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Part 3
Stanley mumbled and cursed into the earth beneath him as he was forced to crawl along his belly for what he swore was at least a couple of miles. The witness felt further confined by the strict instructions of his protector, who made the man hold onto her right boot the entire time. On the other hand, feeling Rhonda's strong grip on HIS right boot was nothing short of heaven in Stanley's mind. 'Well, all right,' he admitted silently, 'so it isn't REALLY my boot. It is now. I may even have it bronzed.'
Rhonnie knew the boot holding at this point was entirely unnecessary and was just her tall friend's way of letting Stanley know who was in charge. Alex could be such a control freak at times. Spending years traveling and becoming world famous did not dim the blonde's memory on that score. Knowing Alex would be almost certainly in her own zone as she guided them along the ground and away from the cabin, Rhonnie braved a glance or two at the tight jeans covering even tighter muscles. The blonde bombshell was so completely absorbed in the view, the frozen ground went totally unnoticed by her. Unfortunately, she also failed to catch the hazel eyes that kept stealing glances and foolishly thought the stars in her emerald eyes were for him.
Alex pulled herself along the ground, gradually moving further and further away from the cabin and Lawton's hired killers. Straining to catalog every sound, she was certain they were not being followed. Mentally cussing the little wus who gripped her Harness Boot as if his life depended on it, she fought the urge to let it 'slip' just once. 'Naw,' Alex grinned into the frozen ground. 'Rhonnie would be upset if I did that and the little shit ain't worth putting sadness into those gorgeous green eyes.' Shaking her head slightly, the detective returned her focus to the task at hand: staying alive.
When Alex saw the "marker" Anna left on the tall Pine, she knew they could safely get off their tummies. Beyond this point it would be near impossible to see them from the cabin, even with a good set of binoculars. She knew this because that was why Anna marked the tree in the first place. It was part of a game they played, all those years ago. 'Grown up Hide and Seek' Anna had called it. Alex closed blue eyes for only a moment, savoring the memory, then it was back to business.
"All right. We can get up now. But we still need to be very quiet and," she looked directly at Wheaton, "stay together." Alex spoke softly as she retrieved her foot and stood up, brushing herself free of frozen debris, frost and snow.
Rhonda released Stanley's borrowed hiking boot and stood up as well. She did a little shimmy kind of movement that made most of the snow, leaves and twigs fall back onto the ground where, to the blonde's way of thinking, they belonged. Blue eyes smiled at the trademark shimmy she knew so well until Alex noticed another set of fascinated peepers.
"You gonna get off the ground, Stanley? Or have you decided to just sit on your frozen ass and ogle Rhonda?" Alex spoke quietly but the intent was clear.
Rhonda blushed and wondered which she found more surprising: Stanley watching her innocent movement or the fact that Alex was obviously pissed at him for watching. Either way, green eyes looked around for somewhere else to rest. That was when she saw the tiny bit of teal cloth hanging from the pine. How in the world had Alex seen that from the ground? What was it now, seven? No. It was eight years since Anna tied that there and oh, how angry Al had been that morning to find her favorite scarf missing a couple of tassels from the end.
"You know," Rhonnie said, "Anna felt real bad about messing up your favorite scarf, Alex."
Crystal blue eyes looked at the gentle face. "I still have it, you know? She could be such a brat." Twinkling orbs betrayed the secret and it was clear the word held nothing but love.
"Well," Rhonnie giggled softly. "What did you expect? You WERE identical twins."
Stanley found himself once again watching the two women in curious wonder. Something inside told him there was more to these two than he knew, but he couldn't quite figure it out. Yet. Besides, he was only feet away from the blonde bombshell. The witness was gathering data for future nights of fantasy, just him and his life size cut out. So blue eyes caught him studying the form of her best friend, from the ground up, slowly. Wheaton could have sworn he heard a growling sound and turned toward what he feared was a wild animal of some sort. He was relieved to see Alex standing beside him.
"OK, let's get going," Alexandra said, looking directly at her witness. "Unless Stanley would rather made notes on the medical examination his eyes just gave you."
'Uh-oh,' thought Rhonda. "Hey, Alex. Remember that word game we used to play sometimes when we went hiking?"
"No." The answer was too curt and Alex regretted it immediately. "I'm not sure Rhonnie. Which one do you mean?"
The brunette knew right away what her friend was doing and loved her for it. Truth was, Alex knew she was being too touchy but something inside her just snapped every time that little weasel looked at Rhonda.
Stanley could care less what the game was. If Rhonnie wanted to play a word game then by God that was fine with him. Besides he could use a distraction from what looked to be, as he glanced ahead and around the small opening they stood in, a very boring day. As per usual, he could not have been more mistaken.
"Well, it's just a list game really. Each of us takes a turn, starting with the letter A and we go through the alphabet until we get to Z." Rhonda explained.
"Yeah, I remember that one." Alex winked. "We're going on a picnic, right?
Rhonda smiled at the detective. "That's right." Looking to Wheaton, Rhonda explained the rest of the game. "See, Stanley, each person gets a letter each turn. You have to use the letter that comes next in the alphabet and you must use it twice. The second word tells what you will bring to the picnic and the first tells something about it. Like extra eggs or baked bologna. Get it?"
Stanley flashed his pearly whites at the woman of his dreams. His and a million other guys', that is. "Oh, I think I can do that. Does it have to be food?"
Alex adjusted the back pack and nodded for them to begin moving as they played. "No, Stanley. It doesn't HAVE to be food. Just whatever you want to bring on the picnic. Get it?"
Taking his place in the center of the group as they began the journey to wherever the mysterious pick up point was, Stanley grinned again. "Yeah. I think I get it. Who starts?"
Rhonda could almost feel Alex staring at the irritating little man. "I'll start us off. All right, then. We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple. Your turn, Stanley."
Stumbling over a protruding root, Stanley nodded as Alex caught him before his knee hit the ground. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple and a beautiful blonde. Well, detective I have the beautiful blonde. What are you bringing?"
'Oh shit,' thought the blonde.
Alex drew in a long breath and blew it out slowly. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde and some cold cokes." Then the lips curled slightly, "bottled cokes. That way I have a handy weapon....should I need to clobber someone."
"We're going on a picnic," said the beautiful blonde who now wished she'd decided to name animals instead. "On this picnic I will bring an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes and dainty dates." 'There,' she thought, 'that ought to be safe enough.'
Stanley turned to look again at the woman who graced so many magazine covers. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates and enchanting ears."
Alex stopped walking. "Enchanting ears? What is enchanting about..." Turning as she spoke she could almost feel the ground beneath her witness melting. "We're going on a picnic and I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears and a frenzied fan."
"Huh?" Stanley wondered what they would need a fan for in November. Then he realized HE was the fan and began thinking of H's.
Rhonnie might have enjoyed this little word play a lot more if the hairs on the back of her neck weren't standing straight up. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates," sigh, "enchanting ears, a frenzied fan and three giant gyros. I don't know about you two but I like to EAT on a picnic."
"Oh me too," winked Stanley before turning back to the trail which was becoming more difficult at this point. "We're going on a picnic and I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros and very Hungry Hips."
Teeth could be heard gritting as Alex lifted the fallen witness out of a small gully. "We're going on a picnic and I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips and an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch!"
"Hey!" cried the city boy. "Can she do that?"
Rhonda held her sides and laughed out loud, dodging the rocks Stanley knocked loose just above her. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch and some Jolly Jello."
Still irritated by Alex's last entry, Stanley decided to up the ante. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello and a Kickass Kiss!"
Green eyes went wide as Rhonnie watched Alex stop in her tracks, shoulders squared. The detective never so much as turned around before taking her turn.
Alex spoke slowly and clearly. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss and a Leather Lasso."
Rhonda blew her bangs out of her eyes and noticed the perspiration beading on her forehead. The trail hadn't even started to get tough yet, not really. The light filtering in through the trees told the blonde they had been walking for a few hours but it was starting to feel like days. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso and Much Milder Manners."
Wheaton was trying to keep from falling again and busily thinking up cute and, to his mind, flirtatious, things to say. ""We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners and a Nifty Naughty Navel."
"We're going on a picnic," gritted Alex, "and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel and an Overtly Obtuse Ogler."
That made Rhonda smile at the strong back of the woman she loved. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler and a Purely Precious Pal."
Never catching the clue, Stanley continued."We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler, a Purely Precious Pal and a Quest for Quality Quenching."
Dark hair fell forward as the detective yet again pulled the moron out of a gully, this time she had to stomp the head of a snake in the process."We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler, a Purely Precious Pal, a Quest for Quality Quenching, and a Rapidly Rising Rage."
Rhonda sighed."We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler, a Purely Precious Pal, a Quest for Quality Quenching, a Rapidly Rising Rage, and a Sympathetic Silly Sister."
Stanley was shaken but nonetheless oblivious. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler, a Purely Precious Pal, a Quest for Quality Quenching, a Rapidly Rising Rage, a Sympathetic Silly Sister, and a Tantalizingly Tempting Torso."
Alexandra paused to bend down and lift a stone the size of a large fist. She slowly examined it, rolling in around in first one hand and then the other. Glancing back to look briefly into hazel eyes, the detective sharply drew back her arm and released the stone with such force it was pulverized against the tall tree she aimed it at. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler, a Purely Precious Pal, a Quest for Quality Quenching, a Rapidly Rising Rage, a Sympathetic Silly Sister, a Tantalizingly Tempting Torso, and an Ungrateful Undead Underling."
Rhonda wanted to hug her friend so badly but knew she didn't dare. Words would have to do this time."We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler, a Purely Precious Pal, a Quest for Quality Quenching, a Rapidly Rising Rage, a Sympathetic Silly Sister, a Tantalizingly Tempting Torso, an Ungrateful Undead Underling, and a Veritable Vision of Venus."
Alex felt her heart skip a beat but Stanley already had his next entry prepared. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler, a Purely Precious Pal, a Quest for Quality Quenching, a Rapidly Rising Rage, a Sympathetic Silly Sister, a Tantalizingly Tempting Torso, an Ungrateful Undead Underling, a Veritable Vision of Venus, and a Wildly Whimpering Wench."
The detective knew the little brainless wonder would never know what she said next so she stopped, stepped directly into his path, stood nearly nose to nose with the irritating flirt, bore icy blue eyes into his soul and made her final entry. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler, a Purely Precious Pal, a Quest for Quality Quenching, a Rapidly Rising Rage, a Sympathetic Silly Sister, a Tantalizingly Tempting Torso, an Ungrateful Undead Underling, a Veritable Vision of Venus, a Wildly Whimpering Wench, and a pissed off warrior with an X-rated Xyster. Don't make me use it, little man."
Rhonnie didn't care any more. She stepped up beside the two and took Alex's hand, forcing her blue eyes into cool green. "We're going on a picnic and on this picnic I'm bringing an appetizing apple, a beautiful blonde, some cold cokes, dainty dates, enchanting ears, a frenzied fan, three giant gyros, very hungry hips, an Idiot who is making my trigger finger Itch, some Jolly Jello, a Kickass Kiss, a Leather Lasso, Much Milder Manners, a Nifty Naughty Navel, an Overtly Obtuse Ogler, a Purely Precious Pal, a Quest for Quality Quenching, a Rapidly Rising Rage, a Sympathetic Silly Sister, a Tantalizingly Tempting Torso, an Ungrateful Undead Underling, a Veritable Vision of Venus, a Wildly Whimpering Wench, a pissed off warrior with an X-rated Xyster, and a Yearning Yen for YOU!" Rhonda punctuated her words by taking Alex's very surprised lips with her own warm mouth.
Finally catching the clue, Stanley ended the word game. "We're going on a picnic...and I'm in Zone Zero." Looking at the blonde bombshell kissing his protector with such passion, the city boy had to laugh at his own ignorance. "Well I hope we at least have some food in those packs because that picnic was a complete disappointment."
The words slowly filtered through passion's fog. Alex looked at Rhonnie and smiled. "Wow!"
"Yeah," Rhonda blushed. "So much for closets, huh?"
Meanwhile, back at the cabin, the Ball Brothers were starting to stir. It was quiet enough they might have slept all day, but for the incredible discomfort that woke them. Alex made a point, before leaving, to put several large logs on the fire. She explained to Rhonnie at the time that this was the humane thing to do. After all, she wanted to be certain the Poor Fools didn't freeze to death before Lawton and his men killed them. It made sense to the blonde and no one noticed the small gleam in the sparkling blue eyes. Placing the men against the wall, next to the fireplace was a stroke of pure, impish genius. At least in the mischievous mind of one of Denver's finest. Even Stanley thought it quite decent of the taller woman to see to their well being so completely. He figured it was just part of the job. As if.
Skum Ball leaned against the stone section of wall, nearest the fire. While he slept, he turned his face from the fire. This was done when, in the land of dreams, Skum found himself saving a child from a house afire. Skum had dreams like this a lot but this time it was as though his flesh actually felt the flames reach out at him. This might have helped his face and arms but did nothing to prevent the large blisters forming on his naked back.
Skuz Ball was faring better, in relation to the fireplace, since his 'buddy' was absorbing most of the excess heat being sent their way. Still, anyone who has ever stood round a campfire knows the 'toasty on this side and frozen on the other' syndrome. Skuz Ball shivered in his sleep and unconsciously snuggled closer to his friend, who was busy having dreams of grandeur.
It was quite a sight to behold, really. It would have been even odds as to who was the more surprised when the front door was blown off its hinges.
"What the fuck?" came the query from Mickey Lawton as he burst through the still smoking doorway.
Sleepy eyes opened and blinked over and over as Skum and Skuz, the Ball Brothers, struggled to remember how in hell they came to be duct taped to one another.
"I'm freezin'," complained Skum Ball.
"You nuts? It's hotter 'n the pits of Hell in here!" bitched Skuz Ball.
Mickey Lawton smacked the goon next to him in the jaw with a 357 and glared hard enough to still any further laughter on the part of the hired gun. One long leg kicked the chair with the pillow person clear across the room as the furious fist snatched the blinds from the windows.
"Goddamn that bitch! Check the other rooms, you idiots. If she's in there, KILL HER. Wheaton is MINE!"
Holding his rapidly swelling jaw, the first man asked: "Shouldn't we untie..er..untape the boys first, boss?"
Smashing the man in the back of his head, Lawton swore under his breath before answering. "What for? You don't think they survived do you?"
Struggling to stand, the man knew better than to say anything else and just moved to join his friend in searching the rest of the cabin.
Skuz and Skum looked at one another wide eyed, finally waking enough to grasp the full impact of their situation. Frantically they tried to think of something, anything, that might be reason enough for the boss to let them live.
"No one's here, boss. They must've gone out the back."
"There ain't a back, moron. I already checked that yesterday, remember?" Mickey was losing what little patience he had and there wasn't much when it came to dealing with idiots.
"Sure there is, boss. It's in the back of the kitchen. I seen the door knob."
The dark eyes of the Crime Lord, squinted as he walked into the simply built kitchen. Putting the weapon back in its holster, next to his right armpit, he gritted angry teeth. "I know damn well that wasn't part of the original blueprints. That fucker is not visible from the outside at all. Gotta hand it to that tall, blue-eyed bitch. She's a smart one. Whole damn family's too smart for their own good." Motioning to the man who still had a good jaw, he spat out, "Well, open it up, stupid! Let's see where they went."
Opening the heavy wooden door, the peon dared to think aloud. This was never a good idea around Mickey Lawton. "Um, boss. Couldn't we just radio the guys near the river to be on the lookout for em?"
Smack. A large hand hit him in back of his head, leaving a knot where the knuckles struck bone.
"I'm surrounded by idiots. The best paid idiots in Arapahoe County, for Christ's sake. You think someone smart enough to put in that door was stupid enough to go back to the goddamned river? Jesus! Call em on the radio, boss. You morons ever listen to anything I tell ya? Why don't we just hire a plane to write it across the sky?"
Hanging his aching head, "Sorry boss. I forgot."
Lawton closed the door and studied the outside of it with an odd appreciation for the woman he knew he would kill soon. She was a worthy opponent, he thought to himself. It only took one look at the path of the tracks for him to make his decision.
"Get back inside. No point freezin' our asses off. No one in their right mind would chase that woman where she's headed. Shit. I might not even get the pleasure of killing her. Looks to me like she's gonna do it for me. Hell, I heard she was nuts."
Moving to cut the Ball Brothers free, the first man tried to speak with his jaw swelling shut. "You don't think she'd try to climb that mountain from THIS side? With that snow storm comin?"
"Go put some snow on that. I can't understand half of what you're saying. Of course she's gonna climb from THIS side. She thinks she's fucking invincible! My guess is she has no clue about the damn snow storm headed her way. Rotten shame too. Bitch is gonna die up there and I'm not even gonna be there to see the look in those baby blues when she gets it."
Skuz Ball couldn't help it. He could not have seen the thought coming. 'That's cold.' It was at that moment in his miserable life, the 29 year old loser from Boulder fully understood the complete and utter lack of humanity in the man he called Boss. He glanced up at the fellow loser who sliced through the tape that bound him, "Thanks Jake."
"Wel..." BOOM. Bang. Bang. Bang. "Jesus, boss! You coulda blown my hand off." Turning to look back at his friend for seven years, Jake saw what remained of the Ball Brothers and promptly ran for the door. Thrusting it open just in the nick of time, Jake emptied the contents of his stomach. Twice.
"Oh get back in here. You've seen dead guys before. Hell, you've killed a few. They all look pretty much the same. I said, GET IN HERE! And clean that mess up."
Closing his eyes for only a moment against the horror, the third man spoke. "I'll get it boss. I could use the fresh air. Only take a minute."
"Fine. Just hurry up about it. The damn door's letting all the heat out."
Jake managed to pull himself together by taking another quick look at his fallen comrades. If there had ever been any doubt, it was gone now. No one was above killing to The Boss. No one. "What do we do now, boss?"
"Nothing. We sit tight for now. No way I would climb that mountain just to kill that loser Wheaton. I wouldn't even do it to kill that Stoner bitch. No. We sit right here. The guys will be here in a few hours and I'll take care of it then. Nothing on the radio, you hear me? Not one word. Let her think she fooled us." Lawton was already laying the ambush out in his cold, calculating, murderous mind. "Just let her think she's in the clear; just in case the mountain doesn't get her. Hell, maybe there IS a god after all and I can still do her myself."
Miles away, the trail was getting rougher and Alex decided maybe it was about time to give Stanley a break. He was looking a little worse for wear and she had to admit, all that talk of a picnic earlier was making her pretty hungry. Smiling to herself, the detective thought about the kiss Rhonnie had ended the little game with. 'Yeah, you make me hungry too but I'm on duty here. Wonder if they'd throw me off the force for losing a witness because of...yeah, right.' Alex laughed to herself.
"What's funny?" Rhonda inquired.
"Huh? Oh, I'll tell you later." Alex answered, knowing full well she was not likely to share that little fantasy anytime soon.
The detective stopped and turned toward the others, about to tell them it was about time to break for some lunch and give their feet a break.
"Um, Alex..." Rhonnie spoke slowly and softly.
Stanley was actually speechless. Absolute terror filled his hazel eyes as he was certain the animal moved toward him. In all his life, Stanley Wheaton had never seen anything so tall or menacing as the nine foot creature standing before him. The claws seemed to grow before his eyes as the roaring sound filled his ears.
"Don't move Stanley." Alex said the words slowly and clearly while slowly placing herself between her witness and the bear.
"N..n..no p..p..problem," came the reply.
Rhonda knew she would hate herself later but the smile just emerged, unbidden. It found a twin on her tall friend's face. Stanley was too busy holding his urine to notice.
With no sound made, the bear found what it was after in the tree several yards away and moved on. Stanley breathed again.
Alex winked at the blonde. "Hey Stanley. If you think THAT was a bear you should see Rhonnie first thing in the morning."
The blood began to return to the city boy's face and his eyes took on an altogether different look. "Oh, I'd like that. I'd like that very much."
The low growl that filled the air around the man's ears did not come from a bear this time and one look at the detective identified it's origin.
Rhonnie grinned. "Well, I prefer looking at an angel with baby blues in the morning myself."
Crystal blues looked away from hazel and found mossy green. "Um.."
Stanley winked at the cover girl, "I think you got her, Rhonnie."
"Not yet, Stanley. Not yet," whispered the blonde bombshell. "But I'm working on it."
"Great," sighed the witness with the posters on his bedroom ceiling. "Just great."
Lunch consisted of simply made sandwiches, oranges and drinks from a nearby stream. Conversation was sorely lacking, each of the three lost in their own thoughts. Emptying his canteen for the third time during the brief respite, Stanley rose to walk the few yards to the stream and refill it as he saw the detective do twice already.
Alex stood and took the empty container. "It's okay Stanley, comes with the job. Stay here with Rhonnie and sit a while longer. Later on you will be glad you did."
Rhonda started to say something to her friend but realized she was right and the witness and his feet were going to need all the rest they could get. The blonde had a pretty good idea where her tall dream woman planned to stop for the night and knowing they would need to get there before dark meant Mr. Wheaton was in for a rough afternoon. In fact, maybe she better check the fit of his shoes while they were stopped.
"Stanley, how are those boots feeling? Snug enough? Are they rubbing anywhere?" asked the green eyed beauty.
Stanley Wheaton could hardly believe his ears. Maybe she had feelings for him after all, he allowed himself to think.
"Your feet, Stanley," Rhonnie asked again. "How do the boots feel? Tight enough? Any rubbing? Any sore spots, yet?"
"Yet? You mean it's inevitable?" Stanley's mind was on his feet now. He moved his toes within the confines of the borrowed hiking boots. "Nothing hurts, if that counts for anything."
Rhonda smiled at the city boy and the look on his face as he wiggled his toes and concentrated on whether anything hurt. The blonde knew what he apparently did not: if he had to think about it he was doing fine - so far.
"That counts for a lot, Stanley and believe me before the day is out you will understand that too."
Stanley retied the footwear, firmly snugging the laces. "That sounds kind of ominous. Should I be worried?"
The returning brunette handed him the full, cool canteen. "If you aren't already worried Wheaton you aren't as smart as I thought you were."
Turning to look at smiling blue eyes, Rhonda just nodded. Stanley was not amused but was pleased to learn his protector thought he was smart. He would have sworn she thought him a total moron.
"You think I'm smart huh?" asked the witness as he started to drink again.
"Don't drink anymore right now, Stanley. We need to get going and you will need it more later." Alex lifted the pack onto her strong back and helped Rhonnie into hers. "And I didn't say HOW smart I thought you were, did I?"
Stanley took one look at the lifted left brow and tried to discern whether the woman was teasing him. Shrugging, he decided it was best to just forget it and move on, so to speak. He tossed the sleeping bag she had given him to carry onto his back, wiggled his toes once more and the three of them fell into formation again, Alex clearly in the lead.
As the trail became increasingly more difficult, an interesting thing happened. Stanley stopped whining. The man was so busy watching where he placed his foot on each and every step, for fear of stepping on another snake or falling on yet another tree root growing just above the ground, he actually stopped whining and complaining.
Wheaton had stepped right on the snake shortly after leaving the 'picnic' area. Alex had seen it just as his boot started to touch the ground. With the grace of a dancer, she tossed the knife from her leg strap as she crouched, and snatched the witness away from the open jaws of the rattler in a movement faster than the blink of an eye. Or so it seemed to the man gasping for air, still feeling the whoosh of the blade as it passed his hand.
After falling on his now swollen nose four times, the stranger to the wilderness was firmly on the lookout for up-growing tree roots now, too. There was only one problem with paying so much attention to where his feet went. Constantly looking in the direction of his feet left him prey to.....smack....well-firred branches as they sprang back after the detective moved past them. It was after encountering this little phenomenon more than a dozen times Stanley realized he was, in all probability, allergic to pine. He hardly noticed the soreness in the swollen nose now. It was difficult to be fully aware of anything so terribly plugged up, he thought. Besides, how could he think with his face itching so badly?
They had been hiking for several hours when Alex noticed a tiny stream a few yards away. "Hey, tell you what, Stan. Why don't you and Rhonnie sit for a minute while I get us a cool drink?"
"Huh?" Stanley nearly ran into the detective when she stopped without warning and looked up in surprise at her suggestion he take a break. That was the first time Alex really saw his face in its current predicament.
"Stanley. Your nose is a mess and are you allergic to something? I'm pretty sure I haven't seen any poison ivy, oak or sumac where we've been today." Without waiting for a reply she dropped the pack, grabbed a water jug from inside it, and nodded to the witness to sit down on a fallen log. "Sit down a minute, Stanley. Rhonnie, I'll be right back. See if you can tell if his nose is broken, okay?"
"No problem," assured the blonde as she settled her pack onto the ground and moved to Stanley's side. Softly touching the blotchy, swollen face, Rhonnie spoke: "Does this hurt?"
Watching the small hands reach toward his face, Stanley looked deeply into emerald pools. Somewhere in his brain he knew she asked a question but for the life of him he could not think what she said, so he just keep looking into those perfect pools of green.
"Stanley," Rhonnie asked a little louder, "does this hurt?"
"Hurt? No, it feels wonderful," came the dreamy reply.
"I'll just BET it does," smirked Alex. Placing an icy cloth across his face, she took soft hands in her own and helped Rhonnie to her feet. "Try this. It won't feel as WONDERFUL, but it will bring the swelling down and might ease the itching up a bit, too."
Looking up at her amused friend, Rhonda realized she had probably just played right into the fantasies of a certain murder witness. "Ooops. Sorry about that. I didn't think about ..."
Brushing her lips against the cool fingers, Alex smiled with her whole face. "Don't worry about it. Probably the best pain killer we've got," winked the tall detective. "Think you have any Benadryl in that miracle bag of yours?"
Laughing gently, Rhonda smiled back at Alex. "Oh, I think I can find something to help that itching of his."
Watching Rhonnie locate the antihistamine, Alex thought: 'Sure but what are we gonna do about my itching?'
Stanley missed the entire exchange because all he could think about was the feel of Rhonda's hand on his face and the way the green in her eyes deepened with the rich green of the pine trees reflected in them. Slowly he became aware of the coolness of the cloth against his face. It was really helping, he mentally noted.
"Here, Stanley. Take these," Rhonda handed him the two pink capsules and his canteen. "It's just Benadryl. It will help the itching. It's probably best not to take anything for the pain, if your nose hurts, at least not until we stop for the evening. You really need to be alert. I'm sorry."
Taking the pills, Stanley nodded. "It's okay. Honest. The cloth helped. Thanks Alex." The city boy stood up and put the sleeping bag on his back again.
Alex had to admit he was not as big a wus as he seemed when push came to shove. She elected not to tell him his nose was almost certainly broken. There was little to be done about it out here and she felt it was pretty much in place when she put the cloth against his face. Knowing would not make it feel any better. Picking up the pace a bit, the detective knew they needed to get to where she wanted to camp soon. That nose was gonna start hurting a lot worse when the cold from the frozen cloth wore off. A lot worse. Meanwhile she would put snow on the cloth every few minutes and hope for the best. There was really only one safe place to spend the night and it was at least another two hours to the cave.
Rhonda noticed how much closer Alex was keeping their little band and knew she was right about Stanley's nose being broken. It did not escape her attention either that Alex was being painfully careful not to let the witness fall or even stumble again. When the detective pulled a large branch back to pass through an area, she waited till the others were safely past before releasing the springing branches. Ms. I'm Tough As Nails was a real softie but her secret was safe with the blonde bombshell.
The pretty pink capsules worked like a charm on the itching and Stanley was grateful, especially since his nose felt like it lost an argument with a tree. A large tree. Oddly enough, that is not so very far from what happened...repeatedly, he groaned silently.
The air was getting markedly colder and the wind was picking up slightly as the reds and oranges began to filter through the trees. Alex inwardly thanked anyone listening when she saw the break in the trees against the granite wall they would face tomorrow.
"I thought this might be where we were headed," smiled Rhonda. "I haven't been here in years. You think it's safe?"
"Compared to what?" grinned Alex. "Yeah, I think so. Let me go in and make sure first though." She dropped her heavy pack to the ground and for the first time the witness noticed the sound as it filtered into his mind why he had been carrying only a sleeping bag. "Put some more snow on that nose, Stanley. I won't be a minute.....unless the bear is awake." She could not resist teasing him but wide eyes made her laugh quickly. "Nah, not to worry Stanley. This cave's too small for that big fella."
Rhonnie handed Stanley the cloth filled with fresh snow and helped him sit down with it. She began glancing about for fallen twigs and branches and found there would be plenty. She noted, pleased, there was even several larger branches about six feet away. It looked as it they were from a tree stricken by lightening, probably in the spring or summer months. The blonde made certain Stanley was resting and then moved about gathering what she knew they would need before darkness fell, and if fell quickly in the mountains.
"Everything's fine inside," assured Alex, emerging from the small cave. "I started a small fire so you can see and there is a torch just inside the entrance. Let me get some..oh, I see someone remembers how to set up camp. Thanks, Rhon."
Green eyes danced in the golden hues of a setting sun. "Welcome, Al. Want me to get some water? I assume the stream is still behind those trees."
"It is," said Alex. "But why don't you get Stanley settled inside? Give him something for the pain and build the fire up a bit. I'll grab some fresh water and see if I can't get us something decent to eat while I'm at it." She moved close enough to put a hand on the small but strong shoulder. "You be all right for a while?"
"Well, if I'm not you'll hear me. I can promise you that," grinned the smaller woman. Stanley laughed and Alex snorted. "You do remember how well I scream, don't you?"
Blue eyes widened and the detective laughed a full, rich laugh that made them all relax a bit. "OH yeah. I remember." Leaning in close enough to whisper, Alex spoke to her friend alone. "These are NOT the circumstances under which I want to hear you scream, my love."
Green eyes opened into laughing blue as Rhonnie's face took on the color of her favorite rose. She meant to say something but absolutely nothing came to mind.
"Stanley, you keep an eye on her. I'm not at all sure she can scream and be speechless at the same time." Alex snickered as she checked the quiver across her left shoulder. "I won't be long. Now get on inside. You'll be warmer there."
"Alex!" The blonde found her voice when Alex smacked her butt.
Too late. The detective turned and was off in search of water and food, chuckling at the look she already knew was finding its way across the most beautiful face on the planet.
After a delicious meal of roast rabbit, potatoes and a variety of root vegetables Alex dug from where she had planted them years before, Stanley was fast asleep and finally without pain thanks to the Tylenol with Codeine Alex kept in her back pack for emergencies.
Taking out the cell phone, Rhonda reminded Alex where they would be tomorrow. "We won't be able to use this at all once we are on our way in the morning. Weren't you gonna call the Chief, Alex?"
"Figured out where we were headed did you?" asked the brunette.
"Like it was ever a mystery. Come on, Al. I knew the minute you realized we were trapped we'd climb the damn mountain. It's gonna be hell on Stanley here and I wish that damn storm wasn't headed our way but yeah, I figured it out." Rhonnie touched her friend's hand as she gave her the phone.
"I love you, Rhonnie. Did I tell you that yet today?"
"You know, with everything that's happened I'm not sure. Wanna say it again? Just to be sure and all?" Green eyes sparkled in the fire's light.
"Again and again, you bet. I love you, Rhonda Reynolds. I have always loved you. I'm sorry to drag you into this but incredibly glad you're here, all at the same time. Nuts, huh?" Alex asked.
Kissing a tanned cheek, "Nope. Sounds about right to me. I love you too. Now call the Chief before he eats another drawer full." Rhonnie winked green eyes at the love of her life.
They both knew the time and place was all wrong for anything else, so Alex punched the button on the cell phone.
"Where the hell have you two been? I'm down to only one drawer left and half of it's nothing more than empty wrappers." Chief Bartoni paused to take a breath and thank his God they were still alive. "Sorry. You two all right? How's Wheaton?"
"Well, gee, Chief. Why don't you send out telegrams to Lawton?" Alex smirked into the tiny device with the blonde's cheek practically touching her own as they listened for a response.
"Oh. Right. Well, hell, Alex. If you're where I think you are that chicken shit can't benefit from this call. He is one cold sonofabitch but - and don't belt me for saying this - even he ain't crazy enough to be where you two are right now."
Rhonda took her turn to laugh. "She won't hit ya chief. I won't let her. Oh come on, Al. When he's right, he's right."
Alex put on her best pouty face. It did no good at all.
The chief breathed a small sigh of relief. "Girl, you never lose that sense of humor. Ms Pouty face is gonna need it."
"How does he do that?" asked the pseudo indignant detective.
Chief Bartoni and Rhonda Reynolds enjoyed a short but needed giggle. Then Alex took the phone with a grin and a quick smooch.
"Did I just hear what I thought I heard?" asked the hopeful man on the other end.
"Must be interference chief," smirked Alex as she winked at Rhonnie. "Just checking in. We'll call again before we head out in the morning. Then we won't be able to reach you until tomorrow night. You got everything all set?"
"Working on it, Alex. It will all be ready. You have my word on it. Just be careful out there. I'm pretty crazy about you and that little blonde, ya know?" the chief assured her.
"Hey! Who's he calling short?"
"Um, Chief. Gotta go. One blonde bombshell about to explode here." Alex punched the end call button and pulled Rhonnie onto her lap.
"About to explode, huh?" Blonde brows waggled.
One dark brow lifted above crystal blue eyes, "Well, a gal's gotta dream, don't I?"
Settling into the lap, Rhonda snuggled in very close. "You tell me your dreams and I'll tell you mine."
"Oh lord," moaned one very cornered detective. "I might be in trouble here."
"Oh yeah," came the whispered reply. "They don't call me bombshell for nothin', ya know."
"Oh lord..."
Rhonnie took the cell phone from Alex's hand and tossed it over onto the sleeping bag, a few feet away. Quiet, blue eyes watched in slight surprise. Without losing her place on the comfy lap, Rhonda leaned over to the stack of firewood and tossed one of the larger pieces onto the still roaring fire. Tiny sparks and cinders lifted, scattering into the air before floating out the small hole overhead. Green eyes turned back to blue, orange flames dancing in them as their owner smiled with her entire face.
"That ought to keep Stanley warm for a while. I'll make sure you don't get cold in my own way. That is, if you don't mind." Brushing the detective's mouth with soft lips, the blonde spoke in a whisper. "You don't mind, do you Alex?"
Alex allowed her mouth to be taken with the kiss as the words filtered into her mind. Feeling Rhonnie shift slightly as she moved from merely sitting on the brunette's lap to straddling it, Alex moaned into the opening mouth. Somewhere in her brain a tiny voice, dressed in a blue uniform tried to be heard. 'You are on duty, Detective Alexandra Abigail Stoner. You will stop this immediately.' That was when she felt the warm muscles slide together and begin the circle of love.
"Oh Alex," Rhonda mumbled as she moved the tip of her tongue round and round it's mate. Scooting as far onto the strong thighs as she could get, the blonde bombshell pressed into the detective and moaned the name again.
The uniformed, decorated, DEPENDABLE voice grew louder and louder, much to the frustration of Detective Stoner.
"Rhonnie, we can't do this." Even as she heard the words issue forth from her own mouth she wanted to call them back; but Alex knew the timing was all wrong. She hated it, but she knew it all the same.
Pressing tightly still against the woman of her dreams, Rhonnie grinned. "Sure we can, we just need practice. Lucky girl that you are, I'm willing to keep at it till we get it right."
"Oh Baby, I want to. I really do, but we can't. It's just too risky." Alex marveled at how bad words could taste and how much she could hate the job she loved so much only hours ago.
Rhonda snickered, but released the strong tongue, regretfully. "Alex?"
"Mmm," groaned the cop while closing her eyes tightly for a moment.
Rhonda leaned in so her warm breath caressed the small ear. "I might believe you more if you weren't holding my butt so tightly. Not to mention lifting those sexy hips of yours into me in a rhythm that's about to drive me insane."
Blue eyes opened quickly. Strong hands froze against thick bluejeans and hips stilled. "Gods. I can't believe I did that. I'm so sorry, Rhonnie."
Green peered into crystal blue, water pooling in their depths. "You are?"
Reaching fingertips to catch the tears before they could slip onto blushing cheeks, Alex shook her head. "No. No, I'm not sorry at all. I love you and I've wanted this for so long. I'm only sorry about the time and place." Placing a gentle kiss on each eyelid, the detective continued. "Sweetheart, Stanley could wake up, the weather could get worse, an animal could come in trying to find a warm home, anything could happen. I have to do my job, Baby. I don't want to but I have to. Please try to understand. I love you so much."
Kissing the worried face, Rhonda assured her friend all was well with them. "I do understand, Alex. I love you too. Do you think it would be all right.....I mean....could you just hold me for a while?"
"Nothing would please me more. OK. Well, maybe that's not entirely true but right here, right now, I would absolutely love to do nothing more than hold you. Let's move over to the sleeping bags and you try to get some sleep," Alex suggested.
"In your arms?"
"In my arms."
The day had been a long one and the small blonde fell into a deep sleep in hardly any time at all. Alex marveled at how good it felt to hold Rhonda this way. Even the soft snore sounded like a celestial choir to the tall woman who always seemed so self assured to most of the world. She drew her love closer to her and pulled one of the sleeping bags over them. Feeling the cover girl wrap one arm around her waist, Alex slid tender fingertips along flesh of the surprisingly strong arm. Rhonnie had gradually changed her position so that she lay, stretched out, onto her own sleeping bag with her head and upper body in Alex's lap. The world famous face was so calm, so relaxed, so perfect. At least, that was what Alex Stoner thought. This was the most perfect face on the planet and it was snuggled into her left thigh.
"Alex." Rhonda called out into the chilling night air.
"I'm here, honey." Alex soothed.
"Alex. Alex," Rhonda called again.
Concerned, Alex stroked the gentle face. "I'm right here, Rhonnie. It's all right."
Moving in her sleep now, the blonde called out yet again. "Alex. Oh, Alex."
Blue eyes noted the body movement and opened wide, watching the small hand slip beneath the covering. Swallowing hard, Alex shifted slightly, suddenly less than comfortable.
"Alex. Oh Alex. Yes, Alex. I love you so much. Yes, baby. Right there. Alex," Rhonnie was holding Alex tightly, kissing the powerful thigh and moving against her own hand faster and faster. Her speech became more and more breathy, as her tall friend struggled to keep her own lungs functioning. Finally, the heated, writhing body went rigid as the cry filled the small cave. "Alllllleeeeeeexxxxxxxxxxx!"
Beats of perspiration rolling into blue eyes were in stark contrast to the air around the dark haired woman. Closing her eyes over and over again, she reminded herself to breathe. When Rhonda's body relaxed into a peaceful sleep, the detective slipped out from beneath the woman and found her boots. Smiling at the gorgeous blonde, Alex chuckled softly. "Guess you still talk in your sleep, eh Rhon?" Leaning over to brush soft, coral lips, she whispered. "Sleep my love. I think I need a walk in the frozen wilderness. I'll resist the dip in the stream only because it would mean removing my clothes to let them dry. Then I'd be back where I started, wouldn't I?"
Two walks in the freezing air, watching her own breath did nothing to calm Alex Stoner's racing heart. It did, however, wake any part of her body that was not already at full alert. Slipping the love of her life back into her lap, she shook her dark tresses and smiled.
"It's gonna be a long night. A very long night."