It was the end of the fifth day that Jax and Brenda had spent alone in the Catacombs, nine days altogether since they were spirited out of Port Charles to join Robert and Anna Scorpio in an undercover WSB operation. They were settled into a routine that had evolved during the past days.
Dinner was over. Brenda was completely and gleefully absorbed in planning their business venture together. She had taken to the world of cyberspace research as if to "the manner born" and Jax delighted in watching her pleasure as she fleshed out the business plan they had prepared together the first day.
Jax, busy studying reams of reports that had come over telefax lines constantly for days, was distracted repeatedly as he delighted in her happy concentration, her delight in what she was doing, and the energy and dedication she was putting into the project.
How beautiful she is, he thought. There is a magnetism about her, a strength, that is quite formidable. He reflected on the days following Miranda's arrival in Port Charles, just weeks ago, yet it seemed like a lifetime. Those were days of such raw torture, disillusion, pain, all of which forced him to reevaluate his life and what he was all about.
Through those days of pain, confusion, anger and nightmarish nights, Brenda had revealed a depth and breadth of courage that far surpassed even what he believed she was capable of. He recalled how she had held him in her arms, asking nothing, giving him her love, her support, and with no word of blame. But he was blaming himself enough for both of them. That she loved him was clear. What he did to deserve her, he did not know, but she loved him. That was his rock, as he never ceased to tell her.
Soon he would take her to bed, hold her, love her, try in every way he knew how to show her the depth of his own love, his gratitude for her very being, for her presence in his life. And, as he always did when he took his wife in his arms, he would thank the Lord of the Universe for the blessing of the love they shared, would share forever in this life and beyond. God, how he loved her!
Jax forced his attention back to the documents, away from the distraction of his lovely wife and from the desire for her that was welling up from the core of his being. "My wife! My true friend!"
Two days earlier, Jax received word from Robert via short-wave radio to tell him that the drug bust in Miami was a complete success.
Within days of being accepted by the Miami underworld, Frisco Jones had saved the leader of the notorious Dominguez gang from certain arrest. After this proof of loyalty along with his expressed hatred of the authorities, Frisco was admitted into their innermost circle. The result was that the entire pipeline from Columbia through to Miami was taken down.
The WSB team was helped by prominent media coverage in the Miami papers aimed at reassuring the population that the city's budget deficit would not force it to eliminate murder investigations or other essential public services. The city has asked police, fire, sanitation and other union workers to accept $15 million in concessions to help close a $68 million budget gap for fiscal 1997.
The budget woes gave rise to media speculation about massive layoffs, and even that the city could be forced to eliminate its homicide department. The story went a long way toward convincing the local drug consortium that the police would not have the manpower to cause them a problem. Police, however, were fully prepared and ready and the bust went off without a hitch.
High grade heroin with a street value in excess of $3.5 million was seized, along with $11 million in cash that was packed and ready for distribution through an elaborate money laundering system. In addition, resulting from documents seized during the operation, coupled with WSB intelligence gathered by Frisco Jones and others, another $17 million street value of heroin was apprehended off the Pacific coast, even before landing in California. There were several arrests.
Along with cash and property from companies and individuals whose identities were confirmed following arrests made, the total value of cash, real estate and other properties seized is close to half a billion dollars. Many young lives have been spared and a major blow was struck for the side of law and order by these two operations.
Robert's message also informed Jax that while the identity of the major money laundering system had been tentatively uncovered, there is much work to do before concrete proof can be established. He said that Frisco Jones will be moving on to Chicago where he will infiltrate and try to find ways to use Harry Silver's hatred for Sonny Corinthos to help their upcoming investigation. He also enquired how Jax's investigations were getting along.
Before long, Jax gave up studying the reports, sat back, and simply indulged in the sheer pleasure of watching his wife at work - or was it play? After a while, she glanced in his direction, realized he was no longer working and asked: "Have you given up? I am having such fun doing this!"
"I know you are. Do you realize how much you've done today? You never cease to amaze me, Mrs. Jacks!" I'm ready to pack it in for the day. How about you?"
"Well..." she started to say, as she glanced at the screen, smiling. "I could do some more..."
"Mrs Jacks, your husband needs you right now! Tomorrow is another day!" and, going to her, he sat beside her. "Let's shut this down, I have something much better for you to do," and kissing the top of her head, he helped Brenda to finish and close the computer.
Then, picking her up bodily, he kissed her, first tenderly and then with deepening passion, as she twined her arms around him, and strode toward their bedchamber and the night ahead.
The following morning early, Brenda and Jax woke almost simultaneously. Stretching luxuriantly, body to body, they kissed gently, gazing into one another's eyes in the building silence.
Then, Jax whispered, "Last night, Brenda, as our souls joined and soared to the heavens, I want you to know that I have never experienced such joy! It seems that every time we come together, the joy, the ecstasy, just grows, and becomes almost too much to bear.
"Yet I can never get enough of you! As each day goes by our spirits are linked more and more closely with unbreakable chains of love."
"I know," she whispered. "You are in my heart, in my mind, in my body. What you are, I am. Where you are is where I want to be. Jax, I love you. The feelings are way too much, and words are not enough to tell you how much you mean to me. You are my life, my days, my nights, my everything. Without you, there is nothing at all.
"Only when we are close like this," she continued, "as close as we can possibly be, alone in our own world together, when I can feel your love surrounding me, when I can hold you, be held by you, then it is almost complete."
Jax, obviously touched to the heart, kissed his wife deeply and long and they lay clasped together, bound by the bonds of their love, for quite a long time. Jax finally stirred, kissed his wife lightly, and said "We should rise and shine love. I rather suspect that Robert and Anna might return today."
"Really? When did they tell you?"
"They didn't say for sure, but the job was a success and they did say they would return as soon as possible. Let's go get some breakfast and set everything in order, just in case..."
Dressed in pajamas, arms entwined, not quite awake, but getting there, they more or less stumbled into the dining area together. A voice behind them caused them both to jump!
"So this is how you two spend your time when there's nobody around to make sure you mind the store! Sleeping day and night, I'll bet!" Robert was beaming a broad grin at them and they were suddenly wide awake.
"Robert! Anna! We wish, don't we Bren? We've been busy beavers, my friends. The show went well, I take it?"
"Very well." Robert told them. "A complete success, in fact. We have much to tell you and a lot to do. A few discoveries we made along the way convinced us that we needed to get back here quicky and get on with what I hope you started before we left a few days ago. Let's have some breakfast while we decide where to begin."
Breakfast over, the four friends, coffee in hand, were back before the fire, discussing the problems facing them. It felt as if Robert and Anna had never been away.
Robert had a story to tell about an encounter on the docks in Port Charles with an acquaintance he had met a few times in New York. The fellow was known from New York to Atlanta and north to Albany as a harmless, brain-addled Viet Nam vet. He ran errands for crooks and honest citizens alike, and they all seemed to like him. He was tolerated, fed, abused, assisted in turns. He was everywhere and nowhere, yet he seemed to bother nobody. The name he was known by for years now was Punchy Moran. In another life, Punchy Moran, consummate actor, is none other than Conn O'Flaherty, newly arrived in Port Charles from New York, working under cover for the PCPD. He was not aware that Robert knew his true identity.
In the meantime, Robert concluded that it was to be hoped the other police departments, to whom they had sent the information last week, would act as effectively as the PCPD did, and start investigating the information they were given.
For his part, Punchy Moran, and everyone he encountered in his undercover persona as "Cyrus Birkenthorpe", knew Robert to be a slightly demented displaced one-time British fighter pilot who had moved with his family to Texas many years ago. He was wandering from city to town to city across the country, always looking for his lost daughter who had run away from home years ago. He was a poor, pathetic figure.
Cyrus carried two photographs of the "daughter". Inhabitants of seedy back streets across the continent humored him, and when they got tired of that, gave him a place to stay, some food from time to time, or maybe a handout. Sometimes, just to be rid of him, they gave him a lead to another city or town. He usually managed to get such a lead when he wanted to move on. When under cover, keeping in character was very important.
That was how Cyrus Birkenthorpe and Punchy Moran came to be friends of a sort, and often, apparently without intending to, they helped one another in their true work of information gathering. Cyrus often passed valuable information to Punchy, knowing him to be one of the finest undercover operatives on the east coast.
Anna, in her favorite persona of a crotchety, defensive and belligerent bag lady managed to show up wherever Cyrus went. It was a precarious life for both of them and they looked forward to the day when they could safely emerge into the lives they had left behind several years ago in Port Charles.
Jax brought Robert and Anna up to date on the enquiries he instigated after their departure. He also told them that he had put an enquiry in motion regarding Stefan Cassadine who, he had reason to believe, was not well disposed toward Sonny Corinthos.
He asked Robert how he felt about his joining forces with Stefan for a common purpose. Primarily, Jax was thinking about the information network the Cassadine empire had around the world. They moved in different circles than his own, and their combined efforts might be very effective. Did Robert have a problem with that?
Robert had some reservations. However, he agreed that, on the face of things, while slippery and very reserved about their business dealings, the Cassadines were not involved in criminal activities. He would make some in depth enquiries and they could decide on that later on.
Their next step that morning, after everyone showered and got dressed, would be to evaluate the intelligence reports Jax received from the Toronto investigative agency and analyze the information Robert and Anna brought back with them, along with the other intelligence that came in constantly. And they would have to plan for the future. With only five days remaining in the Catacombs, future planning was essential.
"Corinthos is up to his neck in criminal activity from coast to coast and abroad," Robert told them. Turning to Brenda, he said,
"We will be actively pursuing Corinthos, starting immediately. In fact, the wheels are already moving on several fronts, to break the back on one of the most convoluted organizations in the entire criminal underworld. I know you have a history with this man, Brenda. Would you prefer to be kept out of this, not know what's going on?"
Brenda looked thoughtfully at him for a moment. Then, she said,
"Robert, if there is any way I can help, please let me know. Sonny Corinthos has hurt me, he has hurt my husband. In fact, he hates us both. You don't have to tell me every little detail because there's not much I can do about it, but I really believe he is dangerous, to me, to my husband, to people I care about.
"If I can, I'll help. If there's nothing I can do, I hope you will do what you can and stop him. He gets meaner, nastier, more dangerous all the time. I feel like he's a bomb that could explode when you least expect it."
Jax looked sharply at Brenda as she spoke. He realized she meant every word she uttered and, leaning over to her, he kissed her on the cheek, saying.
"Don't worry, Brenda. What you say is true, but his turn is about to come. It's time for action. Some of the best people in the business are working on the problem as we speak. Starting today, all the strings will start coming together. It's time to get the show on the road."
The four moved away to get dressed, Jax and Brenda to organize their own affairs, Robert
and Anna to settle in again to the comfort and quiet of the Catacombs. They agreed to
meet in an hour and start work in earnest.
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