Elements of Love

By Atlee Sebastian

Mike Beaumont, a CIA agent, undergoes a flash black where he was molested as a young boy, which sent him on a journey to confront pedophiles. He enlisted assistance from a dark haired beauty and they, within a few days, found they had similar goals and aspirations. And during their time together they developed a long lasting relationship while learning that love is difficult to identify, hard to define and at times impossible to ignore.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 4, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796036879

Book preview

Los Angeles

Mike Beaumont climbed into his Toyota Camry, in full pant, feeling the results of his five-mile run. The slight mist in the air had co-mingled with his sweat from jogging and the combination of the two water films gave him a slight chill. He removed the moisture beaded on his forehead using a small red golf towel handed out at a recent charity event. It was a moneymaker put on by the PTA at a local elementary school. The little, red towel was a contribution from the Roosevelt Municipal golf course, the same course he ran around in Griffith Park.

He wasn’t sure about the five miles, but running Commonwealth Canyon Drive up to Vista Del Valle Drive, switching over to Mt. Hollywood Drive and then down to Vermont Canyon Drive and back to his car would have to be at least five miles. Regardless, it was enough to give him the workout he needed. He felt a tingle in every muscle.

The workout had opened the pores in his skin, letting out some of the poison trapped there. He had to get rid of those extra pounds. Watching his diet and increasing his run time would melt ten away and make him feel better as a byproduct. Not running the past several weeks and eating fast foods were the culprits that had brought them to him and now it would take extra work and a little pain to send them away. A hundred and ninety pounds was his limit. His six feet one inch height could not carry any more without it collecting around his waist. There were strict requirements for his job with the CIA, and weight was at the top of the list of the physical fitness parameters set by the agency. He was already at the top of the weight range. Ten pounds would not cause a red flag, but fifteen would and he had no intention of going there.

He drove out of the parking area, turned right onto Los Feliz Blvd. and traveled down it until he ran into N Western Ave. He glanced at the clock on the dash and saw the green digital numbers of six forty-five, a bad time to be on the road in Los Angeles. The traffic of people going to work filled the roads, making his movement slow, and it would take a few minutes of careful driving to get back to his apartment. Getting angry with the fast-driving lunatics he met would only aggravate his already dismal outlook of his new assignment.

The sun had risen above the horizon casting long shadows, and the sky had begun to change it hues from the morning grey to moonstone blue, which was giving the west-coast day a good start. Maybe things were on the upswing and his feeling of gloom would melt away.

He drove down N Western until it met the intersection with West 3rd Street, and then he turned right. He turned in at the 7-11 near his apartment at the Palazzo at Park La Brea. While walking in he thought, I might like Los Angeles, if I could ever get used to all these people and that darn traffic—quite a contrast to his home state of Virginia.

The last six months had been a tough learning experience, but he was getting acclimated and his new assignment was not as bad as he had thought it would be. Opening the door to the beverage cooler, he began searching for a bottle of Gatorade to quench his thirst. He pulled out an orange bottle and walked to the checkout counter, where he had to wait for a gentleman checking out in front of him. When the man turned to go, Mike got a good look at his profile. His face was familiar and within a few seconds, he had a flash back to an incident that took place when he was eight years old.

His face flushed, his breathing became quick and spasmodic, anger welled up inside him and his balled up fists became white knuckled. When he stepped to the counter to pay, the clerk asked, Sir are you all right?

Mike exhaled with an almost inaudible breath, while he took out two one-dollar bills from his money clip, placed it on the counter and walked to the door. Mike got a good look at the man as he walked in front of him. The frontal look told him it was the face of the devil, the son-of-a-bitch who had molested him years ago. He had not thought of it for all those years and now the memory was as fresh as yesterday.

He walked out as the man’s car drove away. He read the tag number, repeated it several times to place it in his brain in a couple of different places. He walked to his car, wrote down the tag number on the back of an invoice received for tires purchased the week before. He started the car and pulled out of the 7-11 and fell in behind the man’s car.

He quickly closed the distance to the Buick Lacrosse. They drove by the Palazzo and continued down West Third. The Buick turned right on San Vicente went a few blocks and then turned left on Burton Way and into the heart of Beverly Hills. Mike watched the Buick turn into a medical complex and park in a private parking space.

Mike slowly drove in behind him, watched the man get out of his car, heard the beep signaling that the car was locked and saw him stride toward the front entrance. Mike waited a couple of minutes, got out and walked inside. He stopped at the building’s directory and scanned down the list looking for a familiar name from the past. There it was listed beside the title of cosmetic dentistry.

Just seeing the word dentistry sent a flash of anger that caused his eyes to glisten.

He could remember crying after getting out of that damn funny chair. He could feel the hands pushed down inside his pants.

He wasn’t sure he could control himself. The memory of the incident had to have been repressed because he hadn’t thought of it all these years. He had never told anyone about it. His stepfather was furious when Mike refused to go back to that dentist and his mother had to drive to a nearby community for him to get dental service. Mike walked into the man’s office and was greeted by a young lady receptionist.

May I help you? she asked.

Mike quickly phrased, "I am new to this area and was exploring the medical service that is available and close by. Mike was scanning the office layout as he spoke.

The lady gave Mike an once-over inspection taking in his workout sweats and his muddy jogging shoes, and she made a quick judgment about his financial capability and said, Dr. Johansson is not taking on new patients. She saw Mike’s demeanor take on a chagrin, then a sardonic smile and she added, From the look of your smile, you don’t need his services.

`Just what kind of Dentist is he? asked Mike.

He’s a prosthodontist.

Mike raised a question with just his eyebrows.

The young lady responded, He specializes in esthetic and reconstructive dentistry. Crowns, caps, fixed bridges and implants are mostly what he does. Occasionally, he does a temporomandibular joint disorder, but most of the time he will refer those to another prosthodontist.

Mike thanked the lady and walked out. He checked for cameras and an alarm system as he left. An ADT decal was attached to the glass panel next to the access door. The decal was all he needed to set a plan in motion.

Mike got back in his car, took a swig of his Gatorade and just sat there for a few minutes. He had to get control of his emotions, let his mind work, and mentally outlined the steps needed to delve into the man’s activities. He keyed his blackberry seeking the location of ADT and a business address came up on the display. He needed to go by his apartment, shower, put on something appropriate and pay ADT a visit. This is where he could get the information he needed. First he would pay a visit to the field office and requisition a few supplies needed to satisfy the scheme.

A little past nine Mike walked through the door of the field office and stopped at a desk at the rear of the room. This is where Marie, a field agent, worked for the Science and Technology Department. She knew every gadget they had, what it was used for, and every technical aspect of it. The chair behind the desk was empty and standing back a couple of feet. Mike scanned the room for her. Evidently she had stepped away.

Mike had to be careful. He didn’t want this to be an active case. He wanted to have sole possession of it. His plans were sketchy, not quite put together and he wasn’t sure what he might uncover or how far he might go with them. His ire was still extremely high, causing tension in every muscle. At times it makes the small muscles in his arm twitch, a new feeling for him. Usually he was calm even in stressful situations, never personalizing his work, but this was different. It had emotion attached to it. Strong emotion. He had to deal with it.

Marie came through the hall door, tugging at the back of her skirt. A psychomotor, involuntary fidget making an assumed need to adjust. Ensuring that everything was in its place and nothing was stuck where it shouldn’t be.

As soon as she got within a few feet, she said, "Hey Mike, what’s going on?

I need a little help with surveillance. Mike said.

Shoot. Marie gave a quick response.

I want to place a surveillance camera in an office and I need software to monitor from a computer at a remote location.

"That won’t be a problem. Is this an active case?

No, just some suspicious behavior that I want to check out. Mike watched Marie to see if she showed any concern. Since she did not, he didn’t offer anything further.

Marie keyed several stokes into her desktop IMAC and said, It will take a few minutes to gather the equipment. Are you going to wait?

Yeah, I want to get this thing started. Mike walked over to the coffee urn and poured a cup while Marie went down the hall to the small storage area in the back of the office complex. The coffee had a good taste, a special blend that had a hint of cocoa, citrus and lavender. He wondered what brand it was. He opened the bottom of the cabinet and saw a package from Starbucks that said, Smoky-sweet Italian Roast. It took away the after taste of the Gatorade he had been sipping on. He filed the name in his memory bank.

Marie walked back into the office with a small pasteboard box, placed it on a worktable and pulled out a computer software disc and said, Just download this disc to the computer you are going to monitor, it’s the Host Module and has HM written on it. She pulled out another disc and said, Download this disc to your computer, it’s the Administrative Module and you are in business."

She pointed to the letters A and M written on its side. This software is kind of special. It won’t give any identifying icons, it won’t give an address and the owner will not know it is on his computer. It is even shielded from the control panel, documents or other network files he has installed. It cannot be removed without the special password you use when you install it. It is unique. It will give you access to everything coming in and going out from the computer. It will find and sort all passwords ever used from the beginning to the present. Neat, huh? It requires a network if it’s not online.

How about the camera? Mike asked. Marie pulled out a small piece of equipment and said, This is a pinhole camera that is attached to the keyboard of the computer. It replaces the F6 function key. It operates independently of the function key and does not alter the use of the key. You can monitor it with your admin module. There are several shells to choose from. You will need to match the color. How about that?

It’s great. Do I need to sign for this? Mike used his hand to do a wave circle around the box.

I won’t need that until you can give me a name to go with your surveillance. Mike put the equipment back into the box, and said, See you later.

Mike pulled into the parking lot of ADT. He entered the building and approached the receptionist. When she looked up and gave him the once over, he asked, "May I see the manager?

He’s off today, but the assistant manager is in. Will she do?

She’ll be fine.

The receptionist pushed a button on the office intercom and said, There’s a gentleman here to see you.

Mike heard a lady respond. Have him come in.

The receptionist pointed to a small corridor with a nail file she was using and said, Second door on the left.

Mike thanked the lady and turned to the hall. As he approached, the second door opened and a shapely brunette stepped out, saw Mike, stepped toward him, and extended her hand while saying, Peggy Whiteside.

Mike took the long, slender fingers of her soft hand and said, Mike Beaumont.

Peggy Whiteside stepped back into her office, pointed to a sofa chair in front of her desk and told Mike to have a seat. She followed and sat in the matching chair beside Mike and asked, What can I do for you?

Mike pulled out his CIA identification handed it to Peggy and said, I want to conduct surveillance on a business you have under contract.

Do you have a court order for the surveillance?"

I will have.

Come see me when you have it. She stood with a facial grimace, signaling him not to waste her time.

I was hoping to get a little information from you so that I can give the judge the right information about my surveillance so he can authorize it correctly.

What information? She asked.

Just information about the services you provide.

Can you be more specific?

Just consider me a small business owner and give me the spiel you would normally give.

Peggy sat down and began. Well let’s see. We have fire and smoke detection, motion detection sensors for intrusions, digital video recorders, security cameras, remote viewing, access management, radio frequency identification, and two-way audio verification. And we have a few more items we use for specific industries. She stopped and looked at Mike and said, That covers our standard protocols. Is that what you wanted?"

Can you disarm your system from a remote location? Mike asked.

Sure, and reset it if there is a need.

Mike knew all of this, but he was setting the stage for the information he would need about that particular location. He asked, Can the owner deactivate the system from his location?

Her eyebrows lowered and her upper lip pulled in tight as she asked. I’m sure you know all of this. Why are you putting me through this?

Mike looked at her a fairly long time and decided to take her into his confidence. I’m going to give you some information about a potential case and you can judge the merits of it and then decide if you can assist me. It must be confidential and exist only between you and me. Can I have your acceptance and agreement on this?

As long as it isn’t illegal.

It’s not at the moment and I won’t involve you on any aspect of it should it go there.

"That’s fair. So what is it?

I saw a man this morning that sent me back to a time when I was eight years old and sitting in a dental chair where I was molested. Mike was watching her facial expressions to get a feel from her. He was getting a clue as to how far he should go with this. His emotions were still high, but he was in control of them. He told her, He is a pedophile and I want to see if he is active and if children in this area are at risk.

You can get a court order and I can provide you with all the information you need.

She made and kept eye contact as she repeated her stand.

Mike responded. That’s true, but, if I do that, then I will be removed from the case because I was a victim of his, which could create a problem, if and when it goes to court, and I want to be involved.

Peggy sat back in her chair and crossed her arms. So you want to see what he’s about now. Is that it? That’s about it.

All right, I will give you what you need to gain access to his system and how to close it down and reset it. I don’t want to know who he is or anything about what you are doing.

You have my word.

And, if I want to check on your credentials, how do I go about that?

Mike took out a pen and wrote down a number. And said, Call this number and ask for Mike Beaumont. This is the phone number in our office down town. Call and ask any question you want.

Peggy took the slip of paper and asked, "You’re not going to kill him, are you?

Mike replied with more emotion than he wanted, No, even though I may want to.

Well, that makes me feel better. Peggy stood, walked to her desk and took out a booklet that explained the equipment they used and how it operated, along with a client list and their service contract. She remained standing and said, I want this back in twenty-four hours. Don’t give it to anyone but me and make sure I am alone when you return it. She remained standing, signaling that the meeting was over.

As soon as Mike walked out of her office, she dialed the number he had written down. She heard, This is Marie, how may I help you.

I want to know if you have an agent named Mike Beaumont?

Who wants to know? Marie asked as she looked down at the phone display and saw the number and name displayed on the phone tracker.

I do. I just talked with an individual who said he was Mike Beaumont and wanted me to help him with surveillance.

Marie had just talked with Mike less than an hour ago when he was getting the equipment to use with surveillance so she was sure Mike had given this lady her number, since it was unlisted and she seldom got a call from anyone outside the agency. She said, I believe you were talking to Mike.

"Can you tell me something about him?

I don’t give out information about our agents, but I’m curious. What did you have in mind?

Is he married?

Not that I know.

"Do you know his age?

Marie had a hard time not snickering, but managed to say, We are not allowed to give out personal data.

Peggy hesitated then said, Just say yes or no to my questions, and you won’t be giving out any personal data. Is he older than thirty?

Marie nearly giggled, but held her composure and said, Yes.

Peggy then asked, Is he younger than forty?

I think so.

Is he involved in a relationship?

I don’t think so. At least nothing to suggest that has shown up here.

Peggy was trying hard to think of something else to ask, when Marie said, He is kind of easy on the eyes isn’t he?

It was Peggy who snickered out loud while saying, You can say that again.

You want to give me your name. Maybe I can help a little down the road.

I’m Peggy Whiteside. I have a PhD in Clinical Psychology from Argosy University. I am single, come from a good family, have a brother and sister, both younger than me and I attend church on Sunday. I live by myself and find it hard to meet nice eligible bachelors. I will not resort to communicating with computer Geeks who attempt to pair couples for a fee.

Marie was taking notes and when Peggy stopped, Marie said, Are you easy on the eyes?

I’m just a healthy, normal looking girl who is an exercise nut.

Marie asked, Dress size?

Peggy said, I wear a six.

Height? asked Marie.

Five nine.

Weight? asked Marie.

Peggy harrumphed, but answered, 142. Now that as far as I’m going.

Marie laughed and said, I’ve gotten enough.

Peggy laughed and said, I don’t believe I just did that.

You’re not alone with that girl. It’s the in thing to do. If something develops, I will be in touch. I can reach you at ADT right?

Regrettably, that’s where I spend most of my life, but yes, that works for me. Thanks, Marie.

Mike sat in his La-Z-Boy recliner mulling over the steps he needed to take. He wanted to give Peggy a little time to ponder over what he had said to her. He wondered if the personal touch had made an impression on her. She was a good-looking woman and she handled herself quite well. Getting her help would allow him to delve into this man’s activities to the degree he wanted. He knew what he was doing was outside the parameters set by the agency and when he did something like this for them, he had a protective shield around him. Going alone on this surveillance puts his job at risk, and maybe his freedom, but he had to do it. The job was no big deal, but his freedom was. If he could disarm that security system; it would go a long way to protecting his escapade. Regardless, he was going forward. He opened the manual from ADT and began to read. The words printed on the first page identified the names of businesses under contract. He used his finger to scroll down the list until he came to small businesses. Finally, he got to the dentist office in Hollywood. He scanned the three-page document that described the service they were getting. He double-checked the address and knew immediately that he had found what he was looking for. He made a mental note of the type of service that was installed, identified the equipment being used and returned to the page that gave the overriding disarming code for that location. Simple to do when you have the codes, he thought. He was in business. He wrote the information down in his code. Anyone who saw the code would not have a clue as to what it was. It was a simple procedure taught at the agency-rotate one letter with the first word, rotate two with the second and three with the third, and then repeat the sequence. It was a code he had used a hundred times before in training and not once had it been needed in the real world. He had nervous energy. He was anxious to get started. chomping at the bit and his grandfather would say, and simultaneous tell him to show a little patience. Good advice he would heed now. He just sat there for a spell, reminiscing about his time he had spent with his grandfather. Pops, the endearing name he had always called him, had really been a father to him. He took the place of his dad who was killed in car wreck. Mike began to visualize the house, the barns, and the cattle, the place where he stayed with his step dad. It had gotten really bad during his preteen years, which caused him to leave and move in with his grandparents. He never saw what his mom saw in Jim. And, the fact she never came to his defense when old Jim got on his high horse, was the catalyst that ruined the relationship he had with her. Yeah, Pops was the man. His advice rang in his ears now. Go slow young man. His thoughts returned to Peggy. She was a looker. And the way she stood up and gave him his comeuppance when he threaded on her territory showed she had spunk. He thought she had an interest in him by the way she kept checking him out and the change of expression on her face when he told her about his eight-year-old experience in the dental chair. Maybe she caught him looking at her left hand to see if she were wearing a wedding ring. He raised his eyebrows and his head to solidify his thoughts, a gesture to himself, that the situation was something to explore. His grandfather’s advice would serve him well in this arena too.

ADT Office

9:10 a.m.

Mike walked through the door to ADT at the receptionist’s desk. When she looked up, he said he would like to see Peggy.

The receptionist pushed the button on her desk intercom and said, Peggy, you have a visitor. She looked at Mike and she added, The same gentleman who saw you yesterday.

Mike heard the response from Peggy, Have him come in.

He saw the lady’s hand gesture waving him to the hall he had used the day before.

He turned and walked toward it, even quicker than yesterday. There she stood outside her door, waiting for him to arrive. No hand extended this time, just a pointing to the inside, telling him to enter. Do you have my booklet? She asked.

Mike nodded and said, It’s in this. He pulled out a manila envelope from under his sweatshirt and handed it to her.

She opened the envelope, scanned its contents, pulled out the booklet, flipped through the pages, and then put it back in her desk drawer. She looked at Mike who was giving her the once over. She realized what he was doing and said, Did you get what you needed?

Yes I did. Thanks.

Is there anything else I can do for you? She watched him closely, looking for something to latch onto. She didn’t want to end the conversation, but she didn’t want to appear forward either.

Mike hesitated. Then he said, I was just wondering if I could repay your good deed by taking you out for dinner?

Peggy hesitated and then answered Mike. I need to know a little bit about you before I can respond to your invitation.

Ask away.

Why don’t you give me a brief history of yourself and I will focus on the items where I need to narrow the field to learn some specifics?

Mike liked her approach. He had called Marie to ask a question about the software he had gotten the day before and she told him of Peggy’s interest. Marie didn’t elaborate, but she let him know that Peggy was asking personal questions about him and she told him that Peggy was showing an interest. She shared with Mike that Peggy had a degree from Argosy. After he got off the phone with Marie, he called a friend in the registrar’s office of Argosy and got Peggy vita. It was nice to have friends in places where you could get good information. He kept eye contact with Peggy and began with, I graduated from the University of Virginia with a degree in computer science, served in the Army for two years, was recruited by the CIA and have worked there ever since. You painted that with a rather broad stroke. Where did you grow up?

My father was killed in a car wreck when I was eight years old. My mom remarried and her husband and I never meshed. My grandparents raised me from a small boy of twelve and I stayed with them until I went into service. They paid for my college education and they are the only family I claim. They lived on a little farm on the outskirts of Glen Allen outside of Richmond, Virginia.

"What about your mom?

I haven’t spoken with her since I was twelve. That chapter of my life is behind me.

Peggy put her training to work without even thinking about it. She asked,

Has your mom attempted to make contact with you?

Not once. Mike watched her, looking for a signal that she was doing an analysis on him.

Do you have strong feelings about it?

Mike thought he would play along with her. "I get depressed at times. Sometimes it’s so bad, I have suicidal thoughts, but so far I have been able to put them behind me. He watched her display a chagrin and when she put her hand on her chin. Mike lost it and began to laugh.

She just watched him and then she blushed. "You’ve learned that I am a clinical psychologist?

I have a friend who works at Argosy.

Which department?

Registrars office.

So you know everything about me?

Not everything, but a good deal. Your vita is impressive. Graduated with honors in a difficult discipline, had a crush on one of your professors, paid your own way. It took you a while to get there but you persevered. Impressive.

It looks like you are good at what you do. What else can you brag about?

Mike said, Do you want to talk about it over dinner. I know a place that serves great lobster and steak.

My god how did you find that out?

What? That you like lobster and steak?

I don’t believe this.

Mike said, "You are an open book. You have made no attempt to shield or hide your personal information, so I looked you up. A couple of your friends on Facebook think a lot of you and were willing to tell me your whole story. It didn’t take long to