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Mackenzie pulled out of her hazy state, slowly wakeing. She tried to roll over, and couldn’t. With some difficulty, Mackenzie attempted to identify the warm weight at her back. Her eyes focused on something heavy which drapped across her stomach. It was someone’s arm. She smiled to herself, remembering the dream, Howie coming to her, comforting her, and staying with her. A sigh escaped. The tiny hairs on his forearm blew, and he grunted. She stifled a giggle and blew again, gently. This time, Howie stirred slightly. Amused, Mackenzie gave a little shove backwards. The arm was removed as Howie rolled onto his back. Mackenzie rolled over aswell, and gazed down at his sleeping face. She studied him, taking in his fine features, visualizing his large brown eyes boring into hers. Without thinking, Mackenzie leaned close and lowered her lips to his forehead. She kissed his neck softly, then his ear. When she pulled away, Howie starred up at her, fully awake.
“Good morning.” she whispered.
“ ’Morning.” he murmured.
“Thank you for staying with me last night.”
“You needed me.” he responded. In answer, she leaned down again, and kissed his cheek. Howie’s hand raised, cupping her face. Their eyes locked, and he eased up on one elbow, brushing his lips across hers. Sitting up, finding acceptance in her touch, Howie leaned close and kissed her again. Mackenzie placed her hands on his shoulders, moving them up to gently caress his neck. The kiss was hesitant, exploritary. Slowly, their mouths melded into one; their kisses becoming deep and passionate, though remaining soft. Mackenzie’s hands wandered over his chest, massaging his bare back as he trailed kisses along her throat.
A knock sounded at the door. “Wake up call! Mackenzie, up and at ‘em!” came Denise’s voice. Howie and Mackenzie broke apart abruptly. They starred at one another, eyes wide. “Come on, get out of bed!” Denise persisted. Untangleing themselves in a rush, the couple finally unwound from each other. Howie leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her temple before darting from the room, gently closing the ajoining door behind himself. Mackenzie took a deep breath, smoothed what she could of her hair, and opened her door, facing Denise.
“Hi!” AJ’s mother said brightly. “Good to know you’re up. We’ve got a busy schedule today, be ready to depart for the venue in about thirty minutes.” she cautioned.
“I’ll be there.” Mackenzie acknowledged.
“Great! I’ll just go get Howie up now....” Denise said, moving to the next door. Mackenzie closed her own, and leaned against it breathlessly. A smile crept across her lips, and she raised her hand to her temple, where Howie had last touched her.
*****
The man watched as Mackenzie slipped from her room the same time as her neighbor. The neighbor glanced up and down the hall, then kissed Mackenzie softly on her lips. The man frowned. This neighbor-presumably someone on the event staff-would make it harder to get at Mackenzie, should he need to silence her. Allowances would need to be made, and moves planned carefully. Until then, he would watch.
*****
Mackenzie gazed at the computer screen in confusion. She had signed online, hoping for another response to their quieries, and had been dissappointed. As she starred at the monitor, half-expecting an answer to appear before her, she failed to notice someone sneaking up behind her.
“Ahhhh!” She cried as someone grabbed her waist, covering her eyes at the same time. She struggled, pulling the person’s hands from her face, and twisting around.
“Brian!” she admonished. “Don’t do that to me!” He only grinned impishly, and plopped into the seat next to her.
“Whatcha doin’?”
“Nothing.” she responded irritatedly. Brian made the sound of a cat hissing. Mackenzie’s expression relaxed. “Alright, I’m sorry. I was expecting some email that didn’t come, that’s all.” she explained.
“Oh.” Brian paused. “So, Anita says that you and Howie are getting pretty hot ‘n heavy.”
“Anita wouldn’t say that!” Mackenzie replied shocked, feeling her heart beat quicken.
“Really? Let me start again. Anita says that Howie and you are gettin’ down and dirty.” he revised.
“Brian!”
“Ok, ok.” he laughed. “You caught me! I was hoping to trick you into sharing some classified information with me.” he admitted. Mackenzie gave him a hard stare. “That would be your que to start dishing on Howie. You know, give me some good blackmail material.” Brian prompted. “Please?”
“Go away, B-Rok.” she ordered with a small smile. “You’ll get nothing out of me.” He sighed.
“So, what kind of email?”
“Huh?”
“What kind of email were you anticipating?”
“Nothing important.” she sighed. “Nothing important at all.”
“Oh. You wanna play some basketball? I’ll even let you start.”
*****
“Where do we begin?” AJ asked later that night, as the three slueths sat in Howie’s hotel room.
“I have no idea.” Mackenzie sighed.
“Email Marty?” AJ suggested.
“I guess we could....but he’s already given us all the help he has for this stage of our investigation. There’s nothing left for him to offer.” Howie said.
“How do you know that?” AJ questioned.
“I talked to him on the phone yesterday.” The three gazed at one another, with openly blank looks. Howie saw the sad expression in Mackenzie’s eyes, and decided to take charge.
“Alright, AJ, get my laptop and the disk with all our notes on it. Mackenzie, get on the phone and call information. Get the number for “The Oddity” and try calling Marcus.”
“What are you going to do?” AJ tossed over his shoulder while digging out Howie’s laptop from a duffle bag.
“I’m going to run a search on the first of our three remaining active buyers.” Mackenzie picked up her cell phone and began to dial.
*~
M-I-S-S-I-O-N_1-0-2
Howie entered the username of the foremost active buyer on New Leaf Enterprises. With the cursor, he clicked the “Search” button. The computer made several whirring sounds, then a dialouge box appeared on the screen. It was an online profile for MISSION_102:
Date registered with N.L.E.: October 1995
Date of Last Purchase: April 1999
Listed goods for sale or trade: no specialty.
Currently looking to buy: A set of 1902 books by Max McGuiness.
Field of Enployment: none specified.
Fields of Interest: Out of print literature, anitque books, CAPCOM microchips, Australian and B British government espionage.
Contact: MISSION_102@wayweb.net
AJ peered over Howie’s shoulder. “This guy is probably one of those people who is obcessive about reading.” he observed, with a disgusted undertone.
“Yeah, AJ. He’s probably one of those nuts who thinks that books actually have something to offer. Not that Playboy doesn’t have great educational value.” Howie responded wryly. The two looked at each other for a moment, before bursting out laughing.
“I sounded like Nick, didn’t I?” AJ asked, amused.
“You did. But that’s excusable, since I’ve seen you pick up a book before.”
AJ shook his head at Howie’s comment, and sat down next to him. “On to the next one, then.” he said, dismissing the first profile. “The next guy is MAD_MARVIN. What a username, huh?” Howie inputed the information, and clicked ‘search’ again. A new profile emerged on the monitor:
Date Registered with N.L.E.: December 1995
Date of Last Purchase: February 1999
Listed goods for sale or trade: computer software, microchips, contacts, espionage materials, industrial secrets.
Currently looking to buy: information on industrial takeovers.
Field of Enployment: CEO
Fields of Interest: Same as listed goods.
Contact: Mad_M@webtalk.com
“Wow.” Howie breathed softly.
“What?” AJ questioned.
“This fits our guy to a ‘T’.” The two starred at the screen for a moment.
“Hey, guys?” Mackenzie began, coming back into the room, where AJ and Howie still sat on the bed. “I can’t get a hold of Marcus. I wonder where he is......Guys?”
“Come over here, look at this.” Howie ordered. Mackenzie moved to his side. She squinted at the words on the monitor, her eyes growing wide.
“Howie......do you think that.....” she let her sentence trail off. AJ looked from one to the other. Howie met her gaze, and said,
“I think it’s possible. Very possible.”
At this, Mackenzie lunged for her laptop, while AJ saved the profiles to their disk, then printed a copy. Without saying a word, both Mackenzie and Howie began to search for more information on MAD_MARVIN. AJ stared at the sheets of paper that the printer spit out. His eyes passing from on to the other, then back again. Grunting, he tossed them aside, and peered over Howie’s shoulder.
*****
Three hours later, Mackenzie glanced over to find AJ asleep, sprawled out on the floor. The only sound in the room was that of Howie’s fingertips furiously typing on the laptop. Mackenzie laid aside her own computer, and crawled over next to Howie, who sat on the other side of the bed, leaning back against the headboard.
“Hey you.” she said softly. Howie smiled tiredly and cast her a quick smile. “Find anything?” she asked. He shook his head, a terse expression occupying his face. He looked tense.
“No. Nothing. Not a webpage, another profile, or a post. Not a document, or a link, or a banner. Nothing.” he repeated. “Not even a post it note.” Mackenzie sighed, and reached up, cupping his face, forcing him to turn his attention from the screen. With her other hand, she soothingly rubbed his arm, all the while capturing his eyes with her own.
“Stop this.” she murmered softly. “Just stop. Everything’s going to be fine-you’re always telling me that. Now it’s your turn to believe it.”
“I can’t.” he whispered. “We need to find him! You-”
“Have lived with this for four years!” she broke in. “I’ve been dealing with this every day for the past four years, and another day, or another week, or another month, won’t make a difference. My parents are already dead, Howie. I’ve dealt with that too. I’ve done my grieving. All that is left is justice, and you can’t rush that.”
“If I didn’t know you better, I’d say you sounded callous just then.”
She smiled sadly, and stroked his cheek. “I probably was. But that’s the way it is. Nothing can change the past. Nothing can bring back my parents. We can make things right, we can help justice along. It won’t happen in a few days, or weeks. The one thing I’ve learned from this game is pacience.” she finished. Howie leaned his forehead against hers, and starred into her eyes- shining orbs of emerald. Mackenzie pulled away, and then shut down his computer with the switch of a button. She collapsed the monitor, then placed the piece of software on the carpet, next to her own. She straddled Howie’s legs, and tugged behind his knees, pulling him down from his sitting postion. He slid flat onto his back.
“Now, relax.” she ordered, and came close, laying beside him, wrapping her arms around his middle. A sigh escaped him as she laid her head on his chest. He settled his arm around her, the rhythem of their even breathing lulling him to sleep.
Mackenzie lay awake for a long while, wishing she had some answers. Not just for her sake, but for Howie’s as well. She knew that she could never truely give herself to him, or any other man, until her past was resolved. A tear trickled down her cheek and dropped off the tip of her nose. She loved him. For his concern, and for himself, she loved him.
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Chapter 13 is listed in two parts because of it's content. Readers who are offended by adult content, should skip to the end of Chapter 13, part two for the next link. Part 1 does not contain any questionable content, it is just part 2. Thanks! ~Jessi
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