Chapter 13
I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties
through my love for the truth; and truth rewarded me.
-Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986)
Zac gently shook me awake about 7 am... Jake and I were both asleep on the floor side by side in front of his laptop... Zac looked amused. I could tell he knew we’d been up to something.
“Interesting morning headlines,” he said with twinkling eyes, handing me a cup of industrial strength coffee.
“Really? What’s happened in the world while I’ve been asleep?” I said with feigned innocence.
“Well the Sydney Morning Herald reports that environmentalists are alarmed about the threat that 20 million burst CFLs pose to Perth’s pristine waterways and wildlife... And The Australian is concerned about the cost of the cleanup...”
“Is that right?”
“And apparently your Canberra mob called an emergency session of Parliament at dawn this morning because someone sent them an urgent memo about what happened in Perth last night and in their state of semi-slumber they believed the document had come from the CSIRO.”
“Really? What was the outcome of their emergency session anyway?”
“Well in the short term, Canberra have made a directive. All energy saving bulbs Australia-wide have been recalled for safety reasons. Special exchange and collection centres are being set up outside every government building in Australia today... The government is making a bulb for bulb exchange ... If someone brings in ten CFLs they’ll be given ten toxin-free bulbs in exchange. Starting with residents in Perth.”
“Toxin-free bulbs?”
“Quartz halogen... LED bulbs... Edison incandescents... whatever they can obtain from suppliers interstate and overseas I’d imagine.”
“But what are they gonna do with the millions of CFLs they collect?”
“They don’t know yet.”
Jake stirred slightly but kept sleeping.
“Maybe they should seal them in concrete blocks and build a monument out of them. And erect it outside Parliament House as a permanent reminder of their stupidity.”
Zac raised his eyebrows.
“Give them credit for acknowledging the problem instead of sticking their heads in the sand Maya. There isn’t any safe way to get the mercury and cadmium out of anything that’s contaminated already - things like people’s carpets, bins or clothing. Disposing of these items just removes the problem from the person’s home to the dump. Fortunately some Perth residents have their own private stash of Edisons... people like Jake who knew CFLs were dangerous for instance... and people who rebelled against the government for removing their freedom of choice with respect to the type of lighting they used in their homes.”
“But what if the neurotoxins find their way into the Perth water supply in spite of their efforts?”
“Major lifestyle changes across the board I’m afraid... In the short term, residents will have to boil and condense drinking water... everyone will have to catch rainwater... market gardeners may have to voluntarily relocate out of the metro area. In the long term, your government may have to resurrect the idea of piping water down from the Kimberley, or increasing the number of desalination plants. Whatever way you look at it, they're all expensive fixes for a situation which could've been avoided in the first place.”
“Great... First there was a UN directive making it mandatory to use CFLs in Australia to avoid the ‘threat’ of an environmental disaster...”
“...and now a UN satellite has created a genuine environmental disaster...” finished Zac softly.
Ω
The breaking news and special bulletins had replaced morning happychat Australia wide... Solemn-faced reporters described the overnight events in Perth to the rest of Australia. Perth didn’t tune in to the solemnchat. They had woken up to no power, no telecommunications and no clear understanding of what had hit them.
On the opposite side of the world, California knew exactly what had hit them. The earth had heaved and buckled. Grey asphalt had rippled and flowed like it had been trying to creep off the horizon. The air had exploded with crashing glass, snapping timbers and falling debris. Miraculously no one had been killed. Although many people had come close to dying of fright during the worst quake San Francisco had experienced for twenty years.
“So what now?” asked Jake over breakfast.
“Our objective remains the same... Destroy the E/M transmitter with our weapon by destroying its launch platform or the mode of delivery.”
“We’re gonna destroy a UN satellite?!”
“Yes. But we have to destroy it in such a way that they think it is a result of their Tesla experiments... So they think that combining land and sat based transmitters is incompatible... Otherwise they’ll just do the same thing as they’ve done in Perth, somewhere else in the world...”
Ω
“Gidday old timer!” greeted the charter pilot cheerily. “I was wondering if I’d catch up with you.”
“Gidday young Rob! How’s Darwin?” replied Dave warmly.
“Beautiful as usual... Wanta hitch a ride back with me and do some fishing?”
“Love ta, but Jen’d throttle me... Got guests galore at the moment.”
“Good to hear... When you told me you were establishing an eco-station in this patch of the desert I thought you needed your head read. But you seem to be having the time of your life.”
“Can’t complain... How’s the charter flight business?”
“Quietish. Still... I’m doing what I love.”
“Keep it that way, eh? By the way, have you got more of those business cards of yours? I’m running low.”
“Yeah sure... Thanks for handing them to your guests who pass through.”
“Talking of guests, I’m keeping this one waiting. We’d better get cracking.”
Dave glanced at Gordon and picked up his suitcase...
“How ya goin’ mate? Welcome to W.A... Dave’s the name.”
Gordon nodded and shook Dave’s extended hand.
“Hello, I’m Gordon... Thanks for meeting me at the airport.”
“All part of the package... Settl’ in today... Tour of the outback tommora.”
“That sounds... interesting.”
Dave loaded Gordon’s luggage into his 4WD.
“Cheers Rob... Steer clear of downbursts on yer way home... I heard there’s a storm buildin’ up over the Tanami, south of Rabbit Flat.”
“Thanks. I’ll update my flight plan before I leave. See ya next time Dave.”
Gordon clambered into Dave’s 4WD and broke into a huge grin as Dave joined him.
“Lieutenant Colonel David Hopkins, I have never seen you in such a state of disarray in my life! Unkempt hair... sneakers... and a collarless shirt... Are you sure you haven’t been hanging out with the A-team on the sly?”
Dave chuckled warmly.
“You relocated us here and told us to blend in with the locals remember?”
“It looks like you’ve done a good job of that... How’s Zac’s team?”
“Functioning well as a team.”
“And Zac?”
“Battling echoes from the past... But they’re a match made in heaven. And the rest of his team are supportive of his decision to let Maya join them.”
“I still can’t believe that Zac’s allowed a woman to join one of his all-male teams. I thought I’d never see the day!”
“See for yerself when we get there!” grinned Dave.
Ω
The singlemen’s quarters had taken on a different feel again... the sound of multiple keyboards clicking away, interspersed by occasional light-hearted comments. Jake’s computer was the central hub... Ten of his sixteen ports had keyboards and monitors plugged into them as all five of them wrote parts of the programme that would apparently make the thing they had built fly and destroy the bad guys’ satellite. At least that was the plan...
“I must be rusty... I can’t seem to find wh
y this is coming up with an error code,” muttered Zac.
Jake peered over Zac’s shoulder... his bespectacled eyes scanning rows of equations and alpha-numerics in seconds.
“Found it... It should be plus not equals here... You probably just didn’t hold the shift key down long enough when you typed the plus.”
Zac mumbled something under his breath.
“Um-ma Sir... Did you nearly use a banned word?” tormented Brendan.
“Nah... He was just speaking in tongues,” chirped Dale.
Zac chuckled and stretched noisily.
“I’m gonna take a ten minute break and work on something less brain draining...”
Zac pulled out a spiral sketch block and started copying some of the landscape photos we’d recently taken. I watched him with growing curiosity.
“Why do you make sketches of where you’ve travelled?”
“Sketching landscapes is my reason for being in the field... Like taking girlie mag photos was your reason for being in the field the other day...”
“That was a lot of fun the other day,” I smiled.
“Fun for you maybe... I was scared stiff!” interposed Pete.
“Why were you scared of Maya?” asked Jake with surprise.
“Because those wandering hands of hers were wandering close to places nice young men don’t let ladies’ hands wander.”
“Your fault... You wouldn’t cooperate like Zac told you to, so I had to resort to feigned seduction to get you to cooperate.”
Laughter all round.
“About those photos. Did you get around to emailing any to your Mum?”
“Yeah. And she emailed me back and said Maya’s absolutely gorgeous.”
“Well I’ve got to agree with her there!” quipped Zac.
I could feel myself blushing.
“The rest of the email was weird though... She was raving on about finally having the house to herself and how she wants to turn my room into a craft room and all this stuff.”
“That’s revealing.”
“It is?”
“Well what it means is, she’s not so much worried about you not having a girlfriend. She just wants you to move out of home so she can have her own space... Email her back and tell her you may have to work interstate next year, and how does she feel about that? That’ll confirm if I’m right.”
“But I don’t have to work interstate next year.”
“It can always be arranged!” smiled Zac.
“Hey Zac, you know how Dave’s picking up Gordon... Do you want us to pack up the communications room so he’s got somewhere to sleep?”
Zac glanced clandestinely at Jake. Gordon was obviously nervous about breaking the news to him, and there was a chance Jake might need his support too.
“Nah... There’s a spare double bed in the family room Jake and I are in... Gordon might as well room in with us...”
Ω
Gordon wandered out of the shower and lit the scented candle in Jen’s hand-crafted holder.
“Ah… that’s better. This room needed freshening.”
His eyes fell on a bottle near the candle and he broke into a grin.
“Is this is what I think it is?” he asked, shaking its contents so they slopped around.
“I hadn’t noticed the bottle,” shrugged Zac.
A frown curved between Gordon’s bushy eyebrows.
“You’ve been staying in this room for four days and haven’t even poked around? What’s got into you Zac?”
“Preoccupied I guess.”
“The challenges of controlling sexual tension when you’re abstaining and other men around you are succumbing to self gratification eh?”
Zac broke off eye contact.
Gordon looked reflective and unstopped the bottle. He inhaled deeply.
“Ah… This bring backs memories…”
“Of what?” asked Zac with a flicker of curiosity.
“It’s David’s favourite blend… Here… Take a whiff…”
Zac sniffed the contents and looked at Gordon blankly.
“Scented lamp oil?”
Gordon burst out laughing.
“Come on Zac. This is the parents’ side of the family room… And David has left his signature to ensure the parents have a nice time during their stay...”
A demure smile from Zac. Gordon eyed him perspicaciously and put down the bottle.
“Hmmm… I’ve been meaning to ask, does the state of this room reflect your current state of mind?”
Zac ran his eyes around the room.
“I hadn’t noticed, but it could do with a spruce up…”
“All of this is very out of character for you Zac. Undiscovered treasures… clothing piled up on the floor… and since when do you go for the designer stubble look?”
Zac hurriedly started blitzing through the worst of the mess. Gordon watched him thoughtfully.
“Still some knots in the tapestry eh?”
Silence.
“You know, your refusal to answer me speaks volumes. Since when don’t we talk about anything and everything?”
Zac moistened his lips.
“You can’t lead your team effectively with a knot in your guts Zac. And they can’t rely on you if you’re distracted by knots either.”
“I’m not letting the knots distract me.”
“But you’re not prepared to talk about them so they unravel… Okay, let’s talk about the thread then.”
Zac exhaled noisily and shook his head.
Gordon raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms.
“Alright then. Shirt off and give me 100. We’ll see if that takes some of the fight out of you Zachariah…”
Ω
Gordon watched Zac’s body rising and falling in front of him. 40 pushups... Hmmm... Unfocused... Definitely not himself... 50 pushups... Wound as tight as a spring inside... 60 pushups... Zac’s face was red but his rhythm hadn’t slowed... 70 push-ups. How long was Zac gonna keep this up? It looked like he was gonna have to resort to plan B... 80 pushups. Zac’s breathing was laboured - he was finally exerting himself.
“You’re making me exhausted watching you. Can’t you just give up and pretend to collapse or something?” complained Gordon.
Zac shook his head as he kept moving up and down. Gordon glanced at his face with concern. Zac’s eyelashes were glistening with tears...
Ω
“...98...99...100.”
Zac collapsed on the floor; his chest heaving and arms quivering. Gordon reached out and silently pounded away at his tired muscles.
“Yer tongue loosed yet?” he probed after a long minute.
A mute shake of the head.
“Brendan tells me you’ve been teaching your team how to spice up their relationships with women. What about your relationship with women Zac?”
“Better to never love when we do the kind of work we do.”
Silence.
“You’ve never told me you felt that way before now...” said Gordon softly.
Zac swallowed the lump in his throat. Gordon picked up the bottle of massage oil and rolled it between his palms thoughtfully.
Hmmm… It seemed David was spot on in his assessment of the situation. Time to change tactics.
“You have got yourself all knotted up since you left California!” said Gordon cheerily. “Like me to show you how David used to unravel my knots?”
Zac eyed Gordon astutely then nodded the go-ahead.
“Shower then report back here. You’ve got two minutes…”
Ω
Gordon fired up his laptop. Instrumental worship filled the room. His flashing fingers typed out an email to Jake in the next room. Zac walked back into the room, damp, with a towel around his waist and went to climb into his boardies. Gordon shook his head.
“Forget about hiding behind yer clothes... David’s rules.”
Zac rolled his eyes, then walked over and locked the door.
“Don’t want to face your fears in f
ront of your team eh?” said Gordon gently.
“They’re a little reserved.”
“So are you,” replied Gordon, yanking the towel from around Zac’s waist.
Zac curbed his desire to retaliate. Gordon spread the towel out on the floor.
“Don’t just stand there looking shocked! Lie down so I can massage you.”
“Without a towel on?”
“David’s rules. He calls it top-to-toe.”
“Gordon we’re close... but I’m not comfortable about this!” protested Zac.
“You agreed to let me show you David’s way of dealing with knots... Now forget about your comfort zone.”
Ω
“I think you got a message on your laptop a moment ago,” said Dale, as Jake walked back in from his break.
“It’s from Gordon. It says, Come in our room. Bring your laptop. And bring the beautiful Maya with you as well.”
Wolf whistles from the three amigos.
“What have I done now?” I sighed.
“You’re not in trouble. Zac is... Gordon’s been making him do push-ups. He yelled at him to do 100.”
“So? I’ve watched the lot of you doing push-ups morning and night. I’m sure he’s fit enough to do 100.”
“It ain’t the push-ups. Zac can handle them. It’s what Gordon does after the push-ups if you’re holding out on him. And since they haven’t come out, I reckon Zac’s holding out on him.”
“What’s he do after push-ups?”
A silent exchange of looks between the trio. Pete reddened slightly.
“He’s doing that?!” gasped Jake.
“Zac’s told you about Gordon, eh?”
“Enough to make me determined to never cross him... Come on Maya. We’ve got to rescue Zac!”
“Rescue him from what?”
“It’s way too embarrassing to say!”
“Sounds intriguing. I might just quickly freshen up before the rescue mission. Back in a jiffy.”
Ω
Gordon had changed gears and Zac knew he had the upper hand. He’d changed strokes too. He wasn’t pounding tense muscles like a sports coach any longer. He’d switched to soothing gliding movements. New and unfamiliar strokes… They felt enlivening, but they were also stirring emotions which Zac normally suppressed around others. He hid his face in his forearms… Fighting to control his embarrassment... The private part of him wanted to scream at Gordon to back off. But his mind argued Gordon could be trusted… Even though Gordon had never done anything this extreme before…
Zac tuned into the others laughing in the adjoining room. While he’d locked the privacy door, he still felt vulnerable. Brendan could have it open with a kitchen knife in two seconds… Not that that mattered. Zac could handle being interrupted by Brendan. Or Pete or Dale for that matter. They all knew what Gordon was like. They could take this in their stride... They’d all laugh about it together...
But Jake? If Jake walked in he’d go into panic mode. He’d get the wrong idea for sure...
And Maya? The thought of Maya walking in and seeing him unclothed… it was utterly wrong… forbidden... Yet it felt deeply right… natural… A surge of desire stronger than anything he’d ever felt before rose up in him. Zac hurriedly regained control of his thoughts and pushed aside his arousal.
Gordon poured Dave’s blend of scented oil into his palms and smoothed it up the back of Zac’s thighs. His skin was warm... The fragrance wafted up, triggering another wave of intense arousal. Zac fought to control his unexpected response. Gordon sensed it and grinned roguishly.
“Things have changed in the last week!” he chuckled.
Zac reddened.
“My usual coping strategies aren’t working,” he sighed.
“And it’s sent you into a spin, eh?”
Zac drew a steadying breath and nodded cautiously.
“There’s a season for everything Zac. A time to abstain... a time to awaken love... and a time to become one flesh...”
“But I haven’t done anything compromising to awaken love!”
“You don’t have to full-on pet to awaken love Zac. A woman’s smile... her interest in you... a gentle brush of her hand...even her breath, can wake up feelings you didn’t even realize were there and leave you reeling when they come to the surface... I still remember how I felt inside the first time Tess did this to me...”
Fingertips lightly brushed Zac’s buttocks.
Zac involuntarily grabbed Gordon’s wrists; his pulse racing wildly.
“Fraidy cat!” ragged Gordon.
“Now I know why Dave said you’re fraidy cat of his massages!”
Gordon laughed good-naturedly.
“I’m secure enough to keep up David’s tactics until you buckle and yer tongue’s loosed...”
Zac exhaled noisily and warily released Gordon’s wrists.
“Okay... I’ll talk about it. Can’t I just put my boardies on first? In case Jake or Maya see us?”
Gordon ignored the request. Instead he repositioned his hands up onto Zac’s shoulders. Zac sighed with undisguised relief.
“Ah… the mesmeric Maya… If I was twenty years younger I’d be pursuing her… You should be pursuing her, given you’re both the same age.”
“I’m only in Australia for a couple of weeks… And she’s only in Laverton for a few days…”
“And you want to let her walk out of your life?”
“No… There’s something about her Gordon... I feel so... complete around her.”
“You told her that?”
“No… I’m afraid to let myself get close to her... because of the job we do... because she might end up like Tess if I do... and I’d never forgive myself if that happened again... if I ever let what happened to Tess happen to another woman again!”
Zac sniffed up noisily.
“There, I admitted it.”
“Feel better?”
“A bit…”
“I’ve always kept Jake at a safe distance for the same reason… To protect him… I always thought it was the best thing for both of us. Until the other night when your comments made me realize that there’s a dad-sized hole in Jake’s heart. And I should be filling it - in spite of my fears.”
Gordon looked up as the door knob turned.
“Time we both faced our fears, eh?” he added softly.
Ω
I trailed Jake into their room and looked around in surprise. The coy responses from Zac’s team back in the lounge room had forewarned me that Gordon was cuffing Zac into line, but I hadn’t expected Gordon’s approach to be quite so... sensual.
Both men were on the floor. Zac was spread eagled out. Completely starkers, buttocks up. Gordon was bare-chested with a towel wrapped around his waist. He was sitting between Zac’s legs and giving him a full-bodied Swedish massage. The room smelt of ylang ylang and lavender. Peaceful music was drifting out of Gordon’s laptop. Jake was the odd thing out in the room. Again. He was wide eyed. Terrified. A rogue wave in an otherwise balmy setting.
“Nice view!” I quipped, when Jake said nothing.
Roguish laughter from Gordon. I hurriedly caught Zac’s eye.
“Sorry... Maya Mouth in action again. It’s just that I didn’t expect you to be... tous nu...”
My comment woke a brief grin in him, then he diffidently reached for his shorts. Gordon got to them first and tossed them out of reach. Zac shot a look of disbelief in his direction.
“No self-consciousness around your team,” tormented Gordon, gliding his hands across Zac’s bare buttocks again.
Zac drew in a steadying breath and made eye contact with Jake. He was hiding awkwardly behind his laptop.
“Jake... you look stressed. I'm sorry... I thought the door was locked.”
“It was... Except someone stuck toilet paper in the latch so it didn’t lock properly.”
Zac looked at Gordon charily.
“Nice set-up!” he groused.
“Can’t have you shutting your
team out, can we?” retorted Gordon with a cheeky grin.
Zack moistened his lips and eyed Jake again.
“Listen Jake. I know what’s probably going through your head... But Gordon and I aren’t gay! Gordon’s just throwing his weight around a little... Nudging me to let go of the past and move forward...”
“Is this something to do with...Tess?”
“Partly.”
A bubble of jealousy had lodged itself in my throat.
Tess who? An old flame?
Jake cautiously plonked himself down near Gordon and watched him in action for a moment. Then he wordlessly started imitating the stroke Gordon was doing on Zac. Gordon seemed surprised and pleased at the same time.
“You’re an enigma Little Roo.”
Jake shrugged in response.
“I reckon Tess would’ve wanted me to help Zac get over her death too.”
A dead old flame? I could no longer hold in my curiosity.
“Why did you invite us to come in here Gordon?” I ventured.
“You invited her to come in here?” protested Zac shrilly.
“Well you’ve been too chicken to let her get to know you...”
I glanced into Gordon’s dancing eyes.
“Nice set up...” I said, trying to keep a straight face.
Gordon chuckled roguishly and winked at me.
“Come over here with us Maya. And sit in Zac’s personal space until he’s comfortable about your presence.”
Zac blushed, but it made him look even more attractive.
“Gordon!”
His tone hinted he was stretched. I searched his face with genuine concern. Silently running Gordon’s request by him.
He returned my eye contact and exhaled in noisy resignation. Wordlessly granting me permission. He obviously respected Gordon enough to permit his manic tactics. I thought about the first night when Zac had used me to tackle Jake’s timidity. This felt similar. Except Gordon’s version of getting-to-know-you was extreme compared to Zac’s. Mega-extreme.
“Too easy,” I lied.
I could feel my pulse pounding wildly as I nestled in beside Zac’s naked body.
“Why are we doing this Gordon?”
“To do the task at hand Zac needs to feel completely comfortable around his whole team. And he’s feeling out of control around you Maya.”
“I’m not feeling out of control around her... I’m just having to control myself around her. There’s a difference...”
Gordon wriggled his eyebrows expressively.
“And she’s not on my team!” continued Zac. “She’s just hanging out with my team at my invitation. In case she needs our protection.”
Protection? Protection from what?
“She’s on your team now Zac.”
“I don’t lead mixed teams Gordon. You know that.”
“She’s on your team. That’s an order.”
“Just like that? Without clearance?”
“I took the liberty of running a background check on her after David happened to mention that you were love sick.”
Love sick? Zac?
Zac cleared his throat softly.
“Your Maya’s one very interesting young woman.”
His Maya?
I could feel my feministic ‘tude rising up.
Steady Maya.
“Do you know how she supported herself while she was getting her degree in meteorology? She took very sexy photos of very sexy men!”
Huh? How had he found that out?
“When I got that agency job, I didn’t know I had to take centrefold photos until the models started stripping off!” I protested.
Zac caught my eye.
“Maya... he’s prodding... Poking you to see if you strike like a snake at a stick... To get to know you. Just take him in your stride.”
“Actually Maya... I’m prodding so Zac can get to know what you’re like. So he knows he can trust you. And trust himself around you.”
Trust himself around me?
Gordon was a powerful ally. The opportunity was too tempting to resist.
“I know how to show him he can trust himself around me.”
I brushed my hands over Zac’s bare back. Replicating the same stroke Gordon had been teaching Jake. I liked his response to my touch. He was carefully staying in control, but I could sense the fire in him. Wild and intense like a nuclear core. My hands glided teasingly lower, close to his smooth-sculpted buttocks. He involuntarily tightened them.
“Maya!”
His tone cautioned me to back off.
“Relax around the woman Zac!” chided Gordon. “She’s just massaging you, not having premarital sex with you.”
“No... I’m sorry if I overstepped the mark,” I said quickly. “I respect your views of abstinence until marriage Zac... Really I do. I just need to learn what the boundaries are... So I can take the same stance as you.”
He turned his head and looked at me. His eyes reflecting his joy at my avowal.
“If it’s normally covered with clothing in public, it’s a no-go zone...” replied Zac.
“...and if it’s not covered in clothing because your boss has set you up, it’s still a no-go zone. Right... Got it.”
Gordon pretended to pout like a schoolboy.
“Hmmm. I didn’t count on you two being so cohesive. Alright Zac. You’ve won this round. Put your boardies back on... But don’t think for a moment that I’ve finished with you. I’ve just started on you, ‘fraidy cat!”
Clammy palms unexpectedly covered my eyes.
“What are you doing Jake?” I laughed girlishly.
“Chaperoning Zac. No peeking while he puts his shorts on Maya.”
Gordon looked amused.
“You’re Zac’s chaperon?”
Another insouciant shrug from Jake.
“A couple of days ago our team agreed to chaperon each other around Maya for the remainder of this assignment. So everyone including Zac can feel comfortable around her... I don’t understand what you mean by just starting on him, but I think you’d better wait until after we’ve put the Weathermakers out of action before you have another go at him. Zac’s got to stay focused until then.”
Gordon chuckled softly.
“Point taken Little Roo,” he said, winking at Zac.
Zac grinned as he pulled on his boardies. Surprised by Maya’s stance... Secretly grateful for Jake’s intervention. Gordon’s teenage son, unwittingly standing up to his father! He was amazed that Jake was even talking to Gordon, let alone learning massage strokes off him! Zac could sense Gordon was carefully hiding his astonishment as well.
I blinked as Jake removed his fingers from my eyes. Zac not only had shorts on now but a chaste polo shirt as well. Gordon was still lounging around in his towel. Jake looked at him quizzically.
“May I ask you something Gordon?”
“Of course Little Roo.”
“Do you still dream about what happened to Tess? Like Zac does?”
Gordon inhaled deeply. Bit his lip. To my bewilderment, tears broke free and slid down his cheeks. Gordon wiped them away with shaking hands.
“I guess that means yes,” said Jake softly.
He timorously started massaging Gordon’s neck.
“I think Tess would’ve wanted me to help you get over her death too...”
Gordon drank in the soothing gesture wordlessly.
Sombre silence.
“I’ve been wondering... Did she ever talk about my Dad around you?” ventured Jake carefully.
Gordon cleared his throat noisily. Zac moved closer to him. Draped a supporting arm around his bare back. Jake’s question had clearly triggered something deep within him. Within them both.
“How about you tell me what you know about Tess and me first?” returned Gordon softly.
“Mum and you?”
I blinked in surprise.
Tess mystery woman was Jake’s mother?!
“Um... Zac told me Mum was your collea
gue. Until some gunman opened fire on you both at a conference in Alaska... Zac knocked you both to the ground and copped the bullet meant for you... then Mum copped a bullet and died in yours and Zac’s arms.”
Zac had been shot protecting Gordon. Jake’s Mum had been shot dead. And Zac was currently trying to protect me! Crumbs, whoever these guys were, they sure weren’t 9 to 5 scientists.
“You don’t recall ever meeting me?”
Gordon was obviously struggling to reveal a long kept secret. My woman’s intuition almost knew what he was trying to say, but Jake - true to form - was missing the hint. The snail scratched his head. Perplexed.
“No... Although all afternoon I’ve been thinking you smell... familiar.”
“Le Male,” I supplied helpfully.
Gordon gave me a watery-eyed smile of acknowledgement. Jake frowned and shot Zac a questioning look.
“Zac... Why’s he beating around the bush? What’s he trying to say?”
A silent exchange between Gordon and Zac. Zac moved closer to Jake.
“What I told you a few days ago is about all I knew about Tess and Gordon too... Until yesterday arvo at least.”
“So what else do you know about them now?”
“Well... now I know they were lovers.”
Jake stared unblinkingly at Gordon. Dazed.
“You’re my Dad?”
“Well, I’ll offer a paternity test if you want one. But take my word for it. You’re mine. You’re the spitting image of me when I was a teenager for one thing.”
“Ugly as the south bound end of a north bound donkey, eh?”
“Your mother used to always say that… Where’s this favourite photo of yours that clued Zachariah into my little secret anyway?”
Jake redirected his gaze to his laptop and stared at the screensaver photo then at Gordon.
“I hadn’t noticed until now… but the mole near your eye… It’s in the same place!”
“Handy thing moles… They usually stay stationary on faces. Makes identifying Dads easier.”
Jake smiled hesitantly. Gordon moved closer to Jake to look at the photo.
“Ah... Our wedding day,” he whispered.
“You and mum were married?”
“We were lovers in an era when it was scandalous for a 30 year old professor to fall in love with a 19 year old undergraduate exchange student. So we married the traditional love fest way...”
“That explains why you’ve both got flowers in your hair!” smiled Jake. “I was a bit worried about you Dad!”
Gordon grinned and opened his wallet and pulled out a different photo.
“Here... Scan this one in case you ever want to change your screensaver... This is my favourite photo of us... It was taken on our honeymoon... About the time you were conceived actually,” he said with twinkling eyes.
“Rad! Check out this photo of Mum and Dad, Zac.”
Zac glanced at the photo, then rolled his eyes.
“Gordon!”
“You need the shy scared out of you Zachariah!” retorted Gordon with a grin.
Gordon caught my eye.
“David has a talent for scaring the shy out of fellas, Maya. Shall we enlist his help?”
I laughed waywardly. I felt comfortable around Gordon already. Like I’d known him for years.
“Stop changing the subject Gordon! You’ll get Jake into a heap of trouble if his Nan sees him using that photo as his screensaver!” chided Zac.
“Why? Flowers are covering her nipples...”
“Dad and Zac disagree Maya. What do you think as a woman?” invited Jake.
I inched closer to Zac and glanced at the photo.
“It’s a beautiful honeymoon photo... The sort I’d treasure. The expression in your Mum’s eyes is striking... Maybe just crop the bottom of the photo a little and I’m sure your Nan wouldn’t object to you using it.”
“Would you really like honeymoon photos like that?” smiled Zac.
His fingers twined with mine. Intentionally. Secretly. I melted inside.
“If they were taken by a camera on timer. Somewhere secluded,” I just managed to say.
“What a shame! I was gonna volunteer to be your honeymoon photographer!” joked Gordon.
Jake laughed at the quip. It could have been Gordon’s roguish laughter.
“No wonder Nan kept you hidden from me Dad. You’d have made me a real handful to bring up if you were around!”
“Tess was good keeping things hidden from me too. For a long while she hid the fact that she was pregnant with you. One night though, we were together down on the beach and I had my hand on her stomach embracing her and you kicked my hand! I ran my hand across her stomach and you followed me with your little feet. When I realized her big secret I wanted to get married the traditional way and be a family. But Tess was fiercely independent. She didn’t want any scandal to affect either of our careers... She moved back to Australia to her Mum’s. I followed her back. Heartbroken because I’d said our love-fest vows before God and I’d meant them... Joyce ended up coming up with the solution actually.”
“Nan did?”
“Yes... She suggested that Tess continue her post-graduate studies in Perth, then establish herself as a well known researcher and lecturer in the same field as me... then we start writing papers together, lecturing and researching together as academics...”
“...so it’d look like two colleagues had fallen in love, not an undergraduate and her professor...” mused Zac.
“...and then your relationship wouldn’t be frowned upon by anyone,” finished Jake.
“Yes... And Joyce was right. We spent a small fortune on international phone calls and airfares, but we gradually got to spend more and more time with each other... And as Joyce predicted, after a few years, everyone started dropping hints… inviting us to functions for couples... telling me that Tess was a good catch… telling Tess that I’d make a good father for you…”
“They knew about me?”
“Yes. Tess brought you to various academic and social functions from an early age as her son… She told everyone you were a love-child from a wild night she’d had as an undergraduate. Which was the truth, and a lie of omission at the same time. And like your mother, you made a name for yourself rather early on.”
“Why?”
Jake’s eyes were shining. Drinking in the missing information about his past.
“Well, one time there you were a little bored during a presentation dinner, so the Head of Faculty put his new laptop in front of you to keep you amused. And we didn’t hear a peep out of you for the next hour. Anyway he eventually looked over to see if you’d mastered Solitaire, and he just about swallowed his false teeth when he realized you were creating a game in Java!”
“I don’t remember doing that.”
“You mightn’t remember but he does! He still asks after you whenever we chinwag... On your mum’s 30th birthday I gave her an engagement ring in front of our colleagues. After the surprise engagement party, we planned our second wedding. We planned the ceremony on Independence Day. After we’d finished the next round of lectures. Tess wanted you as our page boy. And I wanted to get new honeymoon photos of us at Mt Fuji as a family of three…”
Gordon exhaled noisily and eyed Jake sadly.
“We were so close Jake. We almost got to live as a family…”
Hear a pin drop silence. Gordon moistened his lips.
“Next morning we flew to Alaska to co-lead a lecture on the misuse of E/M weaponry - which was the official reason for Tess’s trip to the U.S. That afternoon she died… And part of me died with her…If it hadn’t been for David’s support... And Zac’s youthful optimism…”
Gordon’s voice trailed off. He cleared his throat emotionally and made direct eye contact with Zac and Maya.
“Get around to getting to know each other you two. But make it soon… Don’t let fear hold either of you back. Life is but a vapour. Unpredictable... So fragile... Live life to th
e fullest now. Live like there’s no tomorrow.”
“Well from what you lot say, there might not be.”
Zac gently rested his hands on my shoulders and shook his head.
“Things might look a little out of control at the moment, Maya. But that’s because things are happening in an unseen dimension. One that science can’t quantify. And journalism can’t explain.”
“Another dimension?”
“Yes… On the surface it looks like it’s a power struggle between humanity... But there are powerful unseen forces operating as well… Angels of light and darkness… counterfeit spirits… a whole realm we can’t see. The thing is - overlooking everything seen and unseen there’s a Designer God still in charge of this universe.”
“You believe God’s interested in what’s happening here in this insignificant dot on the map?”
“Yes... God’s always interested in how people use or misuse their creativity wherever they are. Like back at Babel they got too smart for their boots, so Jireh confused their language, to knock ‘em down a peg or two… And if anyone experimenting with E/M weapons oversteps the mark, I believe He’ll intervene…And disrupt their unity in some way.”
His fingertips caressed my cheekbones. My pulse jumped into top gear.
“The thing is, when the Designer places us in a unique place of responsibility, we have the responsibility to do the right thing.”
“The time is always right to do what is right,” I said softly.
“Martin Luther King, Jr.,” Zac whispered back.
“I want to know your Jireh, Zac…With the same intensity that you know Him.”
Zac grinned and pushed himself to his feet.
“Come on then… Let’s go meet Him in the communications room…Face to face… heart to heart.”
“You’ve set up a prayer room?” smiled Gordon.
“Dale’s idea… not mine mate.”
“I thought young Dale was an atheist.”
“Was… He crossed over last night.”
“You sound like you had a wild night last night!”
“I reckon you’re in for a wild night tonight - replying to those letters Jake’s written to you.”
“You mean the Dad folder?”
“Yep... You have 762 questions to answer - about yourself, Tess, love, life, and the universe. He’s written each question in a letter.”
“Hmmm... That’s some backlog of correspondence.”
“Count yourself lucky Gordon. It was 778. I’ve tackled 16 for you.”
“More than that... You tackled some of the ones I was too scared to write down as well... Thanks Zac... Thanks for helping me find my Dad.”
Zac grinned and draped an affectionate arm around Jake.
“Want a getting-to-know-you tip Gordon?”
“Sure do.”
“Jake’s always wanted a neck rub from you.”
“Is that right? How about we massage each other the rest of the night then while I answer some of the Dad folder questions eh?”
“You aren’t too jet-lagged Dad?”
“No way... I’m on too big a high to be tired... I’ve been wanting to do this with you for years. As your Dad... Throw me your curliest question first!” grinned Gordon. “To see if I sink or swim...”