new girlfriend and
cookies later," he chuckled.
        Felecia was trying to take it all in and was, as much as
anyone could in as little time, and she was going through all
her feelings from awe through fear to zeal, of course,
wondering if her best friend wasn't maybe in over her
beautiful head, and then her own included, as Kit and Jess
talked over the new info.
        "I know it's all at once, Flee," Jess told her, "but you'll
see....Aw, cowgirl, I'm SO happy you came out...it's going
to be sooo GREAT!" and hugged her best friend.
        "It's a little scary, Jess," Flece answered.
        "I know. But it's OK. This man owns the edge and
since I joined up it's been rad. And we're stayin' ahead of
the bastardos, huh, skipper?"
        "Well, sh...so far, Feleesh. So far....Check the NSA
guy, Jess," he came back as he drove up Route 63 and the
canyon. Well, she found out that the agent was requesting
NRO surveil of the ranch - THEIR ranch! - after his
computer's review of the pictures of the area a hundred miles
out from Ghost. And it had looked to "DC" that there was
room for a Mooney in that barn and enough cleared road for
runway for it.
        Jess didn't want to, but she told Kit. And he let out a
pained "fuck". Pute went on so, so did Jess, telling Kit that
the agent had checked on Juliet's title and had just come up
with Pute's cyber cover which gave "Vaya con Dios, Inc."
and fictitious Spanish surnames. But he had Ed's name. NRO
was also reviewing "DC"'s old request for IR info with the
new request for surveillance, but no one in Recon had word
of a search for WPG Execs or whomever yet. Only the heads
of Bill's intel team did, plus some Ovalteers and a few powers
behind the throne. So NRO was taking the usual long time to
consider the request, plus the extra time due to their recent
changes, and the agent's trouble with sex calls was adding
even more to the delay.
        Kit asked Jessy to instruct Pute to get on trying to block
up the request even further and she did that.
        "Unbelievable," Flece said quietly.
        Kit was grim about the possibilities of being caught, and
especially about the girls' and his partners' safety, and thought
about what he would say to Ed. Jess resumed telling Flee
about everything, which helped as a general review for she
and Kit as the truck left the asphalt and hit the forest road,
muddy from the snow and frost melt, so bad that he had to
stop to switch to 4-wheel drive.
        Pute dialed up Ed for him and Kit "heyed" him and they
bullshat awhile. Then Kit asked him if he would just say
"Vaya con Dios" if asked about who bought the Mooney and,
since Ed was up tens of thousands already from Kit's stock
recommendations, ole Eddo didn't mind. Kit let out some
breath in relief as he stayed online as long as Ed wanted to,
giving his Texas pal a story that the IRS was badgering him,
which Ed could accept.
        Kit hung up soon after and turned to Jess. "We'll have
to work on Juliet tonight and get her out of there..." he said
with a determined face and voice, "maybe tomorrow night if
the weather's right and we can get her all finished by then.
It'll probably be the night after, though. Dam! I hope Pute
can stall him."
        Jess explained Juliet to Felecia, then answered, "yeah,
darlin'...and leave Juliet where?"
        "I don't know yet. Maybe we'll have to buy another
ranch somewhere...."
        "Jeezuz," Flece said, "you really do have money! But
is it always this edgy," sounding worried.
        "Well, we don't have everything covered yet," Jess
tried to assure her, adding, "O, but Flee, wait 'till you see the
mine!" then looked over at Kit, adding, "where'd be a good
place for a ranch, honey?"
        "Haven't the foggiest right now....I guess we'll have to
do some flyin' around to find what we need....I guess
tomorrow," feeling that the girls should go home, figuring on
probably flying them there in the morning, but feeling guilty
about them being at risk in the meantime.
        "Sounds like the plan, captain," Jess answered as she
leaned over Felecia to kiss his cheek, then whispered in his
ear, "don't worry, sweetheart." She resumed telling Flece
more and Kit was thinking, well, at least we know and the
suit doesn't know we know. Flece was still listening to Jessy
as they got to the "gate" and Kit got out to "open" it in the
mud and headlights, telling Jess to stay in the truck. But she
and Felecia got out anyway and helped him move
everything, then move everything back after the Dodge was
in.
        Wallace, Jul, Juli and Es were still getting Juliet all
stripped when they pulled in. Kit jumped right in and the
girls took everything into the cabin, Jess sent the message to
Sundance about the White House and they came back out
with Frogs for everyone. Mari came out too and they all
had some grog and smoke except Maria, to be a good
example for her children, and Essy. Even Kit laid off
everything pretty much, so Jess a little too.
        She introduced Felecia around, laughing at the guys'
raves, as Kit asked Wally if he could stay - for triple pay -
as late as the job took. Wallace could do that and, after a
short break, they all got back to the plane except Jess and
Flece, who excused themselves "to make some calls", to
check on any message back from Sundance.
        They had "comeback": the concert was happening.
The work had started right after the announcement, artists
were all signing on and the fund for the children in the war,
refugee and hunger zones was already started with celebrity
contributions and the 800 number they had gotten. Sundance
was also pleasantly surprised by the White House news and
was going to digest it with the other Execs overnight. They
wouldn't have to figure out how to get another packet to Bill,
for one thing, and knowing what was going on was dam
good news to the "Redman".
        Kit came in to check and Jess gave him the message.
After hanging up with Sundance, they sent $5o,ooo to the
concert fund anonymously, of course, borrowing out of Kit's
"float" account at the bank. And the girls were proud.
        They all went back out to the barn and helped finish
the stripping, then Wallo showed them how to prime the ship
and he got going after some more beers and smoke, Kit
agreeing that "Ace" wouldn't need to stick around. So they
primed Jule through the night, partying down in their cabin a
little after finishing, making plans for the morrow until calling
it a morning. Kit tried giving everyone money for the plane
work, but they just refused, though Es and Juli were asking
for flying lessons, which Kit promised as soon as he could do
it. His partners knew something was up as they left, but
didn't ask.
        Jessy showed Felecia the bed and bath rooms as Kit sat
down on the couch and worked with Pute after relogging the
fires. He went through all his finances as "Human Kindness
Overflowing" played on the radio. KTAO, "Solar Radio" out
of Taos, had it on. Carol King. Or was it Judy Blue Eyes, he
had forgotten. Anyway, he loved both their talents and songs.
Especially Carol's.
        The girls went for three more Frogs in the kitchen,
passing through behind him as they talked, then Jess had a
little crank for them, from her stash, as they sat down next to
him, Jess on his right, Flece the left. The girls talked sparingly
about little things as they smoked the crystal, not wanting to
bring anything up that might re-upset him.
        Then Jessy asked him, "well...Kit Hickok Cody...might
you be ready for the experience of your life?" smiling close
up to his face.
 
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