HEAT

Part Three

Revelations

Much later, just as it was beginning to grow dark outside, there was an atmosphere of total contentment in Jude’s hotel room.  He and Annie lay tightly entwined on the double bed, oblivious to everything but each other.  Their desires were temporarily sated but even after the delicious variety of pleasures in which they had just indulged they were still kissing, still needing each other, still craving intimate contact with one another and still unable to tear themselves apart.  Their clothes, which had long since been removed, were scattered across the floor.

Running his fingers through her silky red hair, Jude squeezed Annie tightly.  She returned his affection willingly, unable to remember a time when she had been so happy.
“So who needs whipped cream”, said Jude, kissing her again.
Annie snuggled closer and rubbed her face against his.  “I’d rather eat you”, she responded.  “I’ve wanted to do that to you for ages”.
Jude closed his eyes for a second, recalling the exquisite pleasure she had given him.  “It was incredible”, he said.
Annie giggled.  “Well, there’s always the chance of an encore”, she said, stroking his face.
“I’m going to hold you to that”, he said, treating her to a ravishing smile before kissing her again.

Everything about Jude excited Annie.  Every time he spoke in that deliciously low, sexy voice her heart skipped a beat and spending the afternoon in bed with him had been pure bliss.  Not that they had actually made it to the bed for their first coupling of the afternoon.  Snuggling close to him, she recalled how, in his heated  passion for her, Jude had ripped her dress off as soon as they got inside his hotel room.  After devouring her with hot, hungry kisses he’d pulled her to the floor and taken her right there.  For all her bold assertiveness, there was still an intrinsically feminine core to Annie’s nature and she’d been excited to fever pitch by Jude’s masterful, burning passion.  After thrusting her hips forward to receive him, she’d been happy to lay there in total submission, with her arms above her head, arching her back as she thrilled to the feel of him inside her.  Submission had never tasted so sweet, she had been conquered and had loved every second of it.

And that was just for starters.  What an afternoon it had been!  Laying there in Jude’s arms and adoring the feel of his warm body against hers, Annie smiled to herself as she recalled their thrilling, X-rated exploits.
“You’re quite a lover, Mr. Cavanaugh”, said Annie in a throaty whisper.  She stroked his chest as she spoke, and then nuzzled against his neck and licked him, loving the taste of his skin.
“And you’re beautiful”, responded Jude, his eyes taking in every detail of her face.  “So beautiful”.
They kissed again with renewed longing.  Annie loved to hear him say these things; no man had ever appreciated her this way before.  So many emotions had been awakened in her since she and Jude had become lovers.  If only it could always be like this, she thought dreamily as their kiss deepened and passion began to stir again.

Their intimacy was interrupted by the piercing ring of the telephone.  Jude reached across to pick up the receiver as Annie, hoping that this would only be a temporary interruption, continued to kiss him and stroke him.
“Yeah?”, he drawled, speaking into the receiver.
It became apparent almost immediately that the caller had caught Jude’s attention.  Annie could not fail to notice the change in his demeanour nor the tension which suddenly seemed to have gripped him; whoever it was on the other end of the phone must have been incredibly important.  He listened intently for a few minutes, ignoring the puzzled look on Annie’s face and pushing her hand away as she attempted to resume her caresses. 
“OK.  Understood”, he said, and then replaced the receiver.

Jude sprang off the bed and began to pick up his clothes.
“I have to go”, he said, looking up at Annie.
She followed him off the bed and slid her arms around his waist.
“Jude .....”, she began.  “Why do you have to go?  Surely it can wait, can’t it?  I mean, we were about to .....”  She tried to kiss him but he prevented her.
“Annie, listen to me carefully”, he said, holding her by her shoulders.  “I have to go now.  What I have to do can’t wait”.
“But .....” began Annie, but Jude silenced her by placing a finger on her lips.
“I must go”, he said, this time in a firmer tone.  “And I want you to stay here, do you understand?  Whatever you do, don’t leave this room”.
“But why?” wailed Annie, exasperated not only at having had her passionate session with Jude interrupted but also by his apparent sudden indifference to her.  Jude caught her by her arms.
“Annie, do you trust me?”
She looked at him for a moment before replying.  She would have trusted him with her life that afternoon but that phone call had thrown her. 
“I guess”, she responded hesitantly.
“Good.  Because I really need you to trust me here”, he said, his grey eyes watching her closely.  “You have to stay here, OK?  Under no circumstances are you to leave this room”.
Panic gripped at Annie’s heart.  What the hell was he up to?

She watched silently as he hurriedly pulled on his clothes.
“I’ll explain everything later”, he said. 
“You’d better”, muttered Annie to herself as he closed the door behind him.  Jude must have been in one hell of a hurry because he’d still been doing up the buttons of his shirt on the way out.

Standing in the middle of the large hotel room, Annie felt alone.  Jude had been gone only a few seconds and already she was missing him.  She missed his warmth and his presence and she longed to snuggle close to him again and enjoy more of the intimacy they had shared throughout the afternoon.  His abrupt departure had left her perplexed and upset; after the incredible high she had been on all afternoon she now felt despondent and empty.  She looked across at the bed and delicious memories immediately began to stir.  Their bodies - hers and Jude’s - joined, tightly entwined, as one.  Annie swallowed heavily and walked across to the full-length mirror on the other side of the room.

A smile appeared on her full lips as she surveyed her naked reflection.  Her body certainly bore the marks of passionate love-making.  There were love-bites on each of her breasts and also high up on the insides of her thighs.  Annie’s eyes sparkled as she recalled those heated moments, especially the occasion earlier that afternoon when she and Jude had made love in front of this very mirror.

Annie was no shrinking virgin and no stranger to the arts of the bedroom, but a slow flush appeared on her face as she relived that particular encounter.  Kneeling astride him with her back to him, she had experienced the incredible sensation of feeling him enter her from that angle whilst at the same time watching their coupling in the mirror.  It had been the most overtly erotic experience that Annie had ever had in her  life.  She closed her eyes as she remembered how Jude had caressed her into a state of feverish arousal before entering her and how he had gently pulled her thighs apart a little more in order to maximise her pleasure.  He had then slid his divine hands up over her naked hips and allowed them to rest on her waist before moving them slowly upwards.

Annie had been transfixed by the sight of the two of them and with Jude enveloping her with his strong, well-muscled arms.  How she had loved the way he squeezed her breasts and stroked her nipples into hardened peaks; it was almost as if he could sense her deepest needs.  Being kissed on the neck had always driven her to madness but she had never experienced the kind of erotic sensation which Jude seemed to be able to arouse in her.  The two of them were perfectly attuned when they made love; at ease with themselves and each other and entirely free from inhibitions which prevented some people from fully experiencing the joys of sex.

But Annie knew beyond any doubt that what she and Jude shared went way beyond mere sex.  It frightened her to think of how her feelings for him had deepened since they had become lovers; she was not used to dealing with feelings like this.  A frown appeared on her face as she turned away from the mirror and moved across to the bed.  Missing Jude’s warmth, she pulled the covers over her and squeezed a pillow tightly.

Annie was deeply troubled by Jude’s sudden departure.  It played on her mind as she lay there and made her feel tense and edgy, especially after the closeness and intimacy they had shared.  The two of them had communicated on such a deep level, and Annie missed the sense of oneness which she had experienced with him.  Quite apart from the physical intimacy, which had been incredible, she craved the companionship which they had shared

But now he had gone and Annie had to find a way to deal with that.  She toyed with the idea of flicking on the TV but dismissed the idea almost immediately.   The inanity of TV was not what she needed right now.  What she needed was for Jude to walk through the door and take her in his arms and .....

Annie was abruptly jolted out of her reverie by a sharp knock at the door.  Her heart leapt, for she was sure that it was Jude returning.  She didn’t remember seeing him pick up the key when he left.  She threw back the covers and jumped off the bed and was about to open the door when she realised she was stark naked.  She smiled to herself as she imagined the appreciative look which would undoubtedly appear on Jude’s face if she greeted him naked, but she couldn’t be sure it would be him and decided to cover up. 

Annie looked around in desperation for something to put on.  The dress she had worn earlier had been virtually ripped in half and was now unwearable and there were no other women’s clothes readily to hand.  She opened the closet door and pulled out the first thing she saw - a pale blue shirt.  She slipped it on as quickly as she could and hurriedly fastened the buttons, momentarily getting her fingers in a twist before remembering that men’s shirts had the buttons on the right.  The shirt drowned her slender frame but at least it was long enough to cover her modesty.

Smoothing down her hair, she moved quickly towards the door and opened it.  Her heart sank for it was not Jude, but instead a man who she did not recognise. 
“Oh, er, hello my dear”, said the stranger, “I hope you don’t mind me intruding like this, but I’ve come to see you about something very important”.
Annie looked at the man.  He was elderly and bent but it was his bizarre clothes - white shirt, red bow-tie and faded, patched trousers and jacket - which caught her attention.  Not that I can talk, she thought to herself as she stood there in Jude’s shirt, shuddering as she recalled how she had almost opened the door wearing nothing at all.

“I’m sorry, but do I know you?” she asked, wishing he would go away.  “Is this the room you wanted?”
The old man glanced upwards.  “Why, er, yes my dear, I do believe it is”, he responded.  “This is room 410, is it not?”
Annie nodded uncertainly.  She and Jude had been in such a hurry to reach the room earlier that she had not even thought about the number.
“Er, let me introduce myself”, continued the old man, managing something which resembled a smile.  He cleared his throat loudly.  “My name is Tobias Richards.  I believe you were once married to my nephew Gregory”.
Annie’s eyes widened in amazement as a whole host of unwelcome thoughts and memories flooded through her.  Now was not the time to be reminded of her late husband, she had suffered enough torment at his hands whilst he was alive and she had no particular wish to make the acquaintance of any of his eccentric relatives.
“I don’t recall Gregory ever mentioning an Uncle Tobias”, she said, eying him suspiciously.
“That’s understandable, my dear”, replied the old man courteously.  Gregory and I hadn’t met for years before his unfortunate death.  I’ve been living in London, you see.  I haven’t been in Sunset Beach for long”.
Well, that would explain his curious, undulating mid-Atlantic accent, thought Annie.  Come to think of it, he did have a look of Gregory about him, he certainly had the same dark eyes.
“So what can I do for you?” asked Annie.  She folded her arms and looked vaguely insolent.
“Why, it’s what I can do for you actually, my dear”, said Tobias, thrusting his fingers into well-worn jacket pockets.  “You see, I have a message for you.  It’s from Jude”.
Annie looked up sharply at the mention of her lover’s name.
“Such a nice young man”, rambled Tobias, before focussing his dark eyes upon Annie once again.
“You know Jude?” asked Annie incredulously.
“Why yes, my dear”, answered Tobias, smiling ingratiatingly.  “He and I are both friends and, er, business associates”.
“Business associates?” echoed Annie as thoughts buzzed around inside her head.  “Oh, you mean through the Liberty Corporation?” she asked.  Things were beginning to make sense now.
“Of course, my dear”, mumbled Tobias.  “Forgive me for not making myself clear, I’m an old man, you see.  I tend to forget things”.
“Right”, smiled Annie.  “So you know Jude because he took over from Gregory as Managing Director of the company?”
“Exactly”, beamed Tobias.  “He and I have made a number of, er, business agreements since my arrival in this little town.  He has been a considerable help to me with my, er, plans”.
“Your plans?” said Annie, unclear as to what he meant.
“Yes, my dear, but enough of that for now.  Don’t you want your message?”
“Yes, yes, I do”, said Annie hurriedly.  “What did Jude say?”
“Oh, he just, er, wants you to join him”, said Tobias.  “I’ve just seen him, he’s not far away”.
“Where is he?” asked Annie.  “And why didn’t he just call me if he wanted me to join him?”  She felt vaguely suspicious and uneasy for a moment.
“Oh, er, well, you see, I told him I was passing this way so I offered to give you the message myself”, answered Tobias with a strange frown.
“But he said .....”  Annie’s mind raced back to what Jude had told her immediately prior to his abruptly-enforced departure - he had warned her not to leave the hotel room.
“He said what, my dear?” Tobias asked patiently.  He shuffled from one foot to another as he waited for Annie to answer.
“Nothing”, said Annie, uncertain as to what she should do.  He’d seemed deadly serious when he told her not to leave but this old man seemed harmless enough and he did have a message from Jude.
“Could you just give me a minute?” asked Annie, who had made up her mind what to do.
“Of course, my dear”, answered Tobias, smiling again.
Annie nodded in acknowledgement and shut the door.

“I can’t go out in just a shirt”, she thought as she searched for something else to wear.  She smiled to herself as she picked up her bra, for the hook had been torn off.  Jude sure has a lot of passion, she thought to herself with a smile and a big sigh, wishing he were back here right now.  She opened the closet again and found a pair of jeans.  Realising this was probably the best she would be able to do, she pulled them on.  They were far too big for her, of course, but she found a belt and fastened it around her waist before rolling the jeans up at the ankles.  She then pulled a comb through her hair and applied some red lipstick before thrusting her feet into her shoes and going out to meet Tobias.

*

It was completely dark as Tobias drove across town.  Annie, sitting next to him in the front of his car, glanced across at him nervously.  For some reason she had started to feel ill at ease and she began to doubt her wisdom in accepting this strange man’s invitation to take her to wherever Jude was waiting. 
“Is it far to go?” she asked jerkily.  Annie turned her purse over and over in her lap as she spoke.
“Not far at all my dear”, replied Tobias, turning his face towards her.  “As a matter of fact we’re already here”.
He brought the car to a halt, got out and ambled round to the passenger side.  Opening the door for Annie, he beckoned her to get out of the car.
“The power plant?” asked Annie, looking at the dull grey building in front of her.  “Jude wanted me to meet him here?”
“Why, yes, my dear”, said Tobias, as he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her towards the building.

Any misgivings which Annie had harboured about accepting Tobias’ invitation intensified as they went into the building.  She shivered as the cold, dank atmosphere wrapped itself around her.
“So where’s Jude?” she asked shakily, looking all around here. “You said he wanted to meet me here”.
“Jude?  Oh, I expect he’ll be here soon”, responded Tobias, raising his eyebrows.  “But until then, my dear, it’s just you and .....”
At that moment Annie felt as though someone had quite literally walked over her grave, for the man who stood opposite her had begun to metamorphose into someone else.  She watched, stupefied, as he straightened up into a tall, imposing figure.  Her eyes widened even further as he removed what appeared to be a false nose and then, horror of horrors, he reached up and peeled off his sandy-coloured wig to reveal a shock of dark hair.
“......me”.

“Oh ..... my ..... God”, breathed Annie, shaking violently.  “Gregory!”  She raised her hands to her mouth as she spoke and turned as white as a sheet.
“Hello, Annie”, he said menacingly.  “Did you miss me?”
Annie stared in shocked disbelief.  “What the .....?”, she began.  “How ..... how did you .....?”
“How did I survive after what happened to me?” Gregory asked, raising his eyebrows.
Annie stared at him helplessly, still unable to comprehend what she was seeing.
“Well, let’s just say it was the prospect of making sure that you got what you deserved which spurred me on”, said Gregory, moving towards her. 
Annie backed away, frightened.  “What do you mean?” she asked, looking all around her for a means of escape.
“Come, come, Annie, let’s stop pretending.  You married me for one reason only - to make good the terms of your father’s will.  You wanted to get your hands on the Liberty Corporation stock which Del tied up in trust.  He couldn’t stand you, Annie, you were his daughter but he hated you.  Just as I hate you”.
His saturnine features glowed and his smile was pure evil.

Fear wrapped its icy fingers around every fibre of Annie’s being as she watched the man who stood before her.  “So what if I did marry you for that, Gregory, so what?  It’s not as if you ever loved me, let’s face it”.
“You’re right there”, said Gregory, nodding slowly.  “I never loved you.  No-one could ever love you, Annie, no-one.  But of course you know that, don’t you?”
Cruel daggers of pain pierced her soul.  Gregory had always known exactly how to hurt her.  Tears pricked at the backs of her eyes but her pride refused to allow them to fall.
“Yes, of course you do”, continued Gregory, looking at her thoughtfully.  “You’re a cold-hearted, selfish, self-centred piece of trash, and that’s all you’ll ever be”.  He paused for a moment.  “Not that ‘ever’ will be for very long, in your case.  Not very long at all, as it happens”.
Annie was distraught as he spoke.  Her heart was still pounding from the shocking discovery that he was still alive and the words which fell from his lips brought her no comfort whatsoever.  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she asked uncertainly.
“It means, my darling gold-digging wife, that you’re about to get everything that’s coming to you”.
Annie shook her head and made a bolt for the door.  Gregory was too quick for her and grabbed her by her arm, jerking her painfully round to face him.  Annie screamed but her struggles were in vain.
“Don’t fight it, Annie, you’ll just make it worse”, said Gregory threateningly.  “I’m going to put an end to your tricks, your scheming and your lying once and for all.  Tonight”.
“Gregory, don’t do this to me”, begged Annie, now unable to fend off the tears.  “Oh, my God, this can’t be happening”.
She pulled away from him and cowered in a corner, terrified of what he was about to do.  Was he carrying a gun?
“Oh, it is happening”, said Gregory.  “Let me reassure you of that.  You are most definitely not dreaming”.
“You’ll never get away with this”, sobbed Annie.  “Let me go, Gregory, please”, she implored him.  “Jude will be here soon and .....”
“Ah, Jude”, interrupted Gregory, a thoughtful expression appearing on his face.  “Jude.  Such an effective young man”.  He paused and studied Annie’s reaction carefully.  “I’m so glad he’s on my side”.
A sharper, more incisive terror cut into Annie’s already torn nerves.  “Wh ... what do you mean by that?” she asked shakily, her eyes filling with dread.
Gregory watched her intently, toying with her as a cat plays with a mouse before pouncing and killing it.  “Why, Annie, don’t you know?” he said mockingly.  “Haven’t you figured it out yet?”
“Figured what out, Gregory?” she blurted out.  “What the hell are you talking about?”
Gregory shook his head.  “You disappoint me, Annie, you really do.  I’ve given you enough clues and still you haven’t managed to cotton on.  But then you never were very bright, were you?”  He threw back his head and laughed mockingly.  “Jude is my esteemed partner, Annie.  He and I made an arrangement.  Over you”.
“I don’t understand”, wailed Annie.  “Gregory, please tell me what you mean, please”. 
Gregory rolled his dark eyes skywards.  “You’ve been duped”.
“Duped?” she echoed, incomprehension written all over her face.
“Duped.  Betrayed.  Deceived.  How does it feel, Annie, to know that your lover is being paid to screw you?”
Gregory’s words were the most sickening thing that Annie had ever heard.  A wave of pain, shock and nausea tore through her, causing her to clutch at the rusty pipework against which she had been leaning.
“No”, she said in a low, desperate voice.  “You don’t understand”.
“No, my dear Annie, it is you who does not understand”, said Gregory harshly.  He was enjoying every minute of his cruel torture of the woman whom he had married.  He smiled at her sarcastically.  “Although that, perhaps, can be understood.  Judging by the look in your eyes, Jude is doing a very good job.  Mind you, that’s what I’m paying him for.   You certainly never looked at me like that, Annie, did you?”

Annie’s thoughts were in a dizzying, gut-wrenching swirl as she stared across at her husband, her blank, expressionless visage betraying the turmoil which was raging within.   She sank slowly to the ground as his wicked words stabbed cruelly into her heart.   Warm, fresh memories of the time she had spent in Jude’s arms rushed straight out from the back of her mind into the forefront of her consciousness, jostling for position with the horrific truth which Gregory had forced her to swallow.  The pain was unlike anything she had experienced in the whole of her life, had she been cut a thousand times with razor blades it could not have hurt her more.

Gregory, relishing the pain he had caused her, watched her cry for a while before speaking again.  “Of course, there’s quite a lot you don’t know about our young Mr. Cavanaugh”, he continued, folding his arms.
“What?” mumbled Annie incomprehensibly, lifting her tear-stained face.
“I take it that you didn’t know he was AJ’s son?”
“Jude ... is AJ’s son?” murmured Annie incredulously.
“That’s right”, said Gregory, warming to his subject.  “Getting one over on my bitterest rival has, I confess, brought me immense satisfaction.  And Jude was only too happy to gain revenge on the father who had never troubled to acknowledge him as his son”.
“I can’t believe this”, said Annie.

“Well you’d better believe it, Annie, because it’s true”.
Annie glanced round sharply, for it was Jude who had spoken.  His charismatic, impressive frame had suddenly appeared in the doorway and he emerged slowly out of the long, morose shadows.  Annie gasped as she caught sight of him. Choked with emotion, she raised her tear-stained face and looked up at him.  Painful, yearning memories flooded through her as he walked towards her, she yearned to turn the clock back a few hours and for this hellish scenario never to have taken place.
“Jude!” she said in a choked voice.
He glanced at her and appeared to look right through her.  His eyes registered not even the faintest trace of emotion as they met briefly with hers.
“What the hell is she doing here?” Jude asked Gregory.  “I thought we were going to deal with her later”.
“I changed my mind”, replied Gregory sardonically.  “I’ve been waiting an eternity to see Annie get what’s coming to her and I decided today that there was no reason why it should wait any longer”.
“Fine”, said Jude, shrugging his shoulders.  “But you could have told me first”.
Gregory looked at him silently for a moment, and then asked, “Did you take care of Cole?”
“Yeah, I took care of Cole”, said Jude.  “Just like you asked”.
“Good.  So now there’s nothing to stop us from putting the final phase of our plan into action, is there?”  Gregory glanced in Annie’s direction as he spoke.  “Unless, of course, you have a problem with that?”
Jude shook his head.   “No, I don’t have a problem with that at all”, he replied, and his icy manner sent a chill through Annie’s heart.

Gregory moved across to where Annie was cowering and, grabbing her roughly by her wrist, he jerked her to her feet, causing her to cry out in pain.
“Jude”, she said, turning to face the man for whom she had developed such intense feelings.  “Please ....... please do something ......  If the time we spent together means anything to you at all, then please stop him.  Please stop Gregory and call the police”.
Jude looked at her coldly, an irritable expression on his handsome face.  “Shut up!”
Fresh shards of pain stabbed at her, making her feel as though she was slowly bleeding to death.  How could she have got it so wrong?  Did he really hate her so much that he was willing to join forces with Gregory to see that she was punished?

“Right, you conniving little bitch, it’s time for you to go and join your Daddy ..... in hell”.  Gregory said menacingly.  To Annie’s horror, he drew a pistol from inside his jacket.
She looked at Jude imploringly, incredulous and horrified at his emotionless stance.
“Not so fast, Gregory”.
Annie’s heart leapt as he spoke.  Was he going to do something to save her after all?  Gregory lowered the pistol and looked at him questioningly.  “Well, Jude, what is it?”
“I want my money first”.
“You’ll get your money later, as arranged”, responded Gregory cooly.  He seemed displeased at having been interrupted. 
“I’ll get it now”, said Jude, emphasising the last word as he spoke.  He faced Gregory square on and stared at him unflinchingly.
Gregory stared back at him for a moment and then sighed.  Replacing the pistol in his pocket, he drew out a cellphone.  “Very well, Jude, now it is.  You drive a hard bargain but a very worthwhile one.  I couldn’t have carried out my plans without your help”.  He keyed a number into the cellphone and then held a brief conversation during which he arranged for the transfer of funds from one numbered account into another.  He then snapped off the phone.  “Done”, he said, addressing Jude.  “Now can we please get on with our business here before I run out of patience”.

Gregory slowly replaced the cellphone in his pocket and once again drew out the pistol.  His movements were slow and deliberate but what happened next was anything but.  Displaying a lightening-fast reaction, Jude kicked the gun out of Gregory’s hand and sent it sliding across the floor.  He grabbed Annie and pulled her sharply out of Gregory’s reach and then turned his attention to the older man, who was crouching on the floor.
“You’ve broken my finger”, grunted Gregory, his face contorted with pain and rage.
“I hope you’re not expecting an apology”, retorted Jude, straightening his jacket.  He turned round and looked at Annie.  “Are you OK?” he asked, and amidst all the trauma and confusion Annie was able to register that he seemed to be concerned about her.  She nodded blankly, still afraid and still desperately uncertain as to what was about to happen to her.

Jude watched her closely for a moment and then returned his attention to Gregory.
“The game’s over, Gregory.  It’s time to go”.
From outside there was the wail of police sirens.
“Why you dirty, double-crossing .... “, began Gregory, spitting out the words venomously.
“Love you too, Gregory”, said Jude, whose unconcerned, businesslike manner served only to incense the other man even more.

Moments later two uniformed police officers burst in through the door.  They were swiftly followed by another man who was wearing a smart suit.  Jude watched for a moment whilst one of the uniformed officers led Gregory away and the other picked up the gun which had been kicked from Gregory’s hand.  It was placed carefully into a bag by the officer, who then left with his colleague.  Jude spoke briefly with the man in the suit and Annie, who was struggling to process what she had just witnessed, watched silently as the suited man slapped Jude on the shoulder in what appeared to be a gesture of congratulation.

When at last the furore died down and Annie and Jude were left alone together, he turned to face her.
“Well, what a day”, he said, gesturing upwards with both hands.  Annie watched him as he walked towards her but said nothing.  “Are you OK, Annie?” he asked, and reached up to touch her face.  Annie, reminded immediately of Gregory’s cruel words, flinched away from him.
“Don’t you come near me”, she warned him, fire blazing in her eyes.  “Don’t you dare”.
“Annie, I’m not going to hurt you”, he assured her gently.  “Surely you know that?  I could never hurt you”.
Some of the tension drained from her but still she would not allow him to move any closer to her. 
“It’s over, Annie”, continued Jude, longing to take her in his arms.  “Gregory’s going to jail”.
“You knew he was alive, all this time?” asked Annie, anger flaring fiercely in her blue eyes. 
“Yeah”, admitted Jude.
“And you didn’t tell me?”
“I couldn’t.  It was essential that it was kept under wraps”.
“Why?”
”Because if news that Gregory was still alive had leaked out, the whole operation would have been ruined”.
“What operation?” asked Annie.  “What are you talking about?”
“The undercover operation”, replied Jude, smiling at her.  “The operation I’ve been engaged on ever since I arrived here”.
“Meaning what? Jude, what the hell is going on here?  Who are you?”  There was a note of desperation in Annie’s voice as she asked that question.
“Oh”.  Jude looked at her for a moment.  “Special Agent Jude Cavanaugh, FBI.  At your service”.

*

Annie stared at him, dumbstruck.  Trying to make sense of everything which had taken place over the last few dizzying hours, she forced herself to address the situation without further loss of dignity.  Jude stood in front of her, apparently unruffled by everything which had just happened.  He waited patiently for her to speak.
“So, you’re from the FBI”, she said, making no attempt to prevent sarcasm from creeping into her voice.  “An ultra-cool Special Agent”.
Jude shrugged his shoulders.  “Fooled you”, he said.
“Oh, yes, you fooled me, well done to you”, said Annie bitterly.  “And I suppose this is all a big game to you, isn’t it?  Part of the investigation, that’s all I ever was, isn’t that right, Agent Cavanaugh?”   
“Excuse me?” asked Jude, his eyes widening.
“You’re not the Managing Director of the Liberty Corporation”, continued Annie as words raced through her head and forced their way hurriedly out of her mouth.  “And what about AJ?  Are you really his son?”
”No”, responded Jude calmly.  “AJ is not my father.  That was something I led Gregory to believe in order to get him to trust me”.
Annie stood with her hands on her hips and looked at him angrily.  “And what about Gregory?” she asked.  “How did you manage to convince him to trust you?”
”Well, I was based in London before I came here”, explained Jude.  He moved a step closer to Annie.  “Gregory fled there after he murdered Francesca Vargas ....”
“Gregory murdered Francesca Vargas?” asked Annie incredulously.
“That’s right”, continued Jude.  “He fled to London and assumed the identity of an uncle of his - Tobias - who went missing on a trip to the Middle East a couple of years ago.  Gregory’s intention was to start a new life under this man’s name.  But first he wanted to wreak havoc on you, Cole and Olivia, you because of the reason you married him, Cole because he had the audacity to marry Caitlin and Olivia because, according to him, she never stood by him or supported him”.
Annie flinched as Jude made reference to her reasons for marrying Gregory.  This was something she had never spoken with him about in the past and it bothered her now.
“So how did you meet Gregory?” she asked, curious and intrigued in spite of herself.
“Well, we had to make it look like chance when it fact it was carefully planned”, answered Jude.
“And by ‘we’ you mean the Bureau?” asked Annie.
“Yeah.  I approached Gregory and led him to believe I was AJ’s son and that I hated AJ for failing to acknowledge me.  He swallowed it.  But now it’s all over.  Cole is safe and you and I are here.  Together”.
He treated her to his best charismatic smile but Annie’s response was to turn on her heels and march away.
“Hey, where are you going?” asked Jude, running after her and grabbing her by the arm.
“Don’t you dare touch me!” snarled Annie, wrenching her arm away angrily.  “I’m going as far away from you as I can, that’s where I’m going!”
“What the hell is wrong with you?” asked Jude, restraining her.
“You, you’re what’s wrong with me, Agent Cavanaugh”, she retorted, struggling to free herself from his grasp.  “Who the hell do think you are?  You string me along and pretend to have feelings for me so you can .....”
“Hey, I never pretended to have feelings for you!” said Jude, his eyes flashing angrily.  “I have just spent the entire afternoon making love to you, are you trying to tell me I was faking it?”

A myriad of different emotions flitted through Annie’s consciousness as she stood there looking at him.  Hope, fear, pain, despair, need, anxiety - all of these, in more or less equal proportions, flared up one after the other.  But as she looked into Jude’s intense grey eyes, the eyes which had mesmerised her ever since he entered her life, there was also a much deeper emotion at work.  She hesitated before speaking.
“Maybe you were”, she said in a low, uncertain voice.
Jude looked at her.  “Annie?”.
“What?”
“Shut up”.
And then he kissed her. 

The power plant vanished as he kissed her, and she was suddenly transported to a place far, far away, somewhere she had never been before.  It was a place she had heard other people talking about but somewhere that she had never expected to visit herself.  In that kiss, and in the way he held her, Jude told Annie everything she needed to know, everything she had ever dreamed of, everything which had hitherto been missing from her life, everything she had - subconsciously - ever wanted.

Slowly, with their arms around each other, they left the power plant and drifted off in the direction of the park.  Annie felt no ill-effects from the ordeal she had faced earlier; indeed, she had never felt so spirited, so full of life and so joyous in her entire life.  They reached the park and stood there together in the light of the glorious full moon which shone down on them.
“You look beautiful”, breathed Jude, gently stroking her tangled hair off her face.
“Even in your clothes?” she asked, sliding her arms around his neck.
“Even in my clothes”, he responded with a smile.  “I’m glad you found something to wear”.  He slid his hands over her back and pulled her close against him.  “Why don’t we go home and jump into the hot tub?”
“Hot tub?” she repeated, a warm glow spreading through her as she anticipated the pleasures which lay ahead.  But then she thought of something else.  “Jude, you just said ‘home’.  What did you mean?” she ran her fingers through his hair as she spoke.
“Well, I figured that for tonight the hotel room would be our home”, he said in a lazy drawl.  “And then tomorrow we could go look for somewhere permanent”.
“Permanent?” echoed Annie, her blood singing with joy.  “You mean .....?”
“I mean I want us to be together”, he answered.  “Does that make you happy, Annie?”
Her eyes filled with tears.

They continued embracing, reluctant to leave the tranquil, moonlight-bathed park on this special night, a night made for lovers.  The park held special memories for them, and they were each remembering the time, not so long ago, when Jude had asked Annie to dance. 
“Do you remember when .....,” began Annie.
“..... we danced right here in this park?” finished Jude, kissing her.
She giggled.  “I was so upset when you left me to go off and talk to Caitlin”, she said, understanding now why he had had to befriend the young woman.  “I could have danced with you all night”.
“And I could have held you all night”, said Jude, wrapping his arms around her tightly.  “You have no idea how much it hurt to have to let you go”.
They held each other close as they recalled the shared memories.
“It was Michael and Vanessa’s engagement”, said Jude, stroking her hair.
“And there were rose petals strewn all over the walkways”, continued Annie.  “And you told me I should try to grab some love for myself”.  She looked at him earnestly.  “But I didn’t know how to”. 
But things were different now, very different. 

Annie and Jude continued to cling together, lost in their own world.  Without even realising it, they had started dancing.  Gazing into Jude’s eyes, Annie’s face reflected the intense, overwhelming happiness she felt within. 
“There was music playing when we were here before”, she said, a playful little smile lighting up her face.
“There’s music playing now, Annie”, said Jude, his eyes revealing the immense depth of his feelings for her.  “Listen”.
Annie looked at him questioningly for a moment and then a slow smile spread across her face.  “You’re right”, she said, lights of joy dancing in her eyes.  “I can hear it, Jude, I can hear music!”


*


T H E   E N D


Annie’s Heaven web site, April 2000.

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