CHAPTER 59

Even though the day had started on an offensive note for Evan, she wasn't going to let it end that way. She mentally ran through the things she could do to pass the time. Nothing enticing came up. Not even food piqued her interest. She thought about calling Zoe. But her friend was miles away. What could she do? Since she was on her way to Jason's apartment, she called him to let him know she was heading home. "While you don't drive to my office?" He asked, "I've got something to show you."

It was a tempting offer. She had assumed he would be busy when he called. Not wanting to face him yet because she didn't want to talk about her family's role in his family's loss, she considered turning him down. It was childish, though. He had been specific when he explained to her that he didn't hold her parents guilty in anyway.

A bit tired, she reluctantly agreed to join him at the office. But as she changed lane so she could head back, she a nap would be good. Yawning, she told him she would meet him there. The drive to his office wasn't going to take long. While she drives, she hummed to the boring music blasting from her audio player. It only made her sleepier. As she drove into the Valdez' parking lot, she turned off the engine, reset the AC to suit her need and adjusted her seat backward. She was asleep before she remembered she hadn't called Jason.

******

When she dropped the call earlier to inform him she was headed home. Jason heard the tiredness in her voice and thought of cheering her up. He knew the pregnancy would be taking its toll on her. He had to do something nice for her. Inviting her over was all he could do now while he brainstorm for ideas. Jason looked at James and asked for a quick update on the case before releasing him to plan a getaway.

"There's nothing new yet to report." James apologized. "The men have gone underground again." He was seated calmly in front of his boss as they went over the details.

"Anything from Anderson and Key yet?" The two had requested for a room and have been working every evening to get a hold if the account. That was the only link they had to explore now. Shaking his head, he replied with "None either."

Jason hit the table in frustration, "This is going too slow for me. I want them caught and everything be brought to a wrap. What's taking them so freaking long?"

It had been bothering him too, James thought. The cold chase and nothing for long had no thrill to it. There were ways to force the men's hand. He has been trained to lure out the enemy if he could handle it. He could do that now since the men in question where tasting them, bidding their time. It meant just one thing. They have a plan. Perhaps forcing their hand would disrupt their plan and they would start acting irrationally, which would be an advantage for the Valdez. "We could turn the situation around." James suggested.

"I'm all ears." He said in rapt attention, "What can we do?"

"Rather than waiting for them to come to us, we can take the fight to them." It was a quick fix to certain difficult problems. A technique he had mastered over the years. The last incidence though almost ended badly. Though he could hardly be blamed for that. This time, he was sure this situation calls for it and under good supervision, it would turn out right.

"But do we know enough to do that? I don't want any losses." Jason replied recalling the last time this had happened. They had forced a rival's hand and it almost cost him a man. It was years ago but the memory lingered. A rival company had somehow gotten into the database and was stealing client's information to go after them. Two clients reported getting a call from some company to their jobs.

Thankfully, they were old customers who knew his protocol. He'd never call them for business. They knew his principles. He would rather send one of his staff to get the job than run it through the phone. The internet fraud these days made it upsetting doing business online. In person business transaction was the only way he knew he could reassure his partners of his credibility. Call it old fashioned, Jason Valdez had his rules and he followed through with them.

Worried and out of loyalty, the two clients had called Jason. The hackers withdrew immediately they were sighted. Key was upset. The database was like home to him. Outside getting in was considered trespassing, in a rude way. It was an infringement into his privacy. So, he asked to be allowed to hackers' system. Everything changed drastically from there. The hackers having gotten key's information kidnapped him. By the time James and his team got to him, he was almost breathless.

"We will dig up more about them and lure them out." He countered. Jason nodded and he excused himself.

Alone, James checked his watch. Evan should have been here some minutes ago. He picked up his phone and dialed her number. It rang, but no response. Worried, he pressed the intercom and asked James to come back in. "Where's Evan?" He asked soon as James walked in.

"I thought you knew. She's asleep in her car at the parking lot. Sam is on duty with her."

"Okay, good. Please get me a security detail. I'll prefer Sloane this time. You and Sam need to work up a solid plan."

James nodded. He tapped his ear pod and got Sloane.

"Get the jet and pilot ready. We're leaving Miami right away. I promised that woman a hell of a weekend."

James excused himself and left while speaking with Sloane to get his things. Jason packed the things he needed and he left the office. He gently tapped the glass so Evan could wake up and unlock the door. She turned and stretched while she unlocks the door. "Hey sleeping beauty." He greeted as he opened the car and sat down beside her.

"Hi" she smiled at him and checked her wristwatch. "I completely logged out."

"You needed it" he silently appraised her look, "The baby doing this to you?"

"Yes..." Before he could apologize for carrying their child, she added quickly, "And I'm loving it." she told him, robbing her stomach she said, "I've been waiting for the baby kicks. Must still be early."

Jason laughed at that, "How far gone are we to expect that now." He laughed hard as she playfully punched him

"Maybe it's just me who's excited about the little one coming." She pouted.

He sobered up instantly, "You know I'm as excited as you are about this."

She loved the easy way they chatted. This was nice. They looked relax around each other. Teasing him, she asked "Are you now?"

His phone rang. It was James. "Yes." He answered, "We're ready." The line disconnected and he looked at her, a smile played at his lips. "Where do you want to go in the world?"

Evan thought about it. Paris! Right now, in Paris, new haute couture was being released. It was that season again. The season when she loved to just pack all the clothes and lazy around in them. The last time she had been here was when Zoe was with her French designer boyfriend, Antoine.

He had invited them to his launch and she's loved it. Her favorite sequined blue strap had been a gift from him. Though they had planned to tour the place, their visit had been cut shut tragically when Zoe broke up with the guy. There had been nothing there to stay for, she was hurt and wanted to leave right away. Left with no choice, Evan had followed her back home. Till date, she hardly talked about the incident and doesn't even want to come over here. She wouldn't mind seeing the fashion city again. "I'd love Paris. But I doubt you'd fancy what I want to go there for."

"Then Paris it is. I promised you a great weekend. Let's start making it count." He said and she screamed in excitement.

Sloane walked over to the car as they got down. He bowed slightly when the couple walked past him and kept them company to the jet pad. As the two went up the steep stairs to the jet, Evan suddenly realized she hadn't packed anything. Her words were swallowed up by the noise. "Belt." Jason said once seated, "The clothes have been packed." He informed her and she relaxed.

He leaned over to whisper in her ear. He had been longing for any close physical contact with her. The sensual whip of her scent made him recall their night together and the morning after. He sure hoped Paris had more memories to offer. He intended to anyway. "You may want to get some other things when we get there though. Just in case."

"Thank you." She said. The jet lurched up and she held his hand. He smiled reassuringly at her. It was evening by the time they got to Paris. They had a quiet dinner and she went to bed tired. She was jet-lagged; he could see as she struggled to finish her meal before sleeping. He let her sleep and carried her to bed after setting it up. While she slept, he watched her sweetly. He couldn't believe he had been so lucky to find comfort again.

Evangeline shifted, moving closer to him. Her warmth made him want to have a go at her. But she needed her sleep for their child. He wondered if it was a boy or girl and rubbed her stomach lightly. She moaned. He gently tucked her hair behind her ears. He could watch her all day. Finally, he was sleepy too. Not wanting to wake her up, he slides carefully into her coiled form and so they slept, wrapped into each other.

CHAPTER 60

It wasn't even daybreak when she woke up and started talking excitedly about places she wanted to go. She already had a list by the time he got up from bed. "It's my lucky day, you know." She said as he got down from bed. She was beside the mirror, brushing her hair.

"Is that so?" She grumbled. He wished he could have stayed in bed a few more hours. This was a vacation.

"Fashion week started two days ago. Today, Chanel is hosting hers at Palais Galleria. I heard it just got renovated. Do you suppose we could go?" She said everything so quickly it left her breathless. Her happiness was contagious. He soon found himself listening to her blab about her plans for their day. She intended to attend the fashion show and tour the place. "We will be killing two birds with a stone."

The hotel served them breakfast and they were headed out at 10a.m. for the show. Evangeline was surprisingly early. She didn't want to be late. Her excitement amused him as he deliberately dragged his dress up. She practically helped him wear his outfit in a bit to get it over with and head out. When the car parked at the entrance, Evan was bemused with the crowd. The place was packed full. And though they weren't supposed to be so close due to the corona virus pandemic, the people here were many. The queue was long.

Evan watched as the security tried to get everyone in line. She hoped this doesn't result in a fight. She couldn't stand that. She looked around with disappointment. Hoping by some divine intervention that they could get in, and get in fast.

Noticing how sad she looked, Jason brought out his phone and called someone. The Galleria assistant stepped out instantly to get them. Apologizing briskly, she walked them past the heavy security and got them seated in a good spot where she could see the models and the outfits. The seating was done in a way to allow social distance.

The pandemic, though cleared left every still cautious of proximity. The large screen showed a lot of designs to be expected. For close to two years, the fashion houses must have had a hard time gathering people here. Though, business as usual as most people knew it was not the same. There was nothing like having people gathered and displaying your talent. In-person fashion still rocked always. It's like wanting to buy an outfit and seeing it on a mannequin. 95% would rather prefer outfits displayed by a person to the mannequin. Even though online fashion shows were held, sales and turn up can never be compared to in-person shows.

As they seated, the Galleria manager walked to the stage and welcomed everyone. "Now, we begin again" she announced, formally welcoming them back from the long vacation in the industry caused by the pandemic. "First, we will like to introduce the new brands." She paused, the people applauded. Then she resumed talking, "You shall be having Dawn first, followed by Davi-davi, Bokas, and then, the brand you all have been waiting for." She paused, building the atmosphere, "Chanel" she screamed the names and everywhere roared with thunderous applause and catcalls.

As the models started coming out, Jason brought out his laptop and logged into his company's office and got busy. His secretary patched him up with his staff and he chatted with them. Evangeline glanced his way, and promised to go somewhere fun with him afterwards. Now, she simply propped herself up and watched the wears. She hoped to get some before leaving.

After some hours, the show ended and she tapped Jason. "All done" she said. He had been about rounding off too. They decided to have a quick tour of the place. The galleria had just been renovated so, everything wasn't as they remembered. She had always been one to love art works and apparently so was Jason. First, he took them through the costume section. Palais was one museum known to keep a collection of costume for tourist up till the previous year. Evangeline giggled most of her favorites wears here. The clothes kept secured in glass structures and displayed on mannequin. "They made history." She smiled

"I suppose they did." He laughed as she ran her hands through them. "This really awe you." He commented.

"Yes." She pulled him in the direction other tourists went. They were going through an underground section were other clothes were displayed, "This was just restructured." Commented the guide close by. They came out of the cave like structure and toured back to the museum. Form this side, the Eifel tower could be seen. Some tourists stood close to the open window to look at the magnificent towel.

Amidst the crowd, he held her hand and she looked at him. He leaned closer and whisper in her ear. "I have a surprise for you."

She squealed excitedly, not sure what it was but knowing she was going to love it anyway. He held her hand and walked her to their car. As they got in, she waited for the surprise. "Drive." Jason told Sloane and they left. In the car, he brought out the big suitcase at the back seat. When he opened it, she screamed. The clothes she had admired and snapped on her phone intending to buy them once they hit the market were all there, about five of them. "You were paying attention." She gasped excitedly.

"I was." He smiled, happy he could surprise her and get her this thrilled. At least this time she wasn't turning down this gift.

"But how? When?"

"They always have samples ready for quick buyers. I asked my secretary to log in, sent the ones you paid extra attention to and asked her to pay. They were delivered immediately."

"Wow. Thank you. I love these." She squealed again, happily. It must have cost a fortune to pull this kind of stunt, she thought while trying some on. He immediately pulled down the slide to shield them from the driver.

Sloane drove them to dine at an exquisite restaurant. They were served their meal and they chatted back and forth as they ate. After the meal, she leaned back in her chair. "Tired?" He asked, "We could call it a day now."

Though exhausted, she wasn't about to turn in for the day. He had made her happy and sat through hours of fashion parade. The least she could do was try to reciprocate, "I want to go to where you want to go." She told him.

"Why don't we do that tomorrow?" He picked up the bill. "We'll still be here till the weekend."

He was right. Why rush when they could always do it the next day? "I just wanted to do something nice for you."

That touched him. He smiled at her, "I'm happy you're thinking of me." His gaze slid down her neck to her chest. She heaved heavily, loving the way he looked at her. He wasn't talking about the tour anymore. They were on another line entirely. They both drank each other in as memories of their night together flashed through their minds. Someone passed their table and she was forced to lower her gaze. "This can definitely wait till tomorrow." He said and stood up. They made it to the car before their lips descended on each other. Sloane turned on the music and whistled as he drove. The slide came down again.

CHAPTER 61

Anderson and Key, as instructed by their bosses, meet every evening to run through the accounts. During office hours, they chatted on the phone about new ideas and discussed cool things they could do together. They requested a room in the Valdez Company to work uninterrupted. The room was fixed to their taste. The bed, duvet, and clothing were arranged neatly in a corner. There were toilet facilities. They had their fridge, microwave, and everything to keep them up. Most nights, they slept here. All they did was shower and get dressed for work the next day, with Anders rushing off to his workplace.

This evening, after work, the two nerds sat together on the desk, working on the account again. For some days now, they've been trying to get into the account, but it has been proving difficult. Every day, they tried a different method.

Today, their work was to get the virus Anders had logged into the system already to be active. After several unsuccessful trials, both men gave up. They sat down reluctantly to enjoy their pizza with drinks. As they munch, Anders remembered their last day at the project that had created enmity between their bosses. "I can't forget that day when we closed the deal. I remember your boss, asking me to work with him on launching the code." He smiled, remembering how Jason had treated him like an equal. He was the youngest developer in the country then and the best. He still is.

Working side by side with the man had been such a big deal. He had stylishly placed his web camera to take a selfie of them both while they worked. It was supposed to be a secret but before he could save and go to a blank page, Jason had seen the picture and smirked. For a split second, he had been scared he would get a rebuff or something. Nothing happened. "When he saw the picture, I thought he would say something nasty or even delete it." He told Key

"My boss has always been a kind man. Working with him as been the best." He swallowed hard and asked, "Is your boss nice to you?"

Looking at Key, he shrugged, "He's just there." He looked out the window finding the right word that described Logan Thames. "He's a little crazy. You know. But he's a good man."

"I figured he's be a strict as shit kinda boss."

"Believe me, he is." He chuckled, "I remember he was upset that it took long to do whatever fix us I was doing with your Mr. Valdez." He scoffed, "I had to explain what took so long."

Remembering, Key asked, "What took so long, really? I've always wondered why too. Indeed, you spent a while fixing it."

"The device didn't work. Someone, or something configured it wrong. So we rebuilt the starter." He smiled, "It took us a while to figure that rebuilding the starter was the fix. That was what happened."

"Rebuilding the starter." Key muttered, turning the words around in deep thought. He suddenly jumped off the stool. "I think you may have found the solution, Anders." He said as he moved towards his system. Anders went to his too. As he rebooted, Anders did same. "We can rebuild the virus. We've been trying it all wrong."

"Rebuild and then what?" Anders asked.

"We can rebuild the structure and function of your device. Tweak its duty in the inactive account to stay active even when the account is inactive."

"And we have to stay unnoticed." He looked impressed, "That's one hell of a device."

"Then we better get to work."

Both forgot their snacks and were soon typing away rapidly on the systems suggesting code, deleting figures, trying to rebuild the device's system.

The next morning, Evan and Jason resumed their tour of Paris. Sloane drove them to the Eiffel tower. "It's so high." She exclaimed upon seeing the towel from the ground. Yesterday, it had look like an easy feat from the museum. But looking at it now, she knew she didn't want to climb such a high building. Still, she let herself be persuaded to get to the next floor. Climbing the elevator, they were taken to the first floor

It was a dizzying enough experience. She refused to go for the second level. Jason teased her mercilessly as she opted for a simpler tour round the tower. They walked by the river Seine where they took some couple pictures before leaving the place. Since the river ran through the Notre dame cathedral, they decided to check out the place. But to their surprise, the Cathedral was unavailable for publicity. "There was a fire outbreak and the damage it caused are still being fixed." an attendant apologized to them. He suggested other places they could go. Evan thanked the man and asked Jason to let them visit Sainte-Chapelle as suggested by the assistant.

As they arrived at the chapel, they were just in luck for a classical music concert. The tickets were given to them, which Jason paid for, and they walked in. Evan felt chilly staring out the glass stained windows. It gave the place an eerie look. The shiver wasn't lost on Jason. He removed his suit and draped it over her shoulder. And she smiled her appreciation. The band playing were just finishing a song and the crowd applauded them, albeit solemnly. They found some unoccupied seats at the back and sat down. A young lady walked to the stage and sat down in front of the big piano, struck a cord and let it echo down the chapel. Other instruments followed adding a harmonious effect.

Jason watched raptly as they play. It was a familiar tone. His late wife had loved classical music. She always loved listening to a collection of it while having her bath. He remembered how he enjoyed teasing her about it for being so old at heart. As he listened, images of Ellen flashed through his mind. A tear dropped at her beautiful smile. The smile that had won him over. She was one woman who smiled even in her pain. While on sick bed, he couldn't resist asking her one day the reason for her continuous smile even when in pain.

"I want you to have fond memories of me after I'm gone." She replied.

It killed him to see her covering so much up, "How do I know you're in pain when you won't let me?" he asked. "How do I share your pain when I can't even be sure you're in pain?" He asked holding her hand and crying silently.

"You have shared enough of my pain. I don't want to add to it."

"But I want to see them, keep them." he stared into her eyes, "Treasure them."

"And I'd love that... but I want you to treasure this smile instead. They are my parting gifts to you. Be happy, Jason." Was her stubborn reply. Now thanks to her decision to leave him with fond memories of her dying days, he could remember those times and see her as she had died, smiling. A few tears threatened to drop, and though he tried to be a man and muster up strength, he couldn't avoid two hot drops. Evangeline noticed when he brushed the tear away and asked if he was okay.

"I'm fine." He lied and tried to compose himself not wanting to ruin her mood. She let it pass even though she felt something was going on with him. Later that night, while in bed, he explained the reason for his solemn mood after the concert. "My wife loved classical music." He told her, "Seeing one tonight brought fond memories and the heart wrenching boys."

"You could have said something." She accused, "I didn't know." He looked so sad she wished she could do something to make him forget. But this wasn't a memory she could take. It wasn't something she could fix either. He had to do it for himself. Hating that their day would be ending on this sour note, she climbed out of bed and went to sleep on the couch.

At first, Jason didn't realize what she had done. He was lost in the memories he shared with Ellen that he didn't know she didn't return yet. When he came to, he found her on the couch, staring blankly into space. She looked upset and he had no idea what he did to upset her, he tapped her lightly. "Come to bed." He said.

She ignored him. Her eyes fluttered closed.

"You're awake Evan, why don't you want to come to bed?" He loomed over her, "Something I did?"

She shrugged, "I think we should sleep apart tonight." She said, standing up. He moved back to make room for her. When she tried to walk past him, he held her hand. He wanted to forget everything. He wanted to be made to forget everything. He wanted to be with her again. Even though they had slept cuddling each other last night, he wanted more tonight. She didn't remove his hand; neither did she move away. It was a good sign. Turning to himself, he bent down and kissed her. "I want you so much." He groaned into her mouth.

*****

Later that night, before Anderson and Key called it a night, they successfully built their updated version of the virus. "We just have to wait and let the account be active now." said Anders.

"Yes. I hope it happens soon."

As they packed up for the night, they both checked the account one final time. And, by sheer luck, they were retiring for the night when the account was logged in. It was active. "It's active." they both exclaimed. Someone was moving some cash from the account. It was being done in bits. This sort of made the account stayed online longer. Unlike before, the active stayed open for a while. Happy, the two men worked tirelessly to get the updated virus inside, but the version hadn't been tested yet, so staying in the account, hidden, was a problem.

They tried over and over again, and failed. With heavy heart, they watched as the last bag of money was moved. There was still enough cash in the account but the transaction had stopped. In less than a minute, the account was inactive again. "Shit!" Key groaned as the screen went blank. Both men stood up and started pacing the room, frustrated.

"I bet Logan would skin me if I report this near miss. He's been tense since." Anders complained.

"Jason too. Though he's covering it well. We all could use a big break."

"We can only hope it gets opened again soon." Anders concluded sadly. He rose up to shut the system down. He turned to Key reluctantly. The man was bent down over the table, sad. They had given this their best shot. It was heartbreaking to miss the golden opportunity. Who knew how many months or years it would take to reopen the account? Completely forgetting the system was still on, he moved towards his friend and gently patted his shoulder "It's going to be okay, man. We will figure out another window." He tried to pacify the other man.

The two systems suddenly beeped and blinked. Anders looked at his system wondering what it was this time. Key looked up too to see his system as it came back online, rebooting a page. And both systems came online. Perplexed, both men approached their tool to see what was going on. The account was displaying. They could read everything. No transaction was taking. Nobody was logged in the account. It was supposed to be inactive and they, blinded. But they could see the account. They could read everything going on there. The two computer analysts both stood up and stared at each other, realizing what that meant. "We're in." Key said.

As if not hearing his partner clearly, he repeated what had just been said, "We're in."

Then they both chorused, "We're in!" and hugged each other happily. Their screams could be heard reverberating round the room.

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