Death And Forgiveness

The world at Centaur Insurance was upside down....The next morning...A Friday...Employees were furious...No one had been paid....Not only that...No one's computers had any files on them they had been wiped clean!

CEO Steve Stansberry, who wasn't usually on site rushed to his headquarters....Every computer was down...

"This is impossible..."he said..

The IT people came in...

"All of our systems are blank...It's like we were Nuked..." they said..

"You have back up don't you?" asked Steve...

"We did!!!...It's gone.."said the man..

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S GONE??" he yelled..

"We have no back up....oh yeah and I uh didn't get paid this morning..I checked my account.." he said..

"DAMN YOUR ACCOUNT!!!...GET US BACK UP AND RUNNING!" he screamed..

"Steve..Steve, this is bad...I checked our accounts..all of em...They're bone dry..."said another man ..

"WHATTTTTTTTTTTT?" screamed Steve, who checked the company's accounts on his smartphone...This is impossible.." he said..

He looked at the computers  the Hackers were using....Nothing...He could no longer see Elwood's loft or Cyclops Insurance...

"How did this happen? How did we get breached?? This must be Elwood...but how?? None of his people are that good....Check the security cameras....Check the monitors.." he screamed..

"Sir they've been disabled.." said a technician...

 "WHATTTTTTTTTTTT?" screamed Steve..

"Steve...Phone calls for you..." said an administrative assistant..

"Hello!"

He got an earful from the 12 wealthy Cyclops clients...They told him that not only were they not signing with Centaur , but that he could kiss their asses...He turned beet red...

He got calls from the CEO's of the 5 Insurance Companies and the 2 law firms Centaur had gobbled up...They told him they were pulling out and to expect to hear from their lawyers...

He got calls from utility companies and other clients...They hadn't been paid...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhh so they think...That I won't ruin them....."he said..

He went through his files...They were gone...There was nothing but blank papers.....He couldn't believe it...

The Hackers told him that somebody had been in their apartments....cleaned their hard drives completely...

 "WHATTTTTTTTTTTT?" screamed Steve..."HOW COULD THAT BE? HOW COULD THAT BE??WHO KNEW WHO YOU WERE?? HOW THE HELL DID THEY GET IN HERE??? HOW DID THEY DO THIS???" he bellowed..

"That's okay....I have a fail safe..."he said and got in his car....

He got in his car and drove to his safe deposit box...It was empty!!!! Not a thing in it...

"WHATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT?? I DON'T BELIEVE IT!! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!!!" he yelled and jumped up and down and stomped his foot and kicked a metal trash can..

"OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!  GOTDAMN IT THAT HURTTTTT!" he yelled..

He got a call that his workers, angry that they hadn't been paid were all walking out.......

 "WHATTTTTTTTTTTT?" screamed Steve.

"I DON'T BELIEVE IT!!!" he screamed and kicked over a trash can...

His phone rang again...It was Elwood..

"Heyyyyyyyyyyy Steve...How ya doin buddy? How's business?" laughed Elwood in his phone....

 "ELWOOD!!!! THIS WAS YOU! I'll RUIN YOU!!" he screamed...

"I don't think so...That money you put in a dummy account with my name on it is back where it belongs...The account is gone..And so is your money...All of it...Not only that...You can't blackmail me with no computer files or hard copies..You know, you said you studied me.....Didn't you wonder how Fat Masterman failed ?? His Hacker died and His Arsonist died and the little trollip he fished in here turned states evidence against him...His operation was way more sophisticated than  yours...He's sitting in prison trying to figure it out this very day...I have resources that you can only dream about...Don't ever let me see you again...Oh and when you get back to work there should be an envelope waiting for you.... You tried to Blackmail me in my office..Your little cameras was recording that...Now I have a recording of you trying to blackmail me...It would be a shame if the police got a hold of that, wouldn't it?   Don't worry...As long as you stay away...They won't...Bye now...Good Luck! And kiss that whore of yours for me.." laughed Elwood..

"YOU SON OF A BITCH!!! ELWOOD!!!! I STILL HAVE ONE LAST HAND TO PLAY....I TOLD YOU I'D GET EVEN...I TOLD YOU NOT TO SCREW WITH ME!" screamed Steven ,who was making so much noise, a Policeman walked over to him...

"Hey fella, quiet it down..." he said..

He stomped his foot and stormed off...

This had to be a nightmare...In one morning...The company he had inherited that he had built into a powerful company no longer existed...He was ruined...

But like he said...He had one last card to play....He'd pay Elwood back...He might be ruined...but he'd hurt Elwood in a way that would be unimaginable..

II-

The day was ending...Elwood felt pretty good...Bonnie and Ronald Shay had proven to be loyal beyond a fault and invaluable...He was going to see to it that they were   financially compensated....

Thanks to them and Kevin Morris ,

his bacon had been saved for the third time...He had to be careful...No more inter-office romances...Keep the woman definitely outside the office...and keep sensitive materials locked up and safe guarded...He wagered...

A week to the day, a familliar face was seen walking down the aisle....It was Alexandria Miller..It was after closing....Practically everyone was gone...Elwood was finishing up some last minute work...

"Elwood...Elwood baby,I have to talk to you..." she said...She was crying , crying uncontrollably...but Elwood would not be moved...

"Wellllllllll look who it is...Steven's little whore.." he said in anger...

"I would slap your face for calling me that.....but I guess I deserve that....Look Elwood...I'm sorry...I came to apologize...." she said...

"Of course you did...You and your little boyfriend's scheme failed...I once again have the upper hand....Save it tramp and get out of here before I call security and have you thrown out....What? Did you come back to plant some more bugs?" sneered Elwood....

She began to weep more, uncontrollably....She had never heard Elwood speak to her in such a harsh tone...

"Elwood...look, yes...I was hired to set you up....Just like I've set up so many others for Steven...but you...you won't believe this...You were different...I-I- I fell in love with you...I didn't want to, I swear, I was fighting it...but I couldn't help it...The last night I was with you...I told Steven I was done...That I wasn't going to be a part of his plans anymore...He called me a fool for falling for my mark and said he'd find somebody younger and cuter to do the same thing..You won't believe how hard and how much I cried..." she said.

"Oh Poor ,Poor you! Right!! You fell in love with me....I could have been disbarred...and even worse..I could have gone to prison...Get out of here!....I never want to see you again!!!..."said Elwood...

"Elwood please...Don't say that...You don't mean that!   I love you!  Believe me, I tried hard not to....I did...but I couldn't help it........Why do you think I'm here.???? That girl...That girl that you liked so much...Zoey....The one who handled your wife's divorce from you....He's going to kill her!! That's why I'm here....Look I helped him set you and those companies up, but I never agreed to murder....When you destroyed his company, he was furious!  Out of his mind with rage!!...Insane...Said he was going to slit her throat....It was then I saw how evil he really is...I-I-I can no longer be a part of that...I've left him....That's why I came here to warn you...He said it was the only way left he had to pay you back for ruining him...Centaur is done....The electric,water and gas is off in the building and all of the employees have left....and the company has been hit with a series of law suits left and right...Whatever you did...you really checkmated him...He is furious!!!" said Alex...

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA...Good for him...The little creep!! How do I know this isn't a trick? Or  A Trap...?" asked Elwood..

She motioned him into his office...She took her dress off......

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" he asked....looking around....

She closed the door and took her panties and bra off and tossed them on his desk...Elwood's eyes nearly popped out of his head.....His jaw hung...

"Because I'm not wearing a wire..."she said..

"OH MY GOD!" he said...

For a minute, she smiled...She saw how he was looking at her...

She then emptied the contents of her purse on his desk...

"And I've got no listening devices or micro cameras in my purse..." she said..

He marveled at her naked body and despite himself , he found himself getting an erection...

She noticed it and smiled as she put her clothes back on...

"Find her...Get her someplace safe..." she said...

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked...

"Because I love you....I know all about your past ,with Olivia Bennett-Alexander..the attorney

and with her divorce Attorney, Zoey Easter..

"and the other women....I thought you were just some womanizing jerk at first and I didn't mind setting you up...but I felt something in that bed with you...I had an orgasm, several orgasms, like I've never had before in my life...I felt a tenderness in you, after we were finished making love, when you were holding me in your arms.... like I've never felt with any man...I know that you really felt something for me...And I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me...because...the feelings I have for you are like none I've ever had for any man...I'm in love with you,plain and simple...If I wasn't ,I wouldn't be here...Steven will kill me too if he finds out I was here and for warned you..." she said.

"What about Steven? Weren't you two uh an item?" asked Elwood..

''We were lovers a long time ago...This was just a business partnership....between us...No sex...Just business..He never made me feel like you did in the bed..."she said.

"He was your pimp..."said Elwood...

"Don't be cruel.....Yes..as you probably know...I paid off my student loans from Fisk and Columbia by staring at the ceiling sometimes and by stripping....I wanted to go to law school and I was deep in debt...I paid off my debt and went to law school...It was a means to an end...My daddy didn't work at Penn,like your ex-wife and her niece's dads did...I didn't get a free ride through law school...I had to take out loans..."she said.

"That might explain how you paid for your education, but it doesn't explain why you and Steven have been setting up and blackmailing unsuspecting businessmen and taking their companies from them, myself included...You didn't just happen to drop your panties in front of me at that lingerie store...That was all staged...No excuse for what you're doing now!"said Elwood..

"Okay Elwood...I guess I deserve that too..but if you care anything about that girl and I think you do...Find her, get her someplace safe...Here is my addresss and phone number if you still want to see me.." she said..

''Why would I want to see you?" asked Elwood..

 She stared at his trousers...They were standing out like a circus tent.....He became self conscious...

"Because you still want me...You know you do.... and I know you'll forgive me one day...When you get through hating me...Maybe you'll remember that...you love me too! You told me you did...the last time we made love and I don't think you were lying...You're angry right now and you're trying to hide it, fight it...but you want me...just as bad as I want you..." she said...

"My offer for you to move in with me is rescinded.."he said..Trying to fight back tears and the fact that everything she said to him was right on the money....

"I know...I wouldn't expect you to want to live with me after what I did.." she said..

"And you're not working here again, you can forget that!" he said..."You and Steve are lucky you're not in prison...we destroyed all of the evidence against you...I still have some against Steve...if he gets frisky again...The police will get it and send his ass to jail..."said Elwood..

"I don't want to work here again!!.......I just want to be with you..." she said..

Elwood looked at her....All the anger , All the justifiable anger he was trying to build up for her was gone..He was whipped...plain and simple and he was certain she could see that he was just putting on a brave face, that he didn't mean any of it...

She picked up her purse...She dropped a piece of paper on the desk....

"That's my cousin's house,I'm staying there until I get a new apartment and a job, and my new phone number...Call me ,when you get through hating me..."she said and she walked out...

 "I don't...I don't hate you..." he said quietly....as she headed for the door...She turned and looked at him one last time..

 "I know you don't." she said....She began to cry again....

"I'm sorry Elwood...I'm sooo sorry." she said....

Elwood watched her as she walked out......His trousers were standing out like a tent....Why did she have to be so damn sexy? he asked...

Then his thoughts went to Zoey...If what she said was true...He had no idea where she lived or how to find her...How could he save her??? And then his phone rang..

"Elwood Barnes, Chief Counsel, Cyclops Insurance.." he said..

"Elwood...Don't get excited....This is Zoey...Zoey Easter....I would like to talk to you if you had a few minutes..." she said..

Was this a co-incidence? Divine Providence?? He wondered...

''What? Huh?"He said...His heart raced , he was already erect from Alexandria being there and stripping naked in his office, now just hearing Zoey's voice got him hard again...

"There's a Cantina ,I go to sometimes to relax, right of of Canal Street..Could you meet me there in a few hours?" she asked..

"SURE!!!" he said.. He tried to calm himself down....He grabbed a bottle of cold water from his mini fridge and put it on his forehead...

"Ohhhhhhhhhh God...I hate that I'm even doin this, but my sponser says I gotta...It's not for sex okay, So don't come here thinking that.."said Zoey...

"Of course not...I'll be there.." he said..

He hadn't heard from Zoey in three months...Hadn't stalked her either....He just felt so good hearing from her..

He felt as high as a kite....

III-

The Cantina was very tony, very nice, the type of place he'd expect that Zoey would like...

She saw him and waved him over...She looked and smelled amazing...

"Never thought I'd hear from you again...This is too much of a co-incidence..."he said..

"I ordered drinks...I know you don't drink Martini's." she said as the drinks arrived..Ignoring what he said.

He smiled..He usually didn't.....but today he thought he'd make an exception...He gulped two down...She was amazed....

"It's okay....I've needed to find you desperately for the past few days and you calling me was such a co-incidence..." said Elwood...

"Oh Really? Well let me just get this out....I'm in the last stage of my 12 step program...I've been clean for two years...My Sponser says that the last part is acceptance of myself ,faults and all and forgiveness....First off...I told Olivia, Beverly,Donnie Ray and Josie all about us...What we did in Ocean City...

I went over to their law firm one day last week and unburdened myself...I told them all that I could no longer keep this secret from them...I told them how sorry I was and I said I understood if they never wanted to associate with me ever...

"Oh Lord...I guess they were pissed huh?" said Elwood...

"Noooooooooo..Olivia hugged me and said she forgave me...and that she didn't care...She questioned my judgement...and I told her I questioned it too...the whole time..Then she hugged me, told me I was her good friend and that she still loved me..

She joked that if it had been Donnie Ray, then ,she'd of been pissed...

Beverly hugged me...She said that we all make mistakes...She told me about a guy who worked at the DMV that she got involved with who was married and had three other girlfriends...

before she started dating Nelson...

Josie told me that you tried to hit on her at Liv's birthday party....My god....You're a walking erection...

and Liv told me you tried to kiss her'"

"Donnie Ray was a prince...He hugged me and then made us all pancakes in Olivia's domicile upstairs...

We had Pancakes and Sausage and all of us had a good laugh.They told me about the night they saw you in Josie's drunk and crying and how you told them everything ,except my name...I guess I hurt you too!" said Zoey...

"Did you tell your boyfriend?" asked Elwood..ignoring what she said..He was ashamed he had been caught off guard ,emotionally like that...

"Yes...He wasn't so forgiving at first...

He acted a little crushed...but he's head over heels in love with me.....He wasn't crushed for long...Not long at all..He realized that all of that happened before he and I met....He came around..." she said.

"I figured he would!... Well I guess it all ended up good huh?" said Elwood...

"The most important thing is forgiveness Elwood...I hated you because you hurt me...I had to admit it first...I really had feelings for you ,I was going to give you my heart and you crushed it.."she said..

"Next to losing Olivia, I regret losing you more than anything in the world...I am so sorry for hurting you Zo, for what it's worth...."He said..

"Well I just had to get that out...I'm not going to sleep with you...I'm still with Lem and I don't think we can be friends or hang out...but I just wanted you to know that I forgive you...." said Zoey...

"And Zoey that's why I needed to see you....A guy...A rival businessman has been following me for months...He took photos of you and I on the beach that night, kissing and uh ruh of you giving me a hand job..He was trying to blackmail me...He was threatening to send them to Olivia....I hired a Private Investigator and we got the negatives, the zip drive and cleared all of his hard drives...but he's crazy...He told me he would slit your throat to get back at me...You could be in danger...You got any place you can go out of town until I sort this out..??" asked Elwood...

"ARE YOU SERIOUS??" asked Zoey.....

"He's dead serious!!!" said Steve Stansberry who put a blade to Zoey's throat....."You think you can ruin me, put me in the poor house Elwood and I not get back...I TOLD YOU, I TOLD YOU IF YOU DEFIED ME I'D SLIT HER THROAT!!!`I TOLD YOU!!!!"he said.

The few customers in the Cantina gasped and backed up.....

"Steve...Steve...Don't hurt her...Don't hurt her please....Take me...It's me you want...She didn't do anything to you...Please!!! Don't be a fool!!!!" said Elwood...

" WHO YOU CALLIN A FOOL ELWOOD??  TOOO LATE ELWOOD!!! TOO LATE!!!" he screamed..

"How did you find her anyway?? I didn't know where she was going to be......until she called..You cloned my phone you bastard!!! Didn't you???"said Elwood..

"No...you switched phones, remember ,you idiot?...I cloned HER phone...I've been tracking her for days..." he laughed maniacally...

A gunshot rang out....

Everybody ran for cover...

Steve dropped his blade.....Blood was running from his back straight to the floor..

Zoey ran into Elwoods arms...He hugged her..

"AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!...I don't believe it...I've been shot!  OHHHHHHHHHHHHH WHAT A DAY I'm having!!! Ughhhhhhhhhh!!" he said and pitched forward....He fell up against the counter...He tried to pour himself a glass of water, but the glass overflowed and he fell to the floor.....He was dead!!!

Alexandria Miller put her gun back in her purse and quietly walked out of the Cantina...

"Elwood, what the hell just happened?" asked Zoey...

"I think your life was saved..." said Elwood...

Zoey gave Elwood a passionate kiss....Her lips were so buttery soft, the way he remembered.....

"That's the last one I'm going to give you....Goodbye Elwood, thanks for being here..for me.."said Zoey...

IV-

Before she left, Zoey gave her statement to the police as they took the body of Steve Stansberry out of the Cantina...So did Elwood and by standers...He had put a knife to her throat and somebody had shot him in the back...

Since the Cantina was relatively new there were no cameras installed yet...and descriptions of the shooter was vague...

The story was written that he may have been under stress because his business had failed..Zoey said she'd never seen him or heard of him before...

But Elwood had seen the shooter...in the crowd..He knew it had been Alex.....He reckoned...if Zoey could forgive him for hurting her...He could forgive Alex....

EPILOUGE-

 Centaur Insurance went completely under....Practically all of their clients joined Cyclops Insurance...The new revenue brought Elwood, a hefty raise...which he split with Ronald and Bonnie Shay...He sent Kevin Morris a bonus check for his help!!!

The money that had been in the pocket account for safe keeping was transferred to Cyclops Insurance...

Elwood considered it, taking candy from a baby...He almost wished Steve Stansberry was still alive to see it...

Elwood eventually called Alex , a few days later!

and they met at a Hotel Room of his choosing..She wore the pink panties and the black thigh high fishnet pantyhose..his favorites..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh my god....I'm so sorry Elwood...Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu.."she moaned...as they kissed and he began taking her clothes off!

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh show me how sorry you are...ummmmmmmmmmmph!he said in between wet, sloppy and passionate kisses...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I will!"she moaned as he nearly grinded her through the wall

"Elwood, you are the horniest man...I've ever met.." she giggled...

Soon they were in bed, making sweet love....

This bed made as much if not more noise than Elwood's bed. The bed squeaked and was very loud....The headboard slammed against the wall and Elwood was louder than any man she'd ever been with...
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH, oUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU...Alex ,you were right...I DO LOVE YOU!!" he moaned...

"I know you do!!!!!....I love you tooo, ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"she cooed..

"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed out in passion!

"Elwood!! Please...The people in the room next door can hear us...It's not that good..." she said, embarrassed at the noise he was making...bad enough the bed was squeaking so loud and the headboard was about to fall off....

"Who you tellin ,it's not that good..??Sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmph!  OH LORD!!!!!" he cried out..

She giggled....

 "Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu Elwoood....Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." she cooed.

"I've never felt this good in MY LIFE!!! OHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed.....

"Liar...you told me that the last time we made love.."laughed Alex..

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh lawwwwwwwwwwwwd T WAS TRUEEEEE!" screamed Elwood..

"Elwood please...hush up all that noise,.." she laughed...but happy that they were making up!

SIX  TO SEVEN HOURS of sweet lovemaking  passed by slowly...

Elwood came so hard, he thought he was going to go blind...

It wasn't just him, Alex came hard too..

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu myyy goodness...WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! ELWOOD...I LOVE YOU!!!

" she wailed..

"I LOVE YOU TOO!!!!!" he heard himself yelling....

 Alex came and came hard....her body shaking, sweat and tears running down the side of her face......She fell asleep in Elwood's arms...still slightly stroking his penis...Elwood came again while she was doing this..She was feeling things she'd never felt before...

She woke up....She kissed the head of his penis and licked it and then took him in her mouth and began going up and down...He was hard again....

An HOUR AND A HALF of this was all he could stand....He exploded like a gusher....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu look at you!" she laughed...

"I love you Alex.." he said..

"I love you too Elwood!" she whispered to him.....and kissed him again.....

 Thy kissed passionately, Elwood found himself hard again and rolled over on top of her...

"Oh My god....ELWOOOD!" she exclaimed as he entered her again...

"Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" he moaned...

"My goodness Elwood..." she said, laughing....

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu..." she moaned....

They began making love again....THREE   TO FOUR HOURS LATER....Elwood and Alexandria came and came together furiously...

"Ouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!" they both moaned....Sweating profusely and holding each other..

Elwood was out of breath and hanging over the bed....completely destroyed.....

''Alex...I've changed my mind...I want you to move in with me.." he said..

"Okay!" she said quietly...

She laughed....She had told him he loved having sex with her more than being mad at her...She was right...They both drifted off to sleep!

This time when he woke up, Alex was still naked and still in his arms...Sleeping quietly and he was alright with that...He didn't want her to go....