Curse of the Fallen - 7. Chapter Seven: Secert Meetings

Chapter Seven: Secret Meetings

Aaron, being a Blip, was not allowed to attend Greg’s funeral. He wasn’t even allowed to know if they found his body.

He couldn’t mourn openly. Though he was certain his death was not the result of a mere accident, he couldn’t draw attention to himself by pressing for a full investigation. He internalized his grief and did his best to hide it from the rest of the world.

Chase knew something was up but knew better than to inquire about what had put Aaron in the doldrums. Aaron had his secrets and Chase his own. If and when Aaron was ready to talk about it he would have a sympathetic ear to turn to.

As expected the President Millsap was reelected and as Chase predicted he was brought into the administration. He was not made a deputy defense secretary but a deputy National Security Advisor. Technically he reported directly to the President but in practice he reported to the President’s son who was now Chief of Staff.

Put in an office in the Pentagon, Aaron found himself in regular contact with Jon’s superiors. He also found himself stuck with the President’s son, Calvin, hovering over him at least part of every day.

Aaron had been busy reading up on the Harvard incident when Calvin and his Secret Service attachment came into his office. “Well Aaron… got anything for me?”

“Still reading up on Harvard.”

“I could care less about Harvard. Got any nice sweet sugar for me?” Calvin moved in to give him a kiss.

Daniel rolled back his chair from Calvin. “This could be seen as sexual harassment.”

“I agree. This is a textbook case of sexual harassment, but I know you know better than to file an official complaint. Nobody likes a tattletale. That’s ten times true in politics.” What Calvin said was true. Being seen as a squealer was no different than receiving the kiss of death where it concerned an unelected government official.

“Calvin…”

“Oh, I’m just playing with you.” Calvin pulled up a chair next to Aaron’s desk. “I know… how about you work that magic of yours on one of these fine agents and make him my willing sex slave.”

Aaron glanced at the pair of agents. If they were at all concerned he might turn them gay neither showed it. “Not on your life.”

“Fine… by that way. Where’s Chase?”

“He’s in a meeting with the Joint Committee.”

“And I wasn’t invited?”

“It is not customary for the Chief of Staff to show up at a Congressional committee meeting unless subpoenaed. Anyhow… don’t you trust Chase to look out for the best interests of the Administration?”

“I would feel better if you were down there with him. Whoever attacked Willis is still free. We don’t even know which faction was behind the attempt to kill him last May. You at least can defend yourself. Chase can’t.”

Aaron closed the file he had been studying and aimed his full attention on Calvin. “I didn’t know you cared.”

“Well he was my first.” Chase said a little too carelessly.

“You’re first what? You can’t expect me to believe he was your first lover and you are too much of a closet case to admit you’ve ever had a boyfriend,” Aaron felt the need to point out.

“I know that stupid. I meant to say he was the first friend I made since coming to D.C. He remains the only one I fully trust.”

“Then marry him.”

“Naw… I would rather marry you.” Calvin leaned in closer.

Aaron kept his eye on a computer screen, doing his best to ignore that Calvin was so close he could feel his breath brush his hair. “Why? It’s not like I’ve gone out of my way to befriend you.”

“Because you have Talent.” Calvin whispered in his ear.

“A very weak Talent at that,” Aaron pointed out.

“Doesn’t matter. I know all about you and that Colonel Omicron. You might be what they call a Blip but you are a very well connected one.”

Aaron arched an eyebrow. He had never shared his past with the scoundrel.

Calvin saw the look on Aaron’s face and chuckled a little. “Don’t look surprised. You think I would let myself be in the same room with someone with Talent like yourself if I didn’t have my people looked into you. You are not the only Talent who works for the government. A few are even members of the Elected like Jon. The fact remains that it will be people like you who will one day rule the world. Maybe not openly but the Elected will one day take what they see as their rightful place. When that happens I want to be on the winning side.”

“Then you are barking up the wrong tree. . There are only a total of three sides. The Coven, the Order, and the neutral Families who hold the balance of power. I’m on no one’s side but my own.”

“You can always pick a side.”

“Not really. I would rather kill myself than go back to the Coven and the Order isn’t all that fond of me. You are right though. War among the Elected is coming and when it arrives even the Untalented will be caught up in it.”

“Like with Harvard?”

Aaron gave up trying to finish reading the FBI report. “Damn it yes. It’s insane that my alma mater would get involved in researching something as dangerous as Taint.”

“I understand you’ve had personal experience with the drug.”

“You are well informed. I’ve never taken the drug but I was almost killed by people who were addicted to it.” Aaron was not about to describe Tom Mays’ half rotten body or the twins Fred and Frank. He was sure he didn’t need to. Whoever Calvin had looking into his past was sure to have been at least that thorough.

Chase positioned himself so he stood directly behind the chair Aaron sat on. “If not for what I know about the negative side-effects I would have taken the drug as soon as I found out about it. I’m sure Chase would have done the same. The effects being what they are I guess we’ll have to live out our fantasies with you.” He began massaging Aaron’s tense shoulders.

“I got the file you asked for Mr. Mays.” Standing in the doorway was a young woman. She had wavy blond hair that reached midway down her back, stunning blue eyes, and milky white skin. If anyone in the room was straight they would be drooling all over her.

Aaron waved her into the room and took the file from her. “Thank you Emily.”

“You’re more than welcome Mr. Mays.” She gave him a sly wink. As she left she slapped Calvin in the ass. She was still laughing as she closed the door.

“What was that about?” Calvin demanded. He rubbed the spot where she stung him.

“Oh that’s Emily. She’s a department analysis.”

“She also seems to have a thing for you.”

Aaron let out a deep sigh. “Don’t remind me. She thinks that since we are both Talents we should get married.”

Calvin did a double take. “She’s a Talent.”

“Not so loud.” Aaron warned. “Yes she is a Talent but she doesn’t want the rest of the world to know that.”

“Is she a mind reader?”

“Somewhat… she’s a mixed Talent, a pretty strong one at that. I would be careful what you think around her.”

“So long as she stays out of my head she and I will get along swell. So…” Calvin left the sentence hanging.

“So what?”

“Are you going to fuck her?”

“Jeeze Calvin… does your mind ever leave the gutter?”

“Only once in a blue moon but back to my main question… Will you?”

“No… I don’t date staff.”

“Liar… you date Chase and he’s your boss.”

“That’s different I knew Chase back from college.” Aaron was not about to reveal the existence of the contract that had set the terms of their relationship.

“So did I… but you won’t let me anywhere near that hot ass of yours?”

“First you and I aren’t boyfriends. Second if you were to even suggest we go out I would remind you that you are so deep in the closet I would have to pretend I’m your broom.”

“More like a bucket.”

“Why a bucket?”

“So I can dump my load in you.”

Aaron leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the President’s Chief of Staff. “Calvin.”

“Yes sweet cakes?” Calvin asked

“Go to the break room and pick yourself up some Krispy Kreme doughnuts.” Aaron said.

“Why?”

“Because they’re the only holes you’re going to get in this office,” Aaron answered.

“Awww… I’m hurt. And here I was going to invite you and Chase to Camp David.”

Aaron turned to face Calvin. “For what reason? Not a slumber party I hope.”

“Actually there will be other people there. You know; the young, rich and powerful. Men you of all people need as friends.”

“And gay I take it?”

“There are all sorts of closet cases. Anyway, I insist you two come.” Calvin reached into his pocket and pulled out the invitation. Embossed in gold on the letter were to opposite facing G’s.

“Gordon Graft?” Aaron rightly guessed. Aaron’s public employer was the U.S. government. His real job had him working for Gordon Graft, the genetically modified madams of all madams in the sex trade. It was him who had set up the contract between Aaron and Chase. If the invitation was from Gordon then Aaron had no choice but to attend. That didn’t bother him. What was upsetting was that Gordon had sent Calvin to deliver it. “I didn’t know you knew the Graft?”

“Even a closet case like me has to get his jollies somehow. Why wouldn’t I turn to the best? I take it by your expression that your relationship with Gordon is professional in nature?” An evil snicker had formed on Calvin’s lips.”

Aaron felt his guts twist into a series of knots. If Calvin knew about his relationship with Gordon then he certainly knew what it would take for him to get hold of his contract. His body went cold and clammy as he whispered; “Please Calvin… don’t do this to me.”

Calvin didn’t need to be told what Aaron had to be thinking. “Then don’t make me.” He took out a less fancy letter. “Meet me tonight at this address at nine sharp. And oh… don’t tell Chase. This is to be between you and me.” He placed a silencing finger over his lips. “Got to go babe…” He slid off Aaron’s desk and snapped his fingers at his bodyguards. “We need to hurry if I’m going to be in time for today’s Cabinet meeting.” Just as he headed out the door he blew Aaron a kiss.

Once Aaron was sure he was out of the building he called Emily to his office. “Emily I’m going to be gone for a week or so. Something’s come up that I can’t ignore.”

“Nothing bad I hope?”

“Nothing I can’t handle. You’ll be in charge until I get back. You think you can finish up the Harvard report presentation?”

“No problem sir. But if I may intrude… If the Chief of Staff is up to what I think he is you should let me handle him.”

“That’s quite tempting but you know I can’t let you use your mumbo jumbo on a high ranking government official. You agreed to that when I hired you.”

“But what he’s doing to you has no bearing on running of the country.”

When Aaron met Emily she was a wreck. With most of her family dead at the hands of the Order she had gone to the Graft and begged to be taken in. Gordon had in turn handed her over to Aaron to clean up and trained as a courtesan. Aaron had yet to polish away all her rough edges.

“As Chief of Staff and the President’s son he can’t take a dump without it affecting the country. I’m serious Emily. Don’t mess with his head.” It had been a year since he hired her and he still hadn’t been able to get her to understand the danger tampering with the minds of politicians would pose to the Council. “It seems like I’m going to have to explain your job to you again. We are not here to take control of the government. We are here to ease the politicians’ fear that we might do exactly that. If anyone with the Talent were to be caught doing so every government on the planet will seek to destroy us. Understand?”

Emily did her best not to roll her eyes. She understood all right. Aaron, a mere Blip, would of course be concerned for other weak Talents like himself. Members of the Elected with strong Talents like she had, had little to fear but Aaron was her boss and she had been sent to him to learn what she could so for now she had to do as he asked. “I’m sorry Mr. Mays. You’re the boss and I’m the employee. I have to keep reminding myself that.”

“No Emily, it’s not me you should worry about. It is the American people who we work for. We cannot risk using our Talent’s against them. To do so is tempting disaster.” Aaron looked at his watch. It was 5:20. Looking down at the address Calvin left him he knew he had to hurry if he was going change and get to the meeting place by 9:00.

As soon as Aaron was gone Emily sat herself down at her boss’s desk. She was in a peevish mood. She had done every sensible thing she could think of to get Aaron’s attention but he continued to brush off all her attempts to get involved in his personal life.

It was not that she was jealous of any of his lovers. So long as none were women she would content to let him have his fun. Business was business however and her true reason for being there had nothing to do with politics… at least not the American sort. She had been sent there to get Aaron to fall in love with her. Little did she know Aaron already had a woman in his life. If she did she would never allow his pregnant girlfriend live to childbirth. Those were her father’s orders and her father had to be obeyed.

Aaron had done everything he could to hide the fact he had a girlfriend. No one, not even Jon knew he was expecting twins.

He had always wanted children. Part of that was due to his need to give a son or daughter the life he had been denied. That is why he had intentionally pursued a Clare. As she was Untalented he hoped to lessen the risks his children would be Talented like their father.

Aaron, who’s life straddled two separate worlds, had little problem keeping his different lives separate. Dating Clare had been the adding of just one more dimension to it.

He liked if not loved Clare… A nurse at the new Walter Reed Hospital, he had met her while debriefing the wounded soldiers that came back from Jon’s last Pakistan mission. What started off as a shared coffee break; had evolved into eight months of secret dating. That she was already married only added to Aaron’s need to keep things on the down low.

Unless something went terribly wrong Clare’s husband, a staff doctor at Walter Reed would assume the kids were his. Aaron had made Clare promise never to admit otherwise. As for having his children a part of his own life… he would have to watch after them from a distance and pray they never showed a hint of Talent.

If they did proved to be Talented, Aaron would have to decide if he would risk the twins being kidnapped by one of the factions or destroy Clare’s family by taking the children himself. The risks were not small. He had yet to reveal to the Joint Committee that the giant spike in child disappearances involved mostly the families of Blips. As they were not considered among the Elected and had no representation on the Council the families had no other recourse but to turn to local authorities to get their children back.

Aaron knew it was not only the Coven who was behind the kidnappings. Through his own sources on the Council he was aware that many of the missing children had been taken by the Order. Both sides were determined to thicken their ranks before the coming war. The longer the conflict lasted and desperation for more soldiers took hold the worse the disappearances would become. It was only a matter of time before whole families went missing. Aaron would not risk Clare’s family end up among those taken.

Driving out to Georgetown he stopped by his place and changed out of his work clothes. Knowing Calvin’s taste for living it up he knew their so called ‘date’ would be a suit and tie affair. From his closet he took out what he jokingly referred to as ‘Graft Wear’. The clothes got the name as they were what the Graft expected him to wear when out on a contracted date.

So putting on a gray silk Armani suite, black shirt and silver tie he looked himself over in the mirror and could not help but laugh. He hated wearing Graft Wear, not only because it meant he was going out on a job but also because he saw wearing the pretentious outfits pointless. After all the men he was out on a date with were expecting those clothes to eventually come off so why go to the effort and expense when a t-shirt and jeans were easier to remove.

Still he had to admit he looked pretty hot. His wavy chestnut hair was combed to the side with just enough gel to keep it in place and shiny. Because of the Graft’s attempts to genetically alter Aaron’s DNA, his six-foot-two frame would never go soft with flab or his face lined with wrinkles. He would always be as he was now… a standard of physical perfection every man aspired towards.

While many men who possessed a similar physique would develop ego’s to match Aaron could not help but laugh as he remembered the scrawny short kid he had once been. That scared frightened child was still very much a part of him. No amount of physical perfection, wealth, or political influence would cause that part of him to fade. The terrible things that happened in his past made him who he was today. To take that part away from him would be no different than chopping off a limb.

From his condo he headed to the grounds of the old Walter Reed. The hospital had been shut down after the new hospital had been completed.

He found Clare sitting on the same park bench they always met at.

Sneaking up from behind, he gently placed his hands on her slender shoulders. “How are you Clare?”

As always she didn’t jump at his surprise arrival. “Better now that you are here.”

“I wish I could be here more often. Do you still come out here each day?” Aaron asked concerned. He had never meant for her to come here hoping that this time he would show up but that was the way it was between the Talented and Untalented. Even with Aaron, who was a weak mixed Talent, his desire for her to love him had his Talent unconsciously cause her to become completely devoted to him.

“Since we’ve agreed not to call or text each other why would I not. I never know when you will show up.”

“I’m sorry… the last thing I want to do is leave you hanging.”

She turned around to face him. She always had the most brilliant smile. “Boy are you all fancied up. I take it you didn’t get all dressed up for me. If you did I’m afraid you will find my nurse’s outfit out of place.”

“Business I’m afraid.”

“Good… I would hate to think you went all this way hoping to talk me into marrying you.” She laughed. When she saw Aaron wasn’t pleased by the remark she went silent. “I know you will never marry me. Even if I were to divorce my husband you will never ask me to marry you.”

“I don’t want to wreck your family.”

She rubbed her extended belly. “Of course not… you want to add to it. Have you come up with names for them?”

“Since it’s going to be a boy and a girl I would like to name the boy Andy and the girl Mary.”

“Both sound nice. I take it those names carry some significance with you?”

“Both come from people who saved my life.” Andy, had been Andrew Balthazar’s nickname and he had saved his life multiple times in his life. Mary, had been the first name of Mary Mays, the woman who had taken him in after he had escaped the Coven. Andrew was now a member of that very Coven while Mary had died in an insane asylum where she had ended up when her son, Tom Mays, had tried to kill her.

“How so…” Clare began to ask. Oh never mind. I know you won’t tell me. I love you Aaron I just wish I knew more about you.”

“I wish I could as well but its best that I not.” Aaron had known for a while that the time to end the relationship had been drawing near. He knew exactly how he wanted to end it. Now was as good a time as any.

Lifting her up in his arms he brushed his lips against hers. Her lips parted and she took in a deep breathe. The taste of his scent on her tongue caused her to open her mouth wider.

Taking advantage of the opening Aaron slid his tongue inside. Their tongues dueled with Clare tasting every bit of sinew.

With their bodies in such close proximity her mind was in close enough range for Aaron to use his limited mental Talent on her. He let her relive every precious moment of their relationship from their first meeting to the present. As he let those memories flood her consciousness he erased them from her mind. When there was nothing left he put her into a deep slumber.

Leaving her asleep on the park bench he headed back to his car. When he was finally back behind the wheel he turned the rear view mirror on himself. His pale face was blotchy and stained with tears. He hated what he had just done to her but it was better this way. For him to have left her with their shared memories would have destroyed her marriage and left her yearning for something she could never have. Later he would reintroduce himself to her and her family but it would only be as a friend.

He hated what he had done but his selfish desire to live a life, if even so briefly, as a normal man had been too much for him to deny himself. There would be the children but they would never know their real father. They would never know how much he cared for their mother or how dear they are to him. But as he knew from the start, the relationship could not have been kept secret forever. He didn’t know why he felt so compelled to keep it as secret as he would hide it from everyone including the Graft, but some subconscious voice had warned him of the danger his children would face if it were every known they were his.

As he past the gate leading out of the closed hospital grounds he looked back and saw Clare was awake and already heading to her car. He was certain she would laugh at herself for falling asleep with that ever brilliant smile of hers shining on her face. Aaron hoped one day to see it again but next time not as a lover.