Don't Look Like a Seal Pt. 04

"I guess when you put it that way, I am too." Alex nodded. "So we're good then?"

"We're fine, Alex," Mr. Voss nodded. "I'll let you get back to it but let me know when Ken returns will you? I want to make sure he's all right."

"Yes sir and thank you," He stated with a nod.

"Alex, come back and have a drink with me a little later huh? You look like you can use it," Mr. Voss told him.

"I'll do that, sir," Alex assured him.

He nodded then, as he left the study, Joe chimed into his earbud.

"Are we fired?" Joe asked.

"No, we're good," Alex assured him. "We dodged a bullet today but we're all right for now. I'm on my way to you."

Joe breathed a sigh of relief.

"Good, I was dreading that I would have to take this whole system back out. Do you have any idea how long that would take me?" He asked.

"I know how long it took you to put it in. I signed the check that paid you for the time," Alex chuckled.

"Yeah, like double that," Joe sighed. "Glad that we don't have to worry about that now."

Alex reached Joe's room and Joe opened the door for him.

"Yes, we were lucky," Alex said. "What did you find out on the other thing?"

"There are a lot of overseas ventures," Joe answered and handed Alex a large stack of folders. "And these just over the last few months."

"Damn," Alex muttered.

"That's just from Voss Shipping because that's the one with the most contacts overseas. I could easily quadruple that stack if you want me to get into Voss Chemical and Voss Enterprise as well," Joe shared.

"Wait, I thought it was just Voss Enterprise where did shipping and chemical come into it?" Alex asked.

"Voss Enterprise is the main company but it fathered two off shoots, shipping and chemical several years back. They don't advertise as the three separate entities probably for tax reasons or some such. I'm not very well versed in that arena," Joe explained.

"Did you find any Russian connections in the shipping area?"

"There seems to be some Ukrainian company that's sent inquiries about doing business with the shipping side but so far there's nothing official," Joe said.

"Ukrainian? What's the company do?" Alex asked.

"There the odd thing. I can't find out. Have a look at this," Joe nodded toward his laptop.

He tapped at his keyboard and an official looking website came up for the company.

"All it says is Striving for a better tomorrow but it doesn't say what exactly they do. I tried running down the URL's but it's a dead end but most anything in that part of the world is so it could be something or it could be nothing," he told him.

"Keep digging into it Joe," Alex told him. "I want to know what they want with the Voss'. Did all of our people check out?"

"For the most part," He answered.

"The most part?" Alex asked. "Who's got Russian connections that work here?"

"Well you and Grayson for starters but I assume you knew that already," Joe stated.

"Yes, our team had dealings in the former Soviet Union so you can skip the two of us," Alex stated. "Who else?"

"There's a maid. Inga. She's from Helsinki but she checks out. She's been in the U. S. for nearly twenty years now and no visits back to the homeland. Other than that, no one that works here has any ties to Russia," He reported.

"Okay good." He said then noticed an uneasy look on Joe's face. "What is it Joe?"

"I checked the family too, just to be thorough and when Addison was overseas a few months back her trip took her to Belarus but I don't know why she'd go there," He shared.

"Is that her itinerary there?" Alex asked as he pointed to a folder with Addison's name on it.

Joe nodded and handed it over.

"This is her official one and, as you can see, there was no trip scheduled there but here are her credit card charges and you can see on these dates, here through here that she's in Belarus. Why would she hide a trip there?" He asked.

"I don't know but I plan on finding out," Alex told him as he looked over the documents.

"I don't like this. It feels like I'm spying on my own family or something," Joe complained.

"I know, Joe. I hate I had to ask you to do it but if it can save lives it's worth it," Alex told him.

"Yeah, I know but I don't have to like it," Joe sighed.

"Neither do I," Alex sighed. "Joe, thanks for this. I'll look over this and see if anything pops out at me."

"All right and I'll look into the other two companies and see if I come up with anything," Joe told him. "Do you want me to give you a call when Grayson returns?"

"I'm sticking around until he shows so we aren't shorthanded," Alex told him.

"Okay, boss, I'll let you know if anything happens." Joe said but Alex barely heard him.

He was already reading through Addison's overseas trip. He mumbled his thanks as he headed out into the hallway already wondering where would be a good spot to take these folders and look them over.

"The guesthouse would work but Grayson's probably got the key on him." He thought. "Maybe I'll try the pool and if anyone asks, I can just say it's company paperwork. They'll buy it, I'm sure."

* * *

"I don't buy it," Scott said as he sat propped up in his new room at the hospital. "The Grayson I know wouldn't have had his ass handed to him by four guys with just knives."

"It was five guys and one of them was huge," I argued to no avail.

It had been like this since Michelle insisted we come up and see Scott once the ER doctor cleared me with the same orders that Chloe gave us already. Michelle was a little miffed that I refused to stay overnight for observation but once the doctor explained that all they would do would be the same things that she could do herself she was fine with it.

"How did you not blow something up?" T.J. added and turned to Michelle. "Are you positive nothing exploded?"

"I guess the window kind of exploded when he went flying through it. Does that count?" She asked.

"Oh that so counts. I knew it!" T.J. started laughing.

"No, no, no," Ramon stopped them. "The real question is how in the world did Grayson here not land in water at an aquarium?"

"Now you're going to start?" I grumbled while being ignored.

"It figures that the one place that he wouldn't land in water is at a place that has tons of water," Scott joked right along with the rest.

"See what you started. I told you coming up here after the emergency room was a bad idea. I took a beating earlier and this is just a continuation of it," I complained to Michelle as my three oldest friends continued to yuk it up.

"This is payback and you know what for so don't play the innocent victim with me, mister," Michelle stated which caused Lissa to give her a questioning look. "Sorry Lis, I can't say anything more than that for now. He's taking enough teasing as it is."

"What did you do, Grayson?" T. J. questioned.

"It was a pretty full day for me, T. J.," I told him. "I'm not really sure which thing she's talking about."

Michelle glared at me until I winked at her then she smiled.

"Oh so there were multiple infractions were there?" Ramon asked and started to rub his knuckles. "Michelle, just say the word and I'll take him outside and teach him some manners."

"I think he's been through enough today. I've been able to handle him all right so far," She said. "If he gets out of hand again I will let you know."

"Who am I supposed to call if you get out of hand?" I asked with a grin.

"I don't get out of hand and if I did the only person you'd be calling was God to thank him for bringing me into your life." She stated.

The guys all hooted and laughed at that as I shook my head. Lissa looked at her and couldn't believe she was looking at the same quiet girl she had known all these years. The smiling and joking nature had always been there but so few people got to see it before. Now there was a room full of people that were practically strangers to her experiencing the Michelle she had always known and loved.

"Oh that?" I asked. "I did that like five minutes after I met you."

It was Michelle's turn to blush red but Lissa jumped in before she could come up with a witty rejoinder.

"Okay, you had better be telling me what exactly happened, Michelle," Lissa told her.

"I'll have to think about it. Depends on how nice Kenny can be to me until we get back to Addison's," Michelle smiled.

"I let you bring me to the hospital didn't I?" I asked.

"And drive your precious car, don't forget that. I am just a girl after all." She needled me with the No Doubt song from earlier.

"She drove? She moved the seat didn't she," T. J. asked oblivious to the joke. "All women move the seat."

"And adjust the mirrors seven times then look at themselves in the mirror," Scott chimed in.

"Keep talking buster and I'll have you back downstairs taking your meals through a straw," Lissa warned him playfully.

"Uh, you didn't let me finish, baby," Scott cleared his throat. "I was going to say which is great because I love how you look."

"Nice catch, lover boy." Lissa shook her head. "Now quiet all of you, I want to talk to Michelle. Honey, while I'm glad you guys can joke about it now; today sounds like it was a hell of an ordeal, especially for you and Karly."

"I'm not going to lie and say I wasn't scared out of my wits but I knew as long as we stuck together that we'd be all right," Michelle shared.

"You two did great today," I told her. "You're the one that spotted the car outside of Scott's place."

"I still can't believe someone was watching our home." Lissa stated then shook as if overtaken by a sudden chill.

"For what it's worth, they weren't there when we first got there. They showed up while we were inside so they have eyes somewhere outside the estate. We've been the only people at your place. It's safe," I assured her.

"Everything looked just like we left it, Lis. No one had been in there since we got you cleaned up," Michelle assured her friend as well.

"Thank you," She said. "Thank you both but it still creeps me out knowing they just showed up like that."

"Ken, did you find anything that might make this make any kind of sense?" Scott asks.

"Nothing at your place," I told him. "This is looking to be about the Voss' and not about us."

"You're sure they weren't watching our place?" Lissa asked.

"They could have been after Karly this time and followed us from the estate or maybe they thought we might lead them back to Addison. They probably thought I was you," Michelle postulated.

"You're a full head taller than me, Michelle," Lissa pointed out.

"Lissa, they were a fifty yards away and sitting in a car, I doubt they were able to make that distinction," She stated.

"I suppose that makes sense. After you started wearing contacts people thought we were sisters so I see your point," Lissa said.

"Damn, now that you mention it you two do look like you could be related," Ramon commented.

"We act like it too so if Kenny there gets out of control again he'll have to deal with me too." Lissa joked.

"I have you to thank for all of this," I told Michelle "The concussion and the stitches too from you leaving me there to fight off those guys. You'd think you'd defend me a little more or something."

"Oh that's it. Come here, Lis," Michelle told her.

Lissa went over to her and Michelle whispered in her ear for a few moments. Once she was done Lissa cut her eyes at me.

"An accident huh?" She asked.

"Oh that." I said. "That was totally an accident and I apologized for it. I was falling over at the time. She caught me and well... it... happened."

"Should I tell her the other part?" Michelle teased.

"There was no other part," I said. "I'm sure of that."

"The part where you said you wouldn't take it back," She reminded me.

"Oh that part," I smiled. "Yeah, I still won't take it back. I just wish I could remember what it felt like."

"Go ahead and give her another squeeze Kenny, I'm sure she won't mind," Lissa giggled.

"First Addison gives you permission to flirt all you want with me and now this. I think I should leave you here so I'm safe." Michelle shook her head.

"Don't leave him here! "Scott's heart rate monitor will blow up or something," T. J. chuckled.

"Michelle, if you get me out of here and away from these jokers I promise to keep my hands and mouth to myself," I told her. "Ok well mostly to myself... All right, I'll still flirt but that's just human nature right?"

"See Lis," Michelle sighed. "He's impossible."

"Sounds like it," Lissa agreed. "I'm going to keep an eye on you buster. You just watch yourself around my friend. Is that understood?"

"Yes, ma'am." I turned to Scott and hoped to find away to end this conversation. "When are they letting you out of this place?"

"End of the week at the earliest is what I'm being told but you know doctors," He answered.

"They just want to make sure you don't end up like me." I told him which garnered laughed from the guys.

"Yeah, Scott, you don't want to go to amusement parks, start fights, get knives stuck in you then tossed out a window, do you?" Ramon asked.

"Hey!" I stated angrily which caused Ramon to shrink a little. "It's a research facility slash amusement park, Ramon, get it right."

The others all laughed when I grinned at Ramon who nodded to Michelle.

"Sorry Michelle, research facility slash amusement park," He corrected.

"That's better but I meant that he didn't want to have to start working for Alex again," I chuckled.

That got bigger laughs.

"No chance in that," Scott agreed.

He had started to look tired and frankly so was I but I had another ten hours of awake time ahead of me.

"Guy's we should probably head out of here and let Scott get some rest," I suggested.

"Yeah, I've got to meet my lady once her shift ends here in a few minutes anyway," Ramon said.

"Is this the same one from ICU or a new one?" I asked.

"Same one," He answered. "Come on, amigo, you know I'm a one woman man."

"One for each hour the way I remember it," I commented.

"I'm more like that vitamin," He smiled. "One a day, baby."

"Settling down in your old age huh, Ramon? Good for you buddy." I chided him.

"Screw you, Grayson," He chuckled.

"No thanks I'm good," I smiled.

"Michelle, you'd better get him out of here before his mouth writes a check his body can't cash," Ramon told her.

Michelle took me by my arm and tugged it.

"Come on, Kenny," She said. "Quit teasing Ramon before he pops you one."

"He wouldn't notice if he did. Ramon hits like a girl nowadays," T. J. called out.

He was met by a chorus of angry Hey's from Ramon, Michelle and Lissa.

"Oh shit, guys help me out," he said.

I shook my head.

"No way, pal," I said. "I've heard what Michelle can do with a volleyball and I'm not getting Wilson tattooed across my head."

"Yeah, Kenny and I are too injured to defend a dumb ass comment like that." Scott stated then, when Lissa gave him a look he amended it. "Not that we would because it was a bad, bad comment... for shame T. J., for shame."

I cracked up and so did the others, so much so that the on duty nurse came to the room to shush us.

"We should be making ourselves scarce. Michelle, you ready?" I asked her.

"Whenever you are, Kenny," She said.

She got to her feet, hugged Lissa then stooped over and kissed Scott on the cheek.

"Lissa needs you, Scottie, so you keep getting better okay? She needs you around to watch out for her," she told her.

"I'll do what I can. And you keep an eye on Kenny for me. Make sure he doesn't go flying out anymore windows," He whispered to her.

She smiled as she glanced back at me.

"I'll do what I can but you know how he gets," She joked.

"Yeah, I do. Why do you think I asked you to look out for him?" He smiled.

"Because I'm blonde and he likes blondes," She twirled her hair.

"He likes you. I think you could be blonde, brunette or redhead and it wouldn't matter to him one bit at this point," Scott told her.

"It's just a bonus for him that I'm blonde then," Michelle winked. "See you later, Sailor man."

****

As Michelle and I waited for the elevator I felt that I should say something about what Scott had told her.

"You know Scott was just teasing you about looking out for me," I said.

"I've seen how well you are on your own, Kenny. I think you can use all the help you can get," She joked.

"Yeah I was really impressive today huh?" I tried and make it sound like another joke but failed.

This whole day, everything that had happened had caught up with me and I felt like a huge screw up. Michelle could tell my change in tone and almost said something but the elevator doors opened and several people stared out at us. I started to get on but Michelle pulled me back.

"We'll get the next one." She told them.

The passengers looked confused and a little annoyed but the doors closed before any of them said anything.

"Not claustrophobic are you?" I asked her.

"No, just wanted to know what you meant by what you said before the doors opened," She answered.

"I'm just tired is all," I lied.

Her face darkened, she grabbed me by my arm and pulled me into the nearby stairwell. The echo of the door shutting behind me reminded me of a cell door being closed with the finality of the metal on metal sound.

"Damn it, Kenny, don't ever lie to me. I hate the way it makes me feel when someone lies right to my face," She said angrily.

"Michelle, I'm sorry. It's just... hell, it's just not my day is all but I am sorry about all of it," I apologized.

"Only be sorry for lying to me, the rest... well the rest isn't all your fault you know? I mean come on Kenny, you took on five guys today and they had knives, you don't honestly think that any of us think less of you because you got hurt do you?" She asked.

"No, but you should think less of me because I could have gotten you killed today. If I had just taken you and Karly to the estate then went to Scott's on my own none of this would have happened, you wouldn't have been in any danger," I stated.

"You mean Karly and I wouldn't have been in danger don't' you?" She asked while she stared into my eyes.

"Sure, whichever," I shrugged. "The point is that I'm not thinking straight. I take you guys out of the protection of the estate. I refuse another guard go with us then I don't call in when we're sure we're being followed. I treated this like some damn action movie. I have you and Karly lying to cover for me and you shouldn't have had to do that. That's why I told them the truth so if they want to fire me when we get back they can. I'd understand if they did."

"Kenny, he's not going to fire you. You kept us safe as best you could," She tried to reassure me.

"My best isn't good enough. I could have got you killed today. I could have got Karly killed or worse and for what? Another fuzzy image that probably won't lead any damn where!" I shouted.

"You don't know if it will lead anywhere or if it won't," She said. "You're tired and you're beating yourself up over today. You've barely took a breath since we left breakfast. That's why I wanted you to spend some time with your friends. You needed to calm down so you can think clearly."

"Clearly," I sighed. "That's a... joke."

That was when something hit me or rather something that had been said earlier hit me. The Russian tattoos and the epithet hurled at me as I, myself was being hurled out the window just a few hours ago.

"Kenny, it's not a damn joke," She cursed.

"No, no it's a clue," I smiled then hugged her.

It hurt where I had been cut but I didn't care. I had a lead.

"Um, Kenny?" She asked but her arms had gone around me as well.

"You are as brilliant as you are beautiful," I told her with a smile.

"Oookay," She said confused. "Is everything all right with you? Do we need to go back down to the ER?"