The Trade (20 page)

"No need for apologies. We know we’re not
easy to deal with. And, it's never too late to join the Company,”
Stan said. "I'll call you back in six months or so and see how
things are going okay? Who knows. You might be burnt out with New
York or might be fed up with Hal by then."

"Well I guess there'd be no harm in that,”
Jay said, hoping it would wrap up the call. Avoidance behavior was
one of Jay's defenses.
Never put off until tomorrow what you can
put off until next week
, Jay said to himself. "Uh Stan?" Jay
asked.

"Yes?"

"How'd you get my unlisted number here at
MacKenzie Lazarus?"

"Jay. Come on. Like I said, I'm CIA.”

Chapter

"Jay?"

"Hi Tonia,” Jay answered. With the exception
of Stan Krantz, only Tonia and his mother ever called him. C.
Daniel and his ex-students emailed exclusively. Rick never called,
never emailed. Lately, C. Daniel had been emailing him a couple
times a day about his virus research. Jay was happy to help and
happy to keep in touch. He wished, but knew, that Rick would not be
emailing.

"Whatcha doing?” she asked.

"Just getting ready for a jog. Want to go?”
Jay asked hopefully.

"Sure why not?" she said. "Central Park?" she
asked.

"I’m just getting ready to head up there now.
So, meet you in half an hour?"

"Half an hour?" Tonia asked.

"Yep. I'll meet you there. I'll ride up, do a
lap with you and then run home."

"Wow. What's that? Fourteen miles?"

"Around that.”

"Excellent,” Tonia said. She was genuinely
impressed. “I guess you’re serious about this Everest thing.”

“
Yep. I’ve even been on the
Stairmaster.”

Jay and Tonia were running easily, effortless
stride after effortless stride carried the pair quickly over the
rolling hills.

"You're really getting in shape,” Tonia
praised.

"Thanks,” Jay answered.

Their run was one of those sublime moments
when physical effort meets mental comfort and friendship in perfect
synergy, making the whole much greater than the sum of the parts.
They moved along together, with no need to talk, each enjoying the
unexpected company of the other. Truth be told, Jay enjoyed her
simple company and soft friendly smile as much or more than their
time in bed. When he was alone and he thought of her he usually
thought of their jogging or sharing a pizza or going to a baseball
game. He rarely thought of her as a woman. He just thought of her
as his friend. Jay hadn't noticed the subtle change in the
relationship but Tonia had.

"So how are you doing?" she asked him.

"Good. Really good. How are you doing?" he
asked.

Tonia slowed to a walk.

"No. How are you? Really?" she prodded.

Jay looked at her, his head tilted to the
side a little.

"I'm good. I'm glad to see you when I can,”
he said. “I’m having fun working. It’s a challenge, and I like a
challenge. I play golf, I play video games, I email my old
students. Life is pretty good.”

Jay took her hand in his and they walked for
a ways before starting back into their jog. When their hands came
apart Tonia noticed that she immediately missed the warm friendly
strength in Jay's hand.

"Okay I'm gonna head back to work now,” Jay
said as they completed the 6 mile lap of the park.

"I'll run downtown with you,” Tonia said.

“
Are you in shape for
fourteen total?” Jay asked.

“
Do you remember what
happened the last time you asked about my fitness?” Tonia reminded
him.

"Forget I asked. But what if Angus sees us?"
Jay asked.

Tonia shrugged her shoulder as if to indicate
she didn't care. The trim handsome couple jogged south.

"Let's stop here for a second,” Jay said as
they approached a hot dog vendor.

"You're not going to eat here are you?" Tonia
asked. “After all this running you’re going to destroy it with a
tube steak? No amount of exercise can compensate for a poor diet,”
she lectured.

"No I am not going to have a tube steak,” he
said.

Jay ordered and bought three hot dogs, a
pretzel, and a big sack of greasy fries.

"Nice combination,” Tonia remarked wryly.

"Quiet,” Jay answered tartly.

When all the food was sacked up they started
jogging again. Soon they were passing the West Side Highway parking
lots by the Chelsea Piers. Jay started looking around at the
retaining wall for Hudson River.

"What are you looking for?" Tonia asked.

"Wait for it.”

They ran another quarter mile than Jay slowed
down.

"I'll catch up in a second,” he said.

Tonia looked puzzled but kept jogging.
Overcome by curiosity she stopped, looked back, and saw Jay handing
over the bag of hot food to an old homeless man who'd been
shuffling along the retaining wall with a shopping cart filled with
soda cans. Tonia turned away and kept jogging. Jay overtook her a
few minutes later.

"You okay?” she asked.

"Fine,” Jay answered, his face all aglow.

Somewhere very deep inside her Tonia felt
herself being drawn to this beautiful, innocent, and forbidden boy
who was her assignment. He’d been a fun assignment so far. Easy to
manipulate, easy on the eyes, even fun to lay with. Now that he was
in pretty good running shape, he was even convenient for her
running. She pushed the momentary thoughts down deeper, reminded
herself that he was her assignment.

They finished the jog in silence.

Chapter

"I took the job,” Jay Calloway said to Tonia
Taggert. The pair were seated on Jay's couch watching an NCAA
basketball game two days before Thanksgiving.

"Congratulations,” she cheered. She swept him
up in her arms and planted a big, wet kiss flush on his mouth.
"Feel like celebrating?" she asked.

"What did you have in mind?" he leered.

"Oh I don't know. A quiet dinner together, a
romantic stroll by the river, maybe a little cuddle later on,” she
mused.

Jay knew she was teasing him. Knew she would
be heading home right after the game.

"Sounds good to me,” Jay answered.

"What made you decide to take the job?" Tonia
asked. "I thought you weren't going to change positions? That you
really liked Bill."

"It's funny,” Jay answered.
Should I tell
her about the FBI
? he wondered.

"It's funny because the biggest reason I
wasn't going to take it was because of my mother.”

"Your mother?" Tonia asked incredulously.

"My mother.”

"What about your mother?"

"She said that it sounded fishy, like it was
too hush-hush to be legal."

"Is it?" Tonia asked.

"No. That's not it at all,” Jay answered.
"It's a job that requires a lot of hard work and demands tight
security.”

"Security?" Tonia prodded. "Like maybe they
follow you once in a while?"

"Yeah. Just like that. They even checked out
my parents before they made the offer."

"So do you think it was them following you?"
Tonia asked.

"Probably. They as much as admitted it.”

"Why would they follow you?"

"To make sure I wasn't selling my secrets to
Gershwitz Brothers or some other Wall St. Firm I guess.”

"Oh,” Tonia said. "Do you think they know
about us?" she asked.

"I don't know,” Jay answered. He stepped
closer to her. He took her back in his arms. "Would it matter if
they did?" he asked.

Jay kissed her. Fire danced between their
lips, electricity ripped through the air that separated them. Tonia
felt the urgency in his question.

"No I guess not,” she managed to whisper
before Jay lifted her in his arms and carried her to the
bedroom.

"Dinner can wait?" Tonia asked.

"What dinner?" Jay teased as he undressed
her. Shoes, socks, slacks, shirt, bra, panties. He removed each
article, carefully folding them or laying them flat so as not to
wrinkle them. Then he pulled himself out of his own clothes,
throwing them randomly around the room as his need grew.

And then he was on her, and in her, and
losing himself in the love of this wonderful woman. A man can
disappear in the arms of a woman and then reappear later as a more
complete creation. If the foundation of their love is pure and
faultless bedrock he can be built into a towering cathedral of
confidence and caring. But Tonia's love was less stable than the
sand on which the unfortunate homes of the Bible stories were
built.

"Good show for our last night eh?" the man in
the next room said.

"Great.”

"She probably thought we cleared out
yesterday?"

"Right.”

"I think I might keep this tape for myself,”
he said. The second man made exaggerated masturbation motions and
blew a kiss at his partner.

"Screw you.”

"Are you up?" Tonia asked. Jay rolled his
head away from her voice. "Are you up?" she asked again, prodding
him in the back with a short yet pointy fingernail.

"Hey,” Jay said, awake all of a sudden. "That
hurts.”

"Don't you have to go to work today?" Tonia
asked.

"Did I sleep through?" Jay asked. He looked
at his watch and realized his post-coital slumber had turned into
an all-night sleep. "I can't believe you're still here,” Jay said.
"Damn. That didn't come out exactly right did it?"

"Not exactly,” Tonia pouted.

"I just meant that you’ve never stayed over.
I was surprised, am pleasantly surprised that you're still here,”
he said, cupping a luscious breast in his hand.

"Well I had to get my last bit of loving in
before you go away for Thanksgiving,” Tonia said.

Jay narrowed his eyes in concentration. "When
did I tell you I was going away for Thanksgiving?" Jay asked. The
last remnants of persistent suspicion just would not die in his
mind.

"You didn't,” she answered. "I saw your
ticket stuck to the fridge. Were you planning on telling me or were
you just going to ditch me for a couple days?"

"I uh, I uh, I was going to tell you, I guess
I just forgot.” Once again suspicion aroused had become suspicion
quenched.

"Well that's understandable I guess,” she
said playfully. She shifted over close to him and he felt the
luxurious weight of her breast as it lay on his chest. He felt her
warm fingers wind their way down his back. Jay tensed in fantastic
anticipation.

"Yes,” Jay moaned.

"I thought your family was from just outside
Athens?" Tonia asked Jay.

"We are,” Jay answered.

"So how come you're flying to Louisville,
Kentucky? Is there someone there I should be jealous of?"

Jay fixed her with his eyes. He was trying to
decide whether to tell her a secret.

"Are you sure you want to know?" Jay
asked.

"I'm sure,” Tonia answered.

"How sure?"

"Sure enough,” Tonia answered now truly
intrigued by Jay's secretiveness. There was absolutely nothing in
his file about Louisville.

"Okay. Tell you what. If you really want to
know, meet me at La Guardia at 3:30.”

"La Guardia?"

"Yes.”

"Should I bring anything?" Tonia asked.

"Enough stuff but minimal stuff for three
days and nights.”

"Three days?" Tonia asked. “How minimal?”

“
Minimal enough that you
can carry it around with you. But at least a warm set of work
clothes and steel toed work boots,” Jay added.

"Work clothes?"

"And steel toed boots,” Jay added.

"But I don't own any…"

"If you really want to know what’s going on
in Louisville you will buy some, and you will meet me at La Guardia
at 3:30,” Jay ordered. He walked to the door and held it open
indicating that it was time for Tonia to go. She reluctantly made
her way to the door.

"3:30?" she said.

"3:30. With work clothes and steel toed
boots,” Jay replied.

Tonia left the apartment. She was intrigued
by this new mystery. She headed straight for K Mart. It was the
first time she'd ever gone there but she figured that's where the
work clothes might be. By 3:30 she'd purchased her work boots and
outfits and was waiting for Jay at the Continental ticket counter
at La Guardia.

"Hi,” Jay said. He surveyed her outfit. "Not
bad.”

"K Mart,” she beamed, proud of her purchases.
“They didn’t have anything suitable on 42
^nd
street…”

Jay turned to the stout woman behind the
ticket counter.

"Picking up one roundtrip ticket to
Louisville for Mrs. Calloway,” Jay said.

"Thank you,” the efficient woman
answered.

"That'll be 17A and C for you Mr.
Calloway.

"Jay? Aren't 17A and C in coach?" Tonia
asked. She had become used to first class.

"Tonia. First class would be distinctly
inappropriate for this trip,” Jay said.

"Why?"

"Patience,” Jay answered.

Two hours later they touched down in
Louisville, Kentucky. Jay rented a four wheel drive Blazer at the
airport and headed up I71 into the hills towards Cincinnati. After
20 miles he swung off the interstate. The paved off ramp ended at a
two lane blacktop road that started south and quickly disappeared
into ever steeper and higher hills.

"Where are we going?" Tonia asked.

"Patience,” Jay said.

“
If you say ‘patience’ one
more time…”

By 6:30 it was nearly dark and Jay flipped on
the headlights. He slowed the Blazer and headed down a gravel side
road.

"I haven't seen another car in half an hour,”
Tonia said.

"That doesn't surprise me,” Jay said. "This
is one of the poorest counties in the state, which makes it one of
the poorest counties in the country.” Jay didn't say another word
until he turned off the gravel road and onto a path. The path was
really nothing more than two overgrown ruts in the ground. Tonia
could feel the height and weight of the forest covered hills that
surrounded them on all sides. Jay turned a corner and cut the
engine. The lights fell on a very small cabin set up on an ancient
foundation.