| Title: The Revenge of Miguel Bain Author: KC Chapter 8 Route 1 - the Coast Road - out of Carmel is a beautiful, drive. The highway twists and turns, allowing you to watch gorgeous pine trees and spectacular ocean views; it's usually great for a leisurely ride south. But not today, unfortunately. Two cars, one a flashy convertible, the other a nondescript rental, were weaving in and out of the tourist traffic at high speeds, one obviously chasing the other. The drivers left a trail of dented fenders and cursing motorists as they sped down the highway, dangerously cutting across lanes and around slower vehicles. As Electra maneuvered the convertible through the traffic, her panic level increased. If that Tonali woman ever caught up to her and she had no doubt that CC was behind her, somewhere. Her anxiety was caught by the cat in the carrier on the front seat beside her, as Pearl mewed and stirred restlessly. "Hang in there, girl, we'll get home soon and everything will be all right (God, I hope)," Electra murmured. "This traffic is murder today, damn tourists." She swung out to pass a lumbering motor home, flooring the gas pedal and swerving back to avoid a line of cars moving north. "Slow down, slow down, you've lost her; she'll never catch up - if she's back there." Several miles back in heavy traffic, Miguel gripped the steering wheel of the rental car grimly. "Shit, we will never catch her, what the hell is it with all these people?" he growled. "What do you think is going on with her?" CC sat calmly beside him, occasionally suggesting a maneuver to get around slower vehicles. "This is not only the only major road around here, Miguel, it's a real popular tourist route. My guess would be that someone - probably your friend Rath - has connected me to you," she said. "And I'm damn sure that I don't like anyone knowing that fact. Seems like I'm heading for trouble here - if your driving doesn't kill me, will Rath?" "My goal right now is to get only one person killed," Miguel responded. "And if I can't get moving here, we will never catch her! Do you have an address, anything in that book of yours?" CC didn't reply. The frustrations of both drivers were compounded by a series of short delays, at several spots in the road that were under reconstruction. Electra waited impatiently at the head of a long line of vehicles waiting at one of the temporary stoplights. As she drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, she stared unseeing at the sharp cliffs tumbling down to the Pacific. "Pearl, if she's back there, there's no way she can catch us, I know there isn't!" We just have to concentrate on getting home, and everything will be OK," she whispered. As the light switched to green, she shifted and roared across the bridge, the tires of the convertible glancing off a temporary guardrail between the lanes. Miguel drove steadily, and cursed steadily as he also swerved in and out of the opposite lane. "Can you see her? She shouldn't be too far ahead. Damnit, do all Americans drive these houses on wheels?" CC was becoming tenser, leaning forward to watch the traffic ahead of them. "I don't see the car - wait, there it is! She's about 8 cars up. Jesus, Miguel, do you see what's out my window here? NOTHING! Be careful; you'll send us off the road and down a cliff before we can get to her!" she cried as Bain roared around another motorhome. CalTrans biggest repair job is at the beautiful Burns Creek Bridge. The old suspension bridge crosses a wide creek spilling into the ocean, with spectacular views of mountains on one side and sea on the other. It's also a dangerous area, made even more so with the huge construction cranes and highway workers who now compete for the narrow crossing space with everything from motorcycles to huge semis. Electra glanced around nervously as she approached the temp light at the north side of the bridge; it was red. She waited impatiently, taking huge gulps of air to try to calm herself. As the Burns light turned green, she looked in her rearview mirror, and shrieked. "Oh, shit, Pearl, is that her? It is! Oh no, no, what the hell am I going to do?" Electra again floored the pedal, accelerating rapidly as she began to cross the bridge. She probably would have made it, too, but for several unhappy coincidences. As she reached mid-bridge, she once again scraped her tires against the guardrail. Although she corrected quickly, the collision and subsequent jerk of the convertible sent Pearl into a frenzy. As Electra reached to try to calm her pet, the beeper in her purse went off once again. In a panic, she tried to grab the purse with her right hand; as she did so, Pearl reached out a paw and clawed. Electra jerked the steering wheel to the right as she tried to get out of Pearl's reach - and then looked up, screaming helplessly as the convertible went through the ocean-side rail at the south end of the bridge and plunged to the rocks below. The car burst into flames on impact, killing her instantly. Miraculously, the padded pet carrier was thrown free of the wreck, landing on the rocks at the midpoint of the cliff. Miguel and CC didn't see what happened, but heard the crash and subsequent explosion. Miguel quickly pulled the rental to the highway shoulder; CC had her door open and was running down the road before he managed to stop the car. As she got to the head of the bridge, she could see the flames, and the work crew gathered at the other end of the bridge. "What make was that car? Did you see?" she breathlessly asked a man watching the fire. "It was a convertible, woman driving. She just sailed right off the bridge, poor soul," he answered. CC leaned against the rail and took a deep breath. So Electra, you got yours - finally, she thought. And you did it to yourself. Why the hell don't I feel better about this? As Miguel reached the bridge, a California Highway Patrol car pulled up at the opposite end and stopped. The flames from the car were still leaping into the air, and traffic was backing up steadily in both directions as drivers abandoned their cars to watch. "Was it her?" he demanded, grabbing CC's arm. "Damn, look at that - she's gone, for sure!" "Yeah, it was her," CC replied softly. She pulled away from Miguel's grasp and started to move across the bridge. "Where are you going? We need to get out of here," he called after her. "I want to see," she tossed back as she again broke into a run. "Oh, wow, look!" "What? WHAT?" Miguel yelled. "What the hell are you doing?" CC was at the far end of the bridge, pulling at a construction worker's arm, pointing to the rocks below them. "Damn woman, she will be the death of me yet!" he muttered as he crossed the span. As he reached the small crowd at the south end of the bridge, he could hear CC yelling at the workers. "Don't you see, LOOK down there, there's some sort of animal - I can see it!" Miguel grabbed her arm. "What? What do you see?" She tore away from him and began to walk to the end of the bridge. "Look, Miguel, it's the cat carrier, that cat is down there, and I think it's alive!" Miguel followed, pushing through the gathering crowd. "Where are you going, CC, wait, what are you going to do? SHIT, woman!" he hollered after her. "Lady, you're freakin' nuts," a CalTrans worker called. "Nothing, and I mean nothing could survive that. Wait - did you KNOW that person? What's going on here?" "I can see it moving - look, there, don't you see?" CC screamed in frustration. She moved around the worker and headed for a steep, overgrown path leading from the end of the bridge - ignoring the shouts of the people behind her. "Christ, look, she's going down there, somebody stop her," another worker yelled. The CHP officer took off after her, slipping and falling at the top of the path, and then returning to the road. Miguel stood, watching, as CC steadily climbed down the cliff towards the carrier. The officer suddenly appeared in front of him. "Sir, is she with you? Do you know whoever was in that car?" Miguel thought rapidly and replied, "Yes, she is with me, and no, I have no idea who was in the car; my companion is truly an animal lover, she was determined to get whatever that is, and I could not stop her. I hope she will not be in trouble officer?" he smiled slightly as he spoke. "It's too dangerous for a woman to go down there," the cop replied sternly. "Well, you do not know this woman, sir," Miguel grinned, and turned to watch as CC leaned over an outcropping and grabbed the carrier. A cheer went up from the crowd on the bridge above her as she turned and began to slowly move up the path, cradling the carrier in her arms. As she reached the top, several onlookers and workers grabbed her and hauled her back onto the bridge. "I did it!" she crowed. "And look, it's a cat - it's alive!" Miguel could hear Pearl squalling as he reached for the carrier. "Great, wonderful, I'm so glad - now let's get the hell out of here. The cop is suspicious of us already." A small line of people followed Miguel and CC as they recrossed the bridge. She turned a brilliant smile on the patrolman. "Officer, we were heading for Point Reyes, to a business dinner, but we will not be able to make it now. Could you help us get turned around so we can return to Carmel?" The man frowned for a second, and then returned her smile. "Of course ma'am, but I need to tell you that you just did something very foolish for the sake of a dumb animal! You could have been killed yourself. Your friend says you just did this because you love animals? Did you know the driver of that car?" CC continued to smile, and poured on the charm. "Oh, officer, I know it was foolish, but I could see the cat moving, I knew it was alive - I have excellent eyesight. I couldn't leave it to die! No, no, I have no idea who that poor person was in the car; it's just a terrible tragedy, isn't it?" She kept moving steadily up the road, Miguel and the patrolman following, towards the rental car. "Please, could you help us? We need to get back to town and call our business associate - he'll be so worried." Miguel watched her performance with admiration; the patrolman hurried to motion cars out of the way as CC carefully placed the still-screaming Pearl in the back seat of the car. "Oh, thank you so very much - we really appreciate it, Officer. You have been so helpful and kind. 'Bye, now!" Miguel pulled smoothly out into the northbound lane of the highway, "That was some performance, sweetie!" he laughed. "Do you always use your, ah, feminine wiles to get your way? And, please tell me what the hell we are going to do with this cat?" "Why Miguel," CC purred. "You know as much about my feminine wiles as any man, what do you think? And, the cat here, my friend, is the key to the winning move in your little battle with Rath!" Robert Rath looked out the window at the road below the house. He had paged Electra 20 minutes ago; there had been no answer. Had something gone wrong? He paced, wondering if the pilot had somehow been able to detain Electra at the airport. Halting n front of the computer, he looked down at Miguel's last move. Bain, alive - and seemingly in the United States. It was unbelievable, incredible. How could someone survive those shots? And he'd made a fast recovery, judging from the game in progress. Forgetting Electra, the cat, the time, he sat down again and started to type, trying to trace a backwards path through cyberspace_ Miguel enjoyed a calmer drive back up Route 1. Electra's crash had brought all northbound traffic to a halt, and the road was clear ahead of the car. "So, what do we do now?" he asked CC. "Take this creature back to the New Mexico zoo?" CC smiled absently, gazing out the passenger window. "Well, yeah, we do, Miguel. OH! You still don't get it, do you?" "No, sweetie, I don't - give me a hint. How can this cat possibly help me catch up with Rath? And what can it do for me once I do catch up with him?" CC turned her attention from the window. "Once Rath realizes that Electra is gone, he will think I had something to do with it. From what she told me during our little trip, he is just as batty about that cat as she was, and he will want her back. He can easily find me, so we have to be ready and waiting. What do you intend to do?" "Kill him," Miguel responded succinctly. "But, you forget, I have also left a little trail for him to follow. So why do we need the cat?" "Insurance. Do you really think Rath would come after you? If I were him, I'd just sit and wait for you to come out of hiding again, once I realized you were alive. With Pearl here, there is valuable insurance, assurance that he'll be looking for me. And he won't be expecting to see you_" CC turned back to the window, gazing thoughtfully. "What's the matter - you seem a little unhappy," Miguel said. "I would think you'd be dancing with joy, your enemy is gone." "I thought I would be, too, Miguel," she murmured. "I don't know if it's because I didn't really have a hand in it - no, that's not it. I just don't know." "Not developing a conscience, are we?" Miguel taunted softly. "That is not the tough woman I have come to know. And it's not as if we are responsible for what's-her-name's death, now, is it?" "Listen, Miguel, when do you think all this is going to happen?" she asked, abruptly changing the subject. "Soon, CC, soon. But, first, Bobby needs to know that his little sweetheart is gone, and he needs a few more hints as to where to find me_" Miguel's voice trailed off as he thought. "We will send a message before we leave for home, then kick back and wait for him. It will be a fine trap - and I will be ready." Rath dies, CC thought. And who else gets hurt in the process? Me? Miguel? I care about this man, I don't want to, but I do. And I think I'm heading for more trouble than I've ever had in my life....is this worth it? Am I too late to even ask myself a question like that? The pair reached the airport without incident; CC dropped Miguel off at the plane and went to turn in the rental car. As she walked across the tarmac, she saw Miguel sitting on the steps, typing furiously on the laptop. "Here, how does this sound?" he crowed as she reached him. CC climbed to the stair above him and leaned over his shoulder to look at the screen. "Rath, you bastard, I am desolate at the sad news - your lady friend met with an untimely accident this afternoon - she really was a very poor driver, you know. Such a shame, isn't it? However, you will be pleased to hear that your damn cat survived, and is receiving tender, loving care." The message continued with more taunts and everything but an address for CC's cabin. "I'll be waiting for you, Bobby, and then we will see who gets to make Fadlan's last move_" "What do you think? CC? What is wrong with you - answer me!" "I guess it's fine, you're going to send it anyway, so my opinion doesn't matter," CC muttered, and rose to enter the cockpit of the plane. Miguel clicked on the Send button, then rose and followed her into the cool, shadowy cabin. "Hey, wait a minute, what the hell is wrong with you, chica? I thought you were in this with me." "DON'T call me chica - I'm not a little girl. And nothing is the matter," she yelled, suddenly furious with him, and with herself. "OK, OK, sorry, but talk to me - what is eating you?" he said softly. "I...we...oh hell, I don't know," she cried in frustration. "Look, Bain, maybe this isn't such a hot idea - what happens after Rath gets to New Mexico? Are we going to sit on the front porch with a rifle? Do we stake out Main Street in the truck and wait for him? And what happens after you shoot his sorry ass? Do you ride off into the sunset? I need to understand what's going to go down here." "Why? Are you afrai...you are afraid, aren't you?" His eyes narrowed, grew colder. "If you are not with me 100%, all the way, then I will leave and do this myself. I don't need you - I don't need anyone. You want to understand? Then understand this. I have spent the better part of the last year positioning myself for this moment - when Rath dies, I am in control, I am unbeatable, I am_" "Oh, shut up with the big macho man talk, Miguel," she interrupted. "I'm not afraid - I'm concerned, for you AND for me. What are you talking about? So big freaking deal, you will be in charge - what does that get you? Big bucks, fame, what? I don't understand." She moved closer to him and grabbed his arm. "I swore that this was none of my business, that I would say nothing, but damnit! I don't think I can stand by and let this happen. You're not in the best shape, you know, never mind that you have NO idea of what's outside the little world you've been living in the past few weeks - what if you need to track him? Can you do that? You wouldn't even know where to start! I don't think you could do it. And you'd probably both die before you could even find each other! What the hell do I do if he gets to you first? I'm not ready to die for you or for anyone else. And I don't want you to die!" She stopped, horrified at her loss of control. "Damn you, you are making me say things I don't want to, feel things I don't want to - maybe you should just take your chances without me - leave me alone, OK?" She turned away so that he would not see the mortifying tears that were forming. "I can't handle this. I think this partnership is at an end, Bain." "Fine. It's at an end." CC heard him move back to the front of the plane and stomp down the steps. She dropped her head against the passenger seat and fought back the tears. This is terrific, my responsibilities are over, I've made lots of money for very little work, she thought. Do not, DO NOT go after him, it's better this way. No ties, no emotions, life back to normal. Get up there, get this baby fired up and get the hell home. She wiped her eyes, turned to move to the cockpit and screamed. "Miguel - Jesus, you scared the shit out of me! What are you doing back here?" Miguel watched her silently. The killer's face was gone; replaced by something almost - almost tender. "Do you care what happens to me? Do you really, CC?" "Of course I do, you stupid ass - can't you see that?" "CC, Rath is blind with rage right now, he won't be thinking straight - he will die and I will live. And you are involved, totally involved. If I were to leave you alone, he'd still come after you. I told you, trust is hard, impossible for me. However, I do trust you." Miguel moved closer, cupping her face with one hand. "I have not even thought beyond killing Rath, until now. I have no idea what I will do. But I do know that I want to live, and that I want you. Is that enough? Do you believe me? Do you trust me? We can figure out the rest when this is over." CC looked at him without answering. "And, OK, I lied, I do need you. I need your knowledge," he continued. "You know the land, the - what do you call it - the territory, I don't; you can help me. And, er, you, well you see, I have become accustomed to_" CC suddenly erupted in laughter, "Miguel, you look like a little boy! Are you going to start scuffing your toe in the dirt and blushing?" she teased. "What are you trying to say - you love me for my mind? Or my body? Hmmm, chico???" His hand moved to her neck, caressing, then lower to cup her breast. "Chico? You think I am a little boy? Ah, please, allow me to show you that I am not." "Stop that! We're having a knock-down, drag-out fight here, remember?" she smiled. "You don't want to ruin our fun now, do you?" "Noooo," Miguel drawled softly. "I want to have a little more fun. And this kind of fun is much more interesting, don't you think?" He leaned forward and kissed her, drawing back slightly to trace her lips with his tongue. "Am I forgiven, querida? Am I? I want you, I want all of you, now." He sank slowly to the floor of the cabin, pulling her down on top of him. "This is so much better than a fight, don't you agree? Here, let me help you with these clothes - you won't need them for a while." "Just like that, huh? You walk away and then walk back and expect me to fall into your arms?" CC said. She raised herself slightly, glaring at him. "Forgive you? I don't know, Bain." He watched her, smiling, his hands playing over her body. As she stared down at him, the smile widened, and her face softened. Arching slightly so that he could remove her pants and bikinis, she murmured, "I may or may not forgive you, but I am definitely interested in the fun you propose_" She helped him remove his jeans, and he drove into her forcefully, laughing. "This is what you like, you're on top, now you can be in control, yes?" "I would rather lose control, Bain, and you know how to make me do it," she whispered, rocking, teasing him, letting him fill her. "You know exactly how to do it_" Losing track of time, Rath typed steadily, following the outrageous clues that his chess partner had left. He ignored the Email flag flashing persistently in the corner of his screen, concentrating on tracing the path that Bain - if it was Bain - had laid. He finally gave in and retrieved several new messages. "Rath, you bastard, I am desolate at the sad news - your lady friend met with an untimely accident this afternoon - she really was a very poor driver, you know. Such a shame, isn't it? However, you will be pleased_" Rath jumped up, sending his chair flying across the room, running for the door. He started his car and flew down the hill, pausing only briefly before turning onto the highway and tearing north. As he drove, he punched random buttons on his stereo receiver. Music, a sports call-in show, and finally an all-news station. "To recap our lead story, an unidentified motorist died late this afternoon when her car plunged off Highway 1 at the Burns Creek Bridge. Although the identity of the driver is not known, witnesses to the accident reported to the California Highway Patrol that a woman was definitely at the wheel of the red convertible, which hit the temporary guardrail separating traffic across the bridge, and _" Rath abruptly swung his car off the road, dropping his head on the steering wheel. "I'll kill that bastard, kill him and that bitch pilot, too!" CC and Miguel's flight back to New Mexico was uneventful. They settled in to wait -- and wait. Several quiet days passed, with no contact from Rath. Pearl became accustomed to her new home, immediately making friends with Cyber, and delighting in tormenting Papa. "Look at that cat," CC grinned one morning. "She's really got Papa's number - she just lies under the cage and watches him, it's driving him nuts." As she spoke the bird leaned through the bars of the cage and screamed "I'm gonna get you Motherfucker!!" Pearl seemed to smile up at him, twitching her tail lazily. "I think she's a great addition to the family, don't you, Miguel?" "And what family would that be?" Miguel asked guardedly. He was increasingly on edge, wondering where Rath was, when he would make a move. "Do you consider me to be a part of your little menagerie? I don't think I like that, sweetie." "Why, whatever family you want it to be, Bain. I was referring to my pets, actually, not you," she replied coolly. "This is a stupid subject to fight over - let's not start. We're both nervous, Miguel, but you know that whatever is going to happen will happen; you can't control all the circumstances." "Si, I know, querida, and it is making me crazy. Where the hell is he? I don't think I can sit around much longer, waiting like this." "I'm wondering the same thing myself, do we have a Plan B?" she asked brightly. He glared at her silently, and then walked out the door of the cabin. Well, hell, I guess we don't, she thought. When would this end? CC left the cabin a short time later, moving to keep the cat and dog inside and found Miguel sitting on the porch railing. "Miguel, we're running low on stuff - I have to go to town. Do you want to go with me?" He thought for a moment. "No, I think I will stay here. You will be careful, please....keep your eyes open." "I will, I will, don't worry about me." She leaned over, kissed him, and walked to the truck. "I mean it - watch yourself. Bobby may be here already," Miguel called after her. She answered with a casual wave as she turned the truck towards the road. Title: The Revenge of Miguel Bain Author: Deena Chapter 9 "God, I hate shopping!" CC eyed the can of cat food in her hand and wondered for the millionth time why she had insisted that she come into town for supplies. Then she remembered the real reason. She needed time away from Miguel to take a look at what she had gotten herself into. She needed a breather from the intensity of Miguel's presence. Never would she have thought that she could have become so tied up with someone so...cold-blooded. Now, here she was shopping for groceries for their little cabin in the woods!! Sheesh! "I think you will really like the Sheba brand much better, bitch! It's Pearl's favorite!" The knife -like voice of Bobby Rath cut her ear like the sharpest blade. "I don't know what you're talking about, buddy." She tried to brazen him out. "If you don't mind_." She made as if to get away from the voice hissing behind her, when she felt a gun poking her in the side. Looking down she could see that it was concealed by a rolled up magazine....the latest issue of "Latina," she thought. "You won't hurt me, Rath. It would draw too much attention to yourself." CC hoped he was still rational enough to realize this. His next words sent a chill through her. "You think I care now, after what you bastards did to Electra? Sons of bitches, the only good thing that has ever happened in my life!" "Hey, Rath, we didn't kill her. She did that herself! We weren't driving the car." "But your boyfriend was driving the car that was chasing her. Well, I really don't care if I kill you here or somewhere else. I think you want to live, though. At least long enough to try to warn your lover that I'm on his trail, right, bitch?" The gun prodded her side again. CC knew he was right. The longer she stayed alive the more chance she'd have to warn Miguel. "What do you want from me, Bobbieee?" She couldn't resist. He may have been holding the gun, but she could still draw blood with Miguel's teasing way of calling him. "We're going to go to my car and you're going to make a call. I'll think of some other things later." His mouth was so close to her neck she could feel his lips move as he spoke. She shuddered at the thought that he might want to use her to drive Miguel crazy with jealousy. Would he even feel jealous? At least he would feel possessive - no one played with his toys. She let him lead her to the back of the store and the spot where his car was parked. "How did you recognize me?" CC asked, stalling for more time. "You're somewhat unforgettable - especially when you go clambering down mountainsides. And Bain, well, I needed only to ask the one female CalTrans worker if there was a man with the crazy woman who went skittering down the cliff. She remembered you were both together, to her regret. So, now, no more questions. Get in!" She obeyed him swiftly now. The sooner she did what he wanted, the sooner she could figure out a way to get away from him. "Call. Dial his number. Now!" "Where the hell is she, Cyber? She is way overdue! Damn! I knew I should not have let her go by herself. Mierde! She will drive me to an early grave!" Miguel paced the small cabin as he had for the last half hour. He had sensed that CC really didn't want him to go with her. In another life he would have thought that the reason was that she was going to betray him. Now, he knew that she needed to be alone for a while. He trusted her enough to give her that space. And look what had happened. Again he stared at the phone on the wall of the cabin, willing it to ring. It did. He grabbed for it. "CC! Where the hell are you? What the hell is going on?" There was a moment of silence. Then a voice that he knew so well spoke. "Tell him, bitch." "M_Miguel? It's Rath. He _ I was stupid! I'm so sorry... I..." There was a sound of pain, quickly muffled. His hand gripped the phone so hard, he thought it would shatter in his fist. "The bitch can't even follow a simple direction. Hell, let me tell you simply: I've captured your queen. The next move is yours." A click followed. The dial tone that emitted from the black plastic in his hand broke the spell Rath had created. Miguel stared at the curved piece in his hand and with a burst of rage, yanked the instrument out of the wall, flinging it across the cabin and straight out of the window. Papi shrieked as it flew past his perch. "Watch out, asshole!" he screeched, opening up his wings, and dancing on his swing. "Damn you, Rath! And damn you, CC for making me care what happens to you!" He turned to look at the big dog snarling at unseen villains, Miguel's tone of voice alerting him to invisible enemies surrounding them. "He must be heading our way, Cyber. Somehow he's going to try to make CC bring him here. It only makes sense. Well, Anticuado will see that he cannot just come waltzing to me and expect me to dance with him to his tune! We will make ready for him, si?" He patted the faithful hound's head. He had a lot of work ahead of him. He had to be prepared__. "I see why you retired, Anticuado. You really are stupid." CC's voice from the back seat was quickly driving Rath insane. She wouldn't shut up. And he needed her to guide him to Miguel. He longed to kill her. If only to keep her quiet! He thought once his confrontation with Miguel was finished, he would perhaps cut her throat - a fitting end for the talkative bitch. He turned to the backseat. "Cut the chitchat!" Where had he heard that phrase before? No matter. The bitch piped down...if only for a moment. "You've given Miguel plenty of time to prepare some surprises for you, Rath. Did you think he was going to sit on his ass wringing his hands worrying about me? You're a fool if you think he really cares that much about me. Hell, he may even have left the cabin before we get there!" CC prayed that she was right. That he didn't care enough to stay and try to save her. The thought of him getting hurt or dying for her savaged her soul. Please, Miguel, she thought, let all the things you said to me be a lie. Don't be there when Rath and I arrive. "I think we're taking the long way around to get to this shack of yours. Are we? If I find out we are..." he snarled. "What are you going to do? Kill me?" she mocked. "Go ahead_. And you'll never find Miguel." Her taunting voice drove him perilously close to the edge. He swung around and back slashed her face. She could feel the blood trickling down from her lip where his ring cut it. "Every mark you put on me, Rath. Every mark, he's gonna make you pay." She pricked him again. "Just shut up, damn you! Where's the next turn?" "That cut off ahead. Turn right really sharp." She tried pointing with her bound hands, but found it awkward. He had used a leather thong from the shirt he wore to tie her up. Even if her hands were free, her little .22 caliber pistol that Miguel had given her was in her purse sitting in the grocery cart back in town. But she wasn't totally defenseless. Rath was slipping - he hadn't even thought to search her. If only she could get to the knife hidden in her ankle high leather boot. She had to get away from him. "Perdicion!" Miguel swore again as the claws darted through the grillwork on the cat carrier. "Almost got me, you she devil!" Pearl's snarls sounded like the revving up of his motorcycle. He had to feed her something to keep her quiet. A bowlful of milk laced with the Valium he had found in the medicine cabinet should do it. The problem was to get the bowl in close enough proximity so the willful creature would drink it. He bent down and placed the bowl on the floor with the carrier nearby. This would require some fancy maneuvering. Open the carrier door and quick, get the bowl inside. Slowly he put his hand on the latch and raised it up. Before he could slide the bowl inside the carrier, she was off! The fluffy feline darted across the cabin floor, jumping on top of Cyber's back and driving her claws into his tender hide. With a lurch of surprise, the canine heaved himself up from his favorite doggie bed and shook his body bewilderedly. Like a flash, the cat was leaping for the broken window of the cabin. Moving with a speed Miguel had thought was reserved for cougars, Pearl went flying into the forest. Papi squawked a stream of curses as his afternoon rest was disturbed. "Mierde! CC will kill me!" Suddenly, he stopped. If CC had been there she would have felt her heart melt as Miguel let loose a laugh that seemed to come from the depths of his belly and filled the cabin with unbridled merriment. Miguel saw again the cat leaping on top of the dog's back and the great parrot screeching its head off. Ah well, one less distraction to worry about. He turned back to making a welcome for his former colleague. "Shit!" Rath banged his hands against the wheel of the now useless car. The last turn CC had him make turned him directly in the path of a downed tree. The speed at which he was driving served to ram the hood of the car into a myriad of thick branches. They'd have to go on foot. Insane with rage, he got out of the car and wrenched CC's door open. "Get out! Get out! Get out! Get out!" His voice was shrill, the hold on his temper slipping further, making him more and more careless. When they got closer to the cabin, she'd make her move. The shades of twilight began to settle over the woods. A purple sky jeweled the air. Rath held the gun pointing to her back as he pushed her along the path she'd indicated that they had to follow. The branches smacked his face as they moved further into the woods. CC's eyes darted left and right as she noted landmarks in the gathering darkness. There, the clump of fur rubbed off from one of the coyotes that hunted just out of range of the cabin. They were getting close to home now. She hoped to hell she had given Miguel enough time to either leave her or put out the welcoming mat for Rath. "We'll have to camp here for the night. I'm not going to go stumbling around in the dark making enough noise to alert Miguel. The moon is bright, but not bright enough for me to try to follow this so-called path you have us on. Sit, bitch and shut up." Rath threw her down with a shove hard enough to cause CC to fall to the forest floor. Her blouse was in tatters and the smooth skin of her shoulders and face were marred by numerous tiny scratches. Somewhere along the way, she had lost the top button to her shirt and it hung partially open, revealing the tops of her breasts encased in a plain white sports bra. Wearily, she rubbed her face with her bound hands. They were starting to tingle. "I have to go to the bathroom, Rath." CC whined. "Untie my hands." "I don't think so, bitch," Rath snarled. "You can move ten feet away from me behind that bush. I want to see the white of your blouse. You move out of my sight, I'll come after you and kill you." Sighing, CC tripped over to the sparse ground cover. She turned her back to Rath and silently slipped the knife from her boot. Now, she had to wait for an opportunity for him to get near enough for her to cut him. "You done yet?" He called. "You better get your ass over here now or I'm coming over there myself." Quickly, CC pulled up her pants, thanking the powers that be that she had stuffed a tissue in her pocket. She came over to where Rath was sitting on the trunk of a fallen tree. He motioned to her to sit down against the still upright dead oak a few feet away from him. The moonlight poured down on the silent duo limning their forms eerily. He sat mutely, staring at her, taking in the torn blouse, the smooth skin marred only slightly by dirt and fresh scratches. She couldn't help it. His silence began to unnerve her. Her breathing became erratic and her pulse started to accelerate. Rath looked at CC's straight black hair. It looked almost blue in the glow of the moon. She stared back at him. He could see the cut on her lush lips. The blood had dried on her mouth. He got out his handkerchief and spat on it. Pushing himself off the rough wooden seat, he walked over to her. "I'm going to wipe off the blood from your face," he said softly. CC looked up at him. From where she was sitting, his crotch was directly in view. He was aroused. She could see the bulge in his pants. She knew if she let him get close to her he would try to rape her. But she had to let him. She had to let him get close enough for her to cut him. She tensed. She couldn't let him think she was just going to allow him to waltz over to her without any complaints. "Don't do me any favors, Rath. Just keep to your side of the clearing and leave me alone." She let her voice tremble just a bit as if she might be afraid of him. Hell, she was. He was that close to the edge. He might just rape her and kill her and try to find the cabin on his own. "I can't figure. Why did you save the cat?" He stood there for a moment, still looking down at her. The moonlight came from over her shoulder and showed a face hollow eyed and wild. The hanky shone white in his hand. "I'm an animal lover, okay? Besides, we knew you'd want something of that bitch to remember her by." She grinned up at him, dangerously taunting him. She had to get him close to her and off-guard. Get him angry, CC, she told herself. It worked. He strode over to her quickly. Grabbed her by the torn front of her blouse and drew her up to his face. She could see the rage in his eyes flaring wildly like the flames of a volcano. She could feel his hot breath on her face. He took the hanky and roughly wiped off the dried blood, so roughly that he started a fresh stream trickling down her chin. He smiled showing his teeth and slowly bent his head towards her, his tongue snaking out from between the pearled visage as he licked his lips. "Let me just get that for you," he purred. Everything seemed to happen at once. A mewling cry filed the air as a small bundle of fur launched itself at Rath's back. CC slashed upwards with her knife, cutting him across the neck and face. He screamed, jerking back away from her. The cat, as if glued to him, clung to his shoulders as he danced away from CC, clutching at his face. The blood streamed from between his fingers as he tried unsuccessfully to do three things at once: draw his gun, get the cat off his back and staunch the blood. CC wasted no time but took immediate advantage of his predicament. She ran. The dawn was just beginning to blush the sky when Miguel was finally satisfied that he had done everything he could to strengthen the cabin's fortifications. He had covered the broken window with some stray pieces of wood he'd found in the storage shed, probably shelves for some future project of CC's. The brush around the cabin had been cleared away. Anyone coming up to it would have to cross an open area. In the back, he had placed some trip strings strategically between trees. He'd hear if anyone tried to sneak from behind. Now all he had to do was wait. Had Rath killed her, he wondered. The thought cut him. He had let her come too close. Now she was a part of him. Now she was his weakness just as Electra had been Rath's. Would he act as crazed if he found out that Rath had killed CC? Unawares, a snarl crossed his face. He would. He'd kill him. He'd put that gun to his head, but first he would make him suffer. He would make him scream for that final bullet. If he had touched her.... raped her...The snarl turned into a smile of evil pleasure. He'd stuff his balls in his throat. He sat in the chair that he had pulled near the door thinking about how much he had changed since meeting the ebony - haired beauty. She was as tough as he was, but when they made love, Dios! She was like a tiger - and he had the scars to show for it. He sobered as he thought that he might never feel her claws on his back again. A noise! Instantly, he was alert, his gun at the ready. He peered out the window at the cleared area. A slim form came bursting into his range: CC. She was back. |