“That’s very true but I must confess the way in which you are fitting in now amongst all of these people is truly amazing. You wanted that and you’re getting that. Soon, you won’t even need me to bring you around. Your notoriety combined with theway you manage to enchant everyone you meet is making you very popular. These people seek to be introduced to you. This also is happening just as you promised it would.”
“Exactly! Win-win.” Missy knew his admiration and respect were genuine. “Since we are talking about things which I have promised, are you still wanting me to fly to Beijing in two weeks?” She had promised she would join him there, flying to China on Friday, June tenth and then returning to Moscow on Monday, June thirteenth.
His companies would be exhibiting in some booths at the International Petroleum and Petrochemical Technology Conference. She had accompanied him to China twice before and each time they had stopped by the China International Exhibit Center where this conference would be taking place. Yury had then reviewed and approved various proposals for what was being prepared for those booths. Yury would be over there during the actual conference for ten days and wanted her to join him for that weekend.
“Oh yes, of course! After your last visit, there are many who would be very disappointed if you did not return. Jiakun Wu keeps asking about you.” Yury smiled at how smitten Jiakun had obviously become with Missy. He was the head of the National Development and Reform Commission over there and wielded tremendous influence. With his help, Yury’s exports into China of liquified petroleum gas had become especially lucrative.
“Ahh, well, that’s not a surprise. I promise I will join you over there. Will he be again arranging for us to stay in that suite on the top floor at the Citadines Ritan Hotel like the last time?”
Yury nodded and said, “He has promised that suite will be mine for my entire visit this time.”
“Well, all right then! Since you won’t see me again until I arrive there, I’ll say goodbye for now.” The limo had just pulled up in front of her apartment building. Missy hopped out and added, “Take care, Yury!” Then she closed the car door and went up to her room.
After removing all her clothes and putting everything away, Missy Shifted to her spirit form and went out to pay visits on the new people she had met that night. She wanted to infect their electronic devices and, as usual, this was a tedious task and took her several visits before she managed to succeed.
Being able to teleport to where each individual was located was easy but those visits were often brief since there wasn’t always an opportunity for her to access anything without the person noticing. Thus, she needed to leave and return later. But, she was persistent and went back again and again until eventually she found a good opportunity.
Since laptops typically had screen savers requiring a password, accessing those required some luck. She needed to be there when the person logged in, thereby noting what their password was, or else be there before the screen saver kicked in while the person was away and not paying attention.
Fortunately, cell phones were a bit easier. For most, either fingerprint or face recognition were used for security and, once the person was asleep, Missy was able to then manipulate the phone such that she could get into it. For those who used other measures, such as a numerical code which needed to be entered, she then needed to wait (as with laptops) untilthe person awoke and then she could watch them access their device.
She would eventually manage accessing all the devices she wanted to get into and infect them with the Missy virus. Thus, she considered this latest visit to Russia yet another success.
It would be late the next morning before she returned to her apartment and sent Lisa a text message. She then would teleport back to her room at Izmir Air Base to be with Team Twenty-Two.
Chapter Six
Sunday, May 29, 2022
Tracy watched as John went up and accepted his diploma. The New York Law School commencement ceremony was impressive and after watching the processional when everyone had marched into the huge auditorium and then listening to the several speeches, this long-awaited moment had arrived. The conferring of degrees was finally underway.
Inside the program which she had picked up when entering, she saw that both John and Trevor were graduating Magna Cum Laude. Wow! She and Sam could not be any prouder!
John’s family was there, just as they had all attended the West Point graduation ceremony a week earlier. Only Missy was missing, serving with her Special Forces unit somewhere overseas.
Trevor and Sam’s families were also there, of course. Other attendees included Troy and Sally along with several folks from the SOD Group.
Finally, after the closing remarks and the recessional, Tracy went outside and located John amongst all the other happy graduates. She flung herself into his arms and hugged him fiercely, unable to contain the emotions which she was suddenly flooded with.
“Whoa, easy girl!” exclaimed John. Tracy was rarely like this and after hugging her back, he held her out in front of himso he could look into her eyes. She was crying and he asked, “Are those happy tears, I hope?”
Now Tracy laughed, her normal composure quickly returning, and she explained, “Of course, they are! They are also grateful tears, John, because I know you have chosen this path, this whole being a lawyer thing, just so you could follow me around and support the path which my destiny is taking me on.”
“Oh, well, I still have to pass the bar exam in two months before I can claim to be a lawyer.” John pulled her back into his arms and kissed her passionately.
Then his family was there and they all wanted to congratulate him as well. His brother Patrick said, “You’ve set thebarpretty high for the rest of us, even before youpassthe bar.” Since all three of his siblings had now graduated from college, this comment really only applied to himself. He had finished his first year at the same college where John had gone and, like both John and his father, he was planning to eventually become a lawyer as well.
Lila was holding Patrick’s hand and she felt her heart swell. She had heard Tracy’s comment and now hearing her soulmate Patrick say this, she was deeply moved. She was graduating from high school and starting at West Point in July. She knew Patrick’s plan to become a lawyer was so he, like John, could follow her around wherever the Army might eventually send her.
Thanks to her empathic ability, Tracy sensed what Lila was feeling and she came over and squeezed her other hand. Fire witch to fire witch, she wanted to signal her support. Then she asked, “When do we need to gather over at the Townhouse Oasis for John’s party?”
John’s father said, “Not for another hour. It’s less than twenty minutes away so we have plenty of time.” The UES Townhouse Outdoor Oasis was about three miles away. He had rented the place for the fifty or so people who would be there celebrating this joyous event.
The day continued and everyone had a wonderful time. When John finally brought Tracy home to his apartment late that night, he was very happy. His years of hard work were paying off and celebrating with family and friends had been great. He had his work cut out for him, preparing for the bar exam, but he knew that milestone would be achieved. He loved Tracy with all his being and would indeed be able to follow wherever destiny for the two of them might take them.
As for the night ahead? He would make love to Tracy such that she again would know their destiny was secure.
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