Miss Lucy tugged on the almost dead-weight that was Deputy Davenport. "Come on, Chris, help me here," she hissed in a whisper.
Deputy Davenport groaned but started the painful journey of standing up. "What are we doing?" he questioned.
"I'm taking you out to the Circle K where you will be safe. Something is going to happen here in town and soon, if I'm right," Miss Lucy explained for the third time as she pushed him forward, across the floor. *Poor Chris, he's barely conscious.*
"But I'm a Deputy, I should be here in case of trouble," Chris mildly asserted, his sense of honor stronger than his common sense at the moment.
"Oh, there is going to be trouble all right, but your boss is going to be the one to start it." Miss Lucy paused to catch her breath before opening the door. *At least I had the foresight to back the buckboard up against the door.* "And you, my dear Deputy, are going to be far away from here when it happens."
Chris looked down at his fiancee and met her fiercely protective eyes with his own bemused ones. "Okay," he agreed, trusting Miss Lucy to look out for his best interests.
***
Belinda brushed her hands off on a rag and surveyed the fully-packed larder with a smile of satisfaction. There was barely enough room for one person to enter and retrieve supplies but that was good. Belinda trusted Walter's instincts and if he said there was going to be trouble, then you had better prepare for trouble.
***
Sheriff Wolfe paced in front of his troops, a rowdy bunch of almost outlaws who had discovered playing by the Sheriff's rules had its own rewards and still allowed them to skirt the long arm of the law.
"Well, I don't have to tell you. We are at war. Leon has attacked one of Madeline's coaches," Sheriff Wolfe intoned.
The men shuffled, most remained unimpressed and unmoved by Madeline's problems.
"Now, I know, most of you could care less about that, but I will tell you what happens when one of Madeline's coaches gets robbed. One, she nags me and I get grumpy. You don't want me to be grumpy..."
The men glanced at each other, starting to take the situation a little more seriously.
"... Two, she has to raise prices because she has to make up for her losses ..."
Several of the men started to look extremely nervous.
"... and three, because of her raised prices, the girls have to start raising their prices to meet her increased demands on them and, of course, if you can't pay, you can't play."
By this time, every man's attention was riveted on Sheriff Wolfe, concern plainly etched on their faces.
"Now, here's my plan ..."
************
Nik couldn't decide which hurt worse, her head or her side. Both seemed to be equally painful, both were throbbing and both felt like it would be better if they were just removed. She groaned as she tried to shift around to find a more comfortable spot.
Michael was instantly by her side, his eyes emerald green in concern.
"How are you feeling?"
Nik slitted her eyes and peered upwards. "Like I was in a stampede. What was that rotgut?"
Michael's lips twitched at the achy whiny sound of her voice. "I'll have you know that was Fine Kentucky Sipping Whiskey," he stated, pseudo-offended.
"God save me from Poor Kentucky Sipping Whiskey then," Nik whimpered, her head having finally won the contest.
"Not much of a drinker, I take it."
She groaned. "Not so loud . . ." she pleaded. Nik moved again and felt Michael's poncho against her bare skin. *Bare skin?* "Uh ... Michael?"
"Yes?"
"Where is my ... I mean ... how did I ...?"
Michael wiped all expression from his face. "I had to take your shirt off to treat your wound. I'm sorry. I thought you realized it."
Nik blushed fiery red and looked away from him. "No, I didn't, but ... I understand. Thank you for taking care of me," she concluded on a whisper.
"It was my fault."
Nik's head snapped around instantly. "No! It wasn't! I made the decision. You are not responsible for my choices, Michael."
Michael's lips tightened. "I should have never brought you with me in the first place. Then you would have never been forced to make the decision," he stated bluntly, his voice tight with pain.
Nik sat up suddenly, the pain from both her head and side momentarily forgotten. "You could not have kept me away, so don't even start that line of thought. I will not allow you to take credit for my decisions! I make my own choices!" Nik's voice rang out.
"You've never killed before, have you? Because of me, now you have," Michael stated logically, his voice disturbing in its calm.
Nik clenched her fists. "No, I haven't killed before, but I've thought about it. Hell, I even tried to kill Bauer only my aim was off. I would have gladly killed him and danced on his grave, so don't think me a 'Little Miss Innocent.' I'm a woman and I protect those I ..." Nik stopped short.
Michael's heart pounded as he waited for her to finish the sentence.
The silence dragged on as Nik looked everywhere but at him, blushing furiously at her near-slip.
"Those I ... what? Nik?"
Nik coughed. "Why, those I have chosen to become partners with, of course," she lied with a too-hearty voice.
Michael laughed low in his throat, his disbelief evident. "Okay ... partner." He leaned forward until their lips were a mere breath apart.
Nik found herself trapped in suddenly sparkling ocean green eyes. Her heart skipped a beat each time his breath blew across her parted lips. She searched his face, seeking the disgusting lust she had seen on too many men's faces in the past but finding none. Instead, he seemed to be fascinated by her mouth, his eyes locked on her lips. Nik poked her tongue out to moisten those same lips, the gesture a nervous habit that caused his eyes to narrow and his nostrils to flare. Nik felt the heat of his body blaze forth over her naked chest. She gasped as she realized in her anger she had lost her covering. She looked down and grabbed the poncho, hiking it back up the front of her body, clenched in a death-grip. "I ..." Whatever she was going to say was lost as she looked back into Michael's eyes. For the first time in a long time, Nik did nothing to avoid a man's mouth as it descended on hers.
************
Nik was surprised by Michael's kiss. It had none of the brutal harshness like she had experienced from men like Bauer, and none of the impatient sloppiness she had experienced from Gray. It was soft and sweet, barely a brushing of the lips and she was shocked to realize she wanted more. She lifted her head a fraction to increase the pressure between their two mouths. Michael obliged by flicking his tongue out to lightly lick her lips. Nik gasped at the rush which flowed through her body at the touch of his tongue. He did it again and somehow, she was never sure how, her hands were tangled in his hair, pulling his mouth even closer. The world spun and she felt his comforting weight pressing down on her as she sank back into the ground, the sand giving between their combined bodies.
Michael kissed her carefully, thoughts of caution running through his head even as his body cried out for him to possess her. The feel of her strong fingers clenching and unclenching in his hair, like a cat kneading a soft spot, sent a bolt of desire straight to his crotch. He called on his self-control to contain his desire, to tamp down the overwhelming urge to bury himself deep inside her, to merge with the one person who had become so very important to him in such a short time.
Nik gasped, her eyes closed and her neck arched back as Michael kissed her throat. Her body rioted with sensation that was new and confusing to her. She could feel every moment with him throughout her whole body. When he took her earlobe between his teeth and nibbled Nik felt like the world had exploded. How could it get any better than this? And then it did. Her heart actually stopped beating when his warm, slightly callused hand touched her breast.
Michael's hand trembled as he cupped skin softer than the finest silks. He could feel the tremble that ran through her body at his touch and he gloried in the fact that he was the one making her feel this way. He would be the ONLY one that would ever make her feel this way.
It was too much, all too much. Nik cried out, frightened by the intensity. Mindlessly she pushed at him, almost in a frenzy.
Michael immediately removed his hand from her breast, though he was unable to stop it from lingering. "Shhh," he soothed, caressing her hair. He sought to calm her and to also keep Nik from doing herself any harm. "It's all right. Everything is fine. It's over," he assured her, his voice a soft murmur of comfort.
***
Perry Bauer staggered into the gun shop. His right arm hung uselessly at his side.
The shopkeeper looked up at him in alarm. "We ... we're closed," he stammered.
Bauer reached for the bottle of whiskey sitting on the counter and used his teeth to yank the cork out. Tilting the bottle to his mouth with his left hand, he drained more than half of the whiskey before he stopped. He slapped the bottle onto the counter and wiped his mouth off. His eyes were beginning to glaze as the alcohol hit his empty stomach and began to disperse into his liquid starved blood stream.
The shopkeeper inched closer to the back of his shop, intent on the storeroom door.
"Hold it," Bauer croaked, his voice cracked and tight. Awkwardly he held his gun with his left hand. "How much?"
"$10.00"
Bauer shook his head and pointed the gun at the shopkeeper.
"$20.00"
Bauer shook his head and cocked the gun.
"$100.00"
Bauer aimed carefully.
"$200.00 It's all I have. I swear," the shopkeeper's voice trembled to a whisper.
Bauer nodded and carefully uncocked and lowered the gun.
***********
Michael was concerned. Nik had calmed down easily enough, as soon as he had put some space between them, but that was not the problem. He leaned forward and touched her forehead again. She did not stir from her restless sleep, but she was burning up. He sighed. He checked the sun again and made note of the moss growing on the scraggy trees and the direction of the lizards' burrows and made a decision. Tonight, when it was cooler, he would take her to the seminary. She needed medical help. He pondered briefly on taking her right that moment but decided the heat would only worsen her condition. She was asleep now and he would try to keep her as comfortable as possible. He calculated another two hours of heat before it would be safe to start moving her.
Nik opened heavy eyelids. She felt as though something huge was sitting on her chest, trapping her to the ground. She would've panicked but she did not have the strength. With great effort she rolled her head to the side and peered through the mist. The sight she saw stopped the breath in her throat. A god stepped out of the small pond, the water sluicing down his naked body, the sculpted masses of muscles contracting and releasing with casual power as he stepped closer to the fire. His skin gleamed golden in the fading light. The long clean line of his body was clearly revealed. Nik's desire fought briefly with her embarrassment before desire won out. A now familiar fire ignited in her loins as she watched Michael shake the water out of his hair. The length of his throat and broad shoulders were splashed playfully from excess water flying from his hair before he reached a hand back to casually gather its length in a quick squeeze. When he moved closer to the fire Nik could see his broad chest, lightly brushed with a trailing of hair, the strength evident in the shifting of muscle. Her eyes followed the arrow down his chest, lingering on the washboard stomach for a moment before moving downward. The shadows of the slowly setting sun obscured her vision and shrouded his lower body in half-light. A shiver ran down her spine as, at that moment, he looked over at her, as though he could feel her eyes on him, and he began to harden, his shaft starting to jut out from his body. She could see the shadows on the sand starting to move. Nik felt a moment of womanly power flood her system just before her eyes met his and everything ceased to matter.
***
Angel nickered, inquiring to Diablo and he shook his head and snorted back. *Humans*
***
Belinda rolled over and looked at Walter. He was still awake, staring at the ceiling. She trailed a hand down his chest, slipping it under the covers to rest on his stomach.
Walter turned his head and smiled.
"How do you think Nik is getting on?" Belinda questioned in a whisper.
Walter's smile faded. "He'll keep her alive as long as he needs her," he declared, his voice gruff.
Belinda smiled a smile of feminine secrets. "I think you underestimate Nik," she whispered playfully. She shrugged. "Who knows? He may find out how much he does need her."
Walter grumbled.
*************
Michael moved at a sedate pace, careful not to upset the hammock swinging between the horses. He glanced down at Nik's recumbent body once more. For a brief moment as he had been drying off from a quick swim/bath he thought she was awake, but by the time he had moved to her side she was definitely asleep. He frowned as he remembered the clear feeling of her eyes on him. He shook his head at the thought that he was now starting to fantasize about her to such a degree. Never had anyone affected him to this degree. He glanced down at her again, the makeshift hammock still stable between Diablo and Angel.
***
Madeline surveyed what was left of the town of Section as another building burned. She clasped her hands in front of her and nodded her head as she heard the sounds of battle rage in the street below. The time had come, lines had been drawn, sides had been chosen. This was war.
***
The priest shook his head and backed up a step. Michael's hand tightened on his arm preventing any further retreat. "No, no. You don't understand. We are a seminary. No women, no women allowed." The priest glanced at Nik's pale still form with fear. He crossed himself quickly. "It is too late. She is with God now," he intoned.
Michael squeezed the priest's arm hard enough to make him gasp and whimper. "It is NOT too late. She is in need of medical attention," Michael hissed out between clenched teeth. "You are supposed to be a man of God. You would turn away someone in need?" Michael flung the priest's arm away from him, contempt coloring his voice. "Where is Father Joseph?" Michael demanded.
The priest rubbed his arm and tentatively flexed his fingers. "Please, sir. Father Joseph is away. He will be back in two days." The priest looked at Michael pleadingly. "You must understand. None of us may tend her. It is against our order to touch a woman. I can not break my vow."
"But I could tend her, right? You could tell me what to do and supply me with the medicine?"
The priest nodded warily. "That is true, you could, if you were her husband," he finished, his tone doubtful.
Michael looked the priest right in the eyes, "She is my wife. Now find me a room."
***
Nik stirred, her head burning, her eyes on fire and her body made of lead. "Mi ... ic ... chael?"
A soft voice whispered soothing words into her ear, but she was too tired to understand them. She recognized the voice and the gentle touch though. Nik smiled and sank back to sleep, confident that her archangel would look after her.
*************
Nik's first thought was *At least they turned the heat down,* as she stirred on the bed. With a sense of bewilderment she looked around the room. The coarse clay brick walls were completely bare except for a plain crucifix hanging above a prayer directly across the room from where she lay. The only other items in the room were a hook on the wall where a plain brown robe hung, a small table with a pitcher and bowl, and a empty chair besides the bed. She searched her memory for some clue as to her whereabouts, but the only thing that stood out clearly was the sound of Michael's deep wonderful voice stating, "She is my wife."
***
Bauer shot again and cursed as the shot went wide. He holstered his gun and took another swallow of whiskey. The image of raping Nik while she was tied to a bed, and her sissy little boyfriend was tied to a chair nearby, forced to watch, swam through his mind's eye. Bauer chuckled nastily and swayed slightly on his feet. He placed the bottle back on the stump with exaggerated care and with renewed motivation pulled his gun with his left hand and shot again. This time he was noticeably closer to the target.
***
Nik stirred at the feeling of Michael holding her hand. She opened her eyes and gazed at him. Michael's attention was centered on her hand where she could feel him sliding something up one finger.
"Michael?" she whispered.
Michael looked up slowly, his eyes a deep sea green. He leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead and then dropped down to kiss her cheek. Instead of kissing her cheek, however, he used the opportunity to whisper in her ear. "I had to tell them we were married before they would help us. I've just put a wedding ring on your finger," he warned.
Nik, suddenly aware of the ponderous weight of a ring on her finger, paused, "Love, Honor and Obey?" she taunted in a pseudo-light tone. She felt like her heart was crumpling at the thought of a dream she could never fulfill.
Michael pulled away from her cheek and looked down at her wide blue eyes, filled now with unshed tears. He raised her hand to his lips. "Just obey," he told her quietly, unable and unwilling to command her to love him.
************
Nik woke, instantly aware she was alone. She was surprised. Michael had rarely moved from her side these past few days. Whether because he knew none of the others would help her if she needed it, or for some other reason, she did not know. What she did know, however, was that today was the day they would leave. She felt well enough to travel and no matter what Michael said, they were leaving.
Nik swung her feet out of bed and stood up slowly. She had discovered, yesterday, that as long as she did not rush it, she could move at a fairly comfortable pace. Carefully, she pulled on the rest of her clothes. She was extremely conscious of the weight of the ring on her finger. It seemed to her that the flat gold ring caught all the light in the room as it gleamed and caught her eye every time she moved her hand.
She finished buttoning her shirt and gazed down at the ring, using her first real moments of privacy to inspect it. It was tighter than she liked her jewelry, no doubt made for a smaller, more delicate woman. That was probably why his putting the ring on her finger had woken her as it had, he was having to force it.
She was struck again with the question of why Michael was carrying a wedding ring set around with him. She knew it was a set because suddenly a matching ring had appeared on his finger as well.
*Why indeed?*
***
Michael considered pacing in his impatience but glancing about the small room, with its stacked furniture in various stages of repair, discouraged him. There was barely enough room for him to stand up, much less pace back and forth. Shifting from foot to foot would achieve the same effect. Instead Michael clasped his hands in front of him and prepared to wait. Unfortunately, in the stillness of the room, his mind immediately moved to Nik and how she looked against the pillows of the bed, her soft voice murmuring in pain in the midst of her sleep, her blue eyes opening and spontaneously lightening in happiness at the sight of him before she remembered who and what he was ...
Fortunately for him the wait was not too long. A rotund jolly man stepped through the door. His smile was barely visible through the massive bushy beard that covered his lower face, but still obvious. “Michael! My boy! It’s so good to see you.” He clasped his arms around Michael’s still figure and totally ignored the stiffness of the recipient of his hug.
“Father Joseph,” Michael’s soft voice carried a tone of respect.
Father Joseph released Michael and stepped back, his bulk pushed against the stacked furniture, eliciting an alarming creak of protest from the piles. “Michael. You are looking good! Have you decided to return to the seminary?” Father Joseph’s brown eyes twinkled in good humor.
“No, Father Joseph,” Michael answered in a solemn tone.
Father Joseph threw back his head and laughed, his body shook in mirth. “I’m teasing you my boy. I heard you brought your wife with you!” He clasped his arm around Michael’s shoulders and began to herd him out of the room. “At last, I get to meet the lovely Simone.”
Michael stiffened and stopped his forward movement. His unyielding body brought Father Joseph’s bulk to a halt in an almost comical suddenness.
“Father Joseph, I need to explain something to you before we go any further ...” Michael began.
***
Nik berated herself for being so weak as to not move away, but stood just around the corner. She had been looking for Michael when she had heard a booming voice call out his name. She had not meant to eavesdrop but ... now.
Even as she scolded herself for being so underhanded, Nik listened as Michael explained things to Father Joseph.
************
Nik glanced at Michael’s silent figure. He was quieter than normal, which was un-nerving in itself, but this was downright spooky.
Nik looked away before he could sense her stare. Perhaps she should have stayed and heard what he told Father Joseph. Her respect for privacy won over her intense curiosity about this man and she had left after hearing those fateful words, “Simone is dead.”
*No,* she shook her head unconsciously. She had been right to leave, it was the right thing to do. *Of course,* she thought with a wry grimace, *that doesn’t make it any easier to live with.*
***
Michael felt Nik’s gaze on him time and time again. No doubt she was curious as to his behavior, but how could he explain to her the revelations that had occurred to him as he had confessed his past sins to Father Joseph? How could he explain the relief he felt in finally allowing himself to feel anger regarding Simone’s betrayal? How could he explain his wicked feeling of satisfaction when Jurgen and Simone had been caught selling military secrets? Although he had been cleared of any wrongdoings, Michael knew the scent of betrayal hung on him wherever he had gone. Oh, polite society would not dare to say anything to his face, but the whispers that had followed in his wake had been like a tidal wave of sound whenever he had appeared anywhere. Even his club had not been a safe haven with its sudden silences upon his appearance. It was no wonder he had finally emigrated to this new land where a man was whatever he made himself to be. It was also no wonder that he had drifted into the exact type of work that had brought about the change in his circumstances.
Michael shook his head unconsciously. *No,* he could never explain to Nik the things in his past that had made him what he was. He could never justify the actions he had taken and continued to take.
Michael glanced at Nik from the corner of his eyes. *If only ...*
***
As they paused to take a rest against a lone boulder, Nik watched as her shameless hussy of a horse nuzzled against Diablo, her pale mane intertwined with Diablo’s midnight black mane in a intimate movement that was almost too embarrassing to watch. Nik looked away. *This is the same mare that turned her nose and kicked her heels at Gray’s Champion stud the first year she had gone into heat?*
***
Michael watched as his normally aloof stallion allowed Angel to rub her neck and muzzle across his neck. He sighed soundlessly and tamped down on the feelings of envy that flowed through him at the sight of Diablo’s acceptance of Angel’s unreserved affection.
***********
Nik tried in vain to remove the ring. It was stuck. She tried to hide her frantic tugging movements from Michael so that she could just present him with the ring.
She sighed and ceased her struggles. So much for the casual "Here's your ring back" moment.
***
Michael sighed as Nik abandoned her attempt to remove the ring. Although not a deliberate move on his part, he did not regret that she was unable to remove the ring. After two days of telling everyone she was his wife, after spending all of that time at her side, after tending to her when she was recovering from the shock of the bullet wound and its treatment, after all of that, he felt a certain sense of *ownership* of her that the ring traditionally symbolized.
Michael grimaced wryly, his common sense kicking up a fuss about his ever expressing a feeling of *ownership.* Somehow he did not believe that Nik would appreciate the term or the meaning.
***
Bauer looked at his little blonde hostage through whiskey-glazed eyes. He frowned as the blurred image abruptly focused and the tilt of the blonde wig become noticeable. "Dammit," he slurred, "fix your hair."
Gabrielle sighed and let go of the rope she was holding onto to reach up and adjust her wig. She hoped this pig would pass out on her again before anything else happened. Maybe she could jostle his right arm? That usually brought the "game" to an end.
***
Walter stood at the front gate of the Circle K surrounded by the people that Nik's kind heart had taken in. Every one of his backup had a gun aimed with deadly accuracy at the posse lead by Sheriff Wolfe on the other side of the gate.
"What can we do for you, Sheriff?" Walter drawled, his own shotgun casually by his side.
Sheriff Wolfe sat a little straighter in his saddle. He knew the old man was mocking him, but ... "Well, Walter, I'm sure you are aware that there is an altercation happening in town." Sheriff Wolfe smiled oily. "I've come to pick up some volunteers. I'm sure that your God-Fearing Law-Abiding men will want to fight on the side of truth and justice," Sheriff Wolfe finished pompously.
Someone in the crowd snorted loudly.
"What would you know about truth and justice?" someone else called out.
Walter rubbed the side of his face, consciously wiping the broad smile off of his face. "Well now, Sheriff, Paul, I don't believe that we have any volunteers here for your 'Holy War'," Walter stated. Sheriff Wolfe frowned and scanned the crowd of guns facing him. "Surely not all of you men are hiding behind a woman's skirts? Some of you must still have some honor," he insinuated nastily.
His statement was greeted with dead silence. No one and nothing stirred.
Finally Walter raised his shotgun and. holding it casually, still pointed it at the ground. "You don't have any idea who these people are, do you? You don't recognize a single one of them? You stole the land from every one of these families by fair means or foul. No one on this spread would spit on you if you were on fire."
The posse stirred, uncomfortably aware, for the first time, of the precariousness of their situation.
"I think it's best if you leave now," Walter stated calmly.
************
Michael insisted that Nik set the traveling pace and so they loped along at a steady but not too jarring pace. She remained mindful of her recent injury while she kept her mind on the goal of retrieving Madeline's papers.
The wedding ring gleamed in the sunlight, every now and then catching her eye and surprising her with its presence. She was strangely uncomfortable at how familiar it was becoming, aware that Michael would never really put a ring on her finger. She had heard the anguish in his voice as he had told his friend, "Simone is dead."
Despite her best efforts, her imagination ran wild as she imagined Michael's wife. She was sure that Simone had been beautiful, smaller than herself of course, and soft. Nik grimaced, *She probably smelled sweet as well, not like sweat and horses, but like a delicate flower.*
***
Michael suffered in silence. He knew that Nik was pushing herself too hard, too fast, but he also knew he could not stop her. She was determined to finish this task as quickly as possible.
He tried to distract himself from his concern, however, visions of Nik's naked breasts were the only diverting thoughts that came to mind. He accepted the fact that he had gazed at her helpless form for moments before covering her. He accepted the fact that he was a man, a man who desired a woman. He was not particularly proud of his actions, but he was realistic. It did not help any that he had also felt that smooth, silky skin during their kiss. The temptation to touch her had been too much. He had too much of the devil in him to resist such tempting delights.
Michael shook his head as his body urged him to relive those moments, to take his explorations further. He felt a hunger flowing in his blood. He didn't recognize it at first, having never felt such a desire before. Even during his innocence with Simone, such a ... need ... had not blazed through him. Being with Nik and not being able to touch her, to kiss her, to hold her was a sweet torment that he somehow deserved to suffer.
Michael forced his thoughts back under control. He searched desperately for another subject, something else to think of when the memory of Father Joseph's words returned to him. He had confessed his sins, hiding nothing from the man who had once been his mentor, his teacher, telling the whole sordid truth, relieved at last to be able to say something to someone who would not immediately judge him. Father Joseph had listened silently as Michael had rambled at the beginning, filling in the meaningless details before the story had flowed from his lips in a curiously detached disjointed voice that had not sounded like his own at all. Then Father Joseph had looked at him, his brown eyes soft and sad and he had once again pulled Michael into a hug, forcing his concern and comfort into the tense, stiff body which had finally relaxed and tentatively returned the hug.
"It sounds like you followed the path of honor, my son. Oftentimes the most noble path is the most painful and the hardest path to follow. I commend you for your fortitude and ... Michael ... I beg you to forgive yourself for acting with integrity."
Michael shook his head. *If only it were that easy.*
***
Aim
Fire
Dead on target
Aim
Fire
Dead on target
Aim
Fire
Dead on target.
Perry Bauer grinned drunkenly and reholstered his gun. He swept the bottle to his lips to celebrate his newly learned proficiency only to frown when the bottle tipped empty. He opened his mouth to call to the shopkeeper when he suddenly remembered it would do no good. *That's right, I killed him.* Bauer pouted as he shook the bottle. It was still empty. *What a shame, he was so helpful too.* He put the bottle back on the tree stump and pulled his gun out of the holster with his left hand, swinging it up with one smooth motion and shooting at the target. Another dead on target. Bauer chuckled. *Now my pretty little blonde, now I am ready for you and your little dog too.*
**********
Walter heard the cannon fire long before he saw the smoke.
Birkoff reined in his horse and looked at the clear sky in puzzlement. "Is that thunder?"
Walter sighed for the loss of Birkoff's innocence. "No, it's cannon fire. The war has escalated." Walter's voice brimmed with regret.
Birkoff glanced at Walter and then peered toward the town.
They sat at the edge of the Circle K for quite some time. What had originally began as a routine fence checking had drastically changed into a war watch.
***
Michael and Nik heard the cannon fire long before they saw the devastation.
Nik jumped at the first shot and frowned. She knew it wasn't thunder but could not imagine what would have caused such a noise.
"It's cannon fire," Michael answered her unspoken question.
Nik glanced at him in surprise but then accepted the growing bond between them without a word. The longer they spent in each other's company, the more they seemed to know about each other without words.
Michael reined in Diablo and reached into his slim saddlebags, pulling out his spyglass. He pulled it open and scanned the horizon for the source of the disturbance.
"There," he pointed, knowing Nik had her spyglass at the ready. "See that puff of smoke and the beginning of a fire?"
"Yes," Nik answered, her spyglass trained on the distance. "What is happening?" she asked. "The war is over."
Michael lowered his spyglass and turned to look at her. She gazed back at him.
"For some people the war is never over," he stated quietly. He nodded in the direction of the conflict. "Unfortunately, that's the direction we need to go."
Nik nodded.
*************
The town of Adrian had the air of a town under siege. All around them, the few people moved about with the quick haunted air of the ever-vigilant. Nik glanced at Michael questioningly. He shook his head. He guided Diablo to the only respectable looking hotel in the area, “The Garden.” Nik scanned the streets and noticed that no children were playing anywhere, no dogs were lolling in the shade, and there was no sign of a carefree life. She swallowed; the very starkness and unhappiness reminded her of Section One. Nik reined in Angel and guided her in the direction Michael had taken. Angel easily changed course, more than willing to be near Diablo again.
***
Michael surveyed the hotel. The front desk was unmanned, but the lobby seemed clean, if a little dark. All of the windows were shuttered despite the fact that there was at least an hour or two of sunlight left in the day. The bare necessities were there and that was what was important for the moment. Nik had reached the end of her strength, whether she knew it or not. Michael had entered the town with the sole goal of finding somewhere out of the heat and cold, somewhere to rest for the night in some form of comfort.
He did not turn as he felt Nik's presence behind him, but instead spoke out loud, "I think we need to stop for the night. This place looks suitable."
Nik thought for a moment of the hidden townsfolk and the feeling of repression which hung in the air. The very stillness of the town was poignant with despair. Nik pulled her shoulders up, straightened her spine, and gave herself a quick stern talking to. She must not let her imagination run wild with her. She must control herself and her feelings of empathy. Madeline had been right about that. Her inability to separate herself from others' feelings was going to be her downfall one day.
"Fine," she stated, her tone quivering only a little in reaction to the atmosphere.
**************
Nik stared at the bed, her imagination running wild. It was the most beautiful bed she had ever seen. She tilted her head to look at it from another angle, but it remained heart-shaped. The red silk sheets gleamed in the dying light.
Michael cleared his throat uncomfortably. The bed was ... he was not sure what it was, but it was definitely a temptation. Every time he looked at it, the vision of Nik sprawled across it, her hair gleaming in the candlelight, her body draped with casual elegance across its width, distracted him to the point of insensibility.
Michael had been unable to resist when the proprietor had insisted the “Bridal Suite” was the only room available and had glanced pointedly at Michael’s hand where the matching ring still resided. "This seems to be the only room still available," Michael attempted to state casually. He doubted it considering the general state of the town and marked lack of people milling around in the drawing room.
Nik nodded her head, agreeing. She walked over to the bed and ran her hand across the sheet, shivering at the touch of silk.
Michael watched, mesmerized.
"It certainly looks big enough," Nik remarked casually, unaware of the slightly roughened texture of her voice, a reaction to the silk.
Michael blinked and then blinked again, trying to dispel the image crowding in his head. He could clearly see Nik's white blonde hair fanned out on the pillows as she gazed up at him with passion. He could clearly hear her voice whispering his name ...
"I think I will check out the town, see what is happening," Michael stated abruptly as he walked heavily out of the room.
Nik stared at him in bewilderment, startled by his sudden abrupt departure. "But we just checked in???" Her brow wrinkled in confusion and with a philosophical shrug she turned back to the bed. It was amazing. Even Madeline did not have such a fine bed in her house.
Nik sniffed the air, smelling the vaguely familiar scent of roses. She turned around in a small circle, searching the room for the source. No bowls of rose petals, no overturned bottle of scent, only a closed door. Nik walked across the room, the delectable odor getting stronger the closer she moved toward the door.
On the other side of the door stood a separate bathing room. An oversized basin lay on the floor near the shared fireplace. On a small side table stood a matching pitcher, a jar of pinkish powder, the lid haphazardly laying by the jar, and a box of matches. A kettle full of water hung at the ready over the prepared kindling. Folded on the only chair in the room were squares of fabric. Nik walked closer to the fireplace and debated for a microsecond. She lit a match, coaxed the kindling aflame, closed the door and began to disrobe.
************
Bauer cursed as his gelding sidestepped. The horse settled down and once again he raised his spyglass, with his left hand, to scan the horizon. He could not believe his luck when he had spotted the tail end of Michael's horse descending a slope. *God must smile on the virtuous.* He had pushed his horse beyond common sense, to the point where his normally placid gelding was beginning to rebel. He had trailed them, barely keeping them in sight for hours, but now it looked like he might actually catch up with them. For some unknown reason they were not moving at any great speed. Bauer spent a considerable amount of time peering at the town. It seemed to be the perfect place to stop for his wandering travelers, especially since they did not seem to be in a hurry. Maybe that meant they were close to his prize? Lowering the spyglass, he experimented with clenching his right hand into a fist. The first two fingers flexed in response, but only marginally. Bauer snarled and closed the spyglass heedlessly against his saddle horn. *That little bitch will beg me to kill her before I'm through.* He stopped for a moment, breathing heavily, his body shaking with excitement at the thought of Nik. *I wonder how much Madeline would pay to have her back?* Bauer arched, thrusting against his saddle for a moment before he grunted, the front of his pants soaked with his ejaculate.
***
Walter rolled to the side, careful, as always, not to crush Belinda. The sweat glistened on their bodies, drying slowly in the cooling room.
Belinda purred and snuggled her head onto his shoulder.
Walter draped his arm around her shoulders and stroked the soft skin lightly.
Belinda pulled the blanket up to her chest and Walter's stomach. She sighed in satisfaction.
***
Nik knelt on the floor and poured another pitcher of water over her head. She did it a couple of more times, rubbing her hair over and over until it finally started to squeak in protest. Nik felt measurably better once her hair was clean. She wrapped a square of fabric over her head and emptied the basin water back into the kettle where the remaining water was slowly heating. Patting her hair dry, Nik finger-combed her hair the locks, teasing tangles free. She curled her toes in enjoyment as she watched the water start to steam.
Nik experimented with the pink powder as she waited on the water. She tilted some of the powder into her palm and squeezed some of the water out of the fabric square onto it, making a paste. A paste that smelled of roses. She inhaled in pleasure and rubbed the paste thinly over her hand and arm. When she wiped the patch off with the fabric square, she was delighted to discover not only were her hand and arm clean again but she was lightly scented with roses. *I must remember to take some of this home for Belinda.*
*************
Michael walked into the saloon that bore the name "Adrian's." *Apparently this is a one-woman town.* He was not surprised to see a subdued crowd milling about. He had learned that it took a lot more than a small range war to keep men from their liquor and women.
The bartender placed a shot glass and a bottle of whiskey on the bar in front of him without request. Michael accepted the lack of choice without comment. He was not there to pick a fight, rather, he was there to gather information. He poured a shot and took a sip as he cased the rest of the saloon. Manfully he kept from spitting it back out. *Definitely have to keep this away from Nik or she will discover 'poor' sipping whiskey.*
"Buy a girl a drink?" A feminine voice asked from the right.
Turning slowly Michael surveyed the speaker casually. She was a blonde, though from the condition of her hair, probably not naturally. She had an impressive chest, almost entirely displayed, a small waist, long legs, and the most tired, weary look in her eyes.
"Ma'am." Michael touched the brim of his hat politely.
She smiled vapidly and arched an eyebrow inquiringly, returning to her original question.
"Allow me." Michael deliberately thickened his accent and was rewarded by the flash of genuine intrigue in her brown eyes.
He signaled the bartender, who pulled out what was supposed to be a bottle of champagne that he just happened to have ready. Michael restrained from laughing out loud at the sight.
He leaned back against the bar, the shot glass held in his hand, and smiled winningly at his companion. "So, what's going on in town?" he interrogated quietly.
***
Bauer set up camp not too far from the edge of town. He smiled as he spied the pretty boy heading for the saloon, alone. That meant somewhere his little blonde was all alone. He licked his lips, *It's the last night you'll spend alone my sweet.*
***
Nik pulled on the black silk robe she had unpacked from her saddlebag. She ran her hand down her side, marveling in the feel of the material against her skin. Months ago when Belinda had given her the robe as a birthday present, Nik had thought to never wear it for anything but her own pleasure, but tonight ... tonight she donned it because she thought Michael would like the way she looked in it.
Nik bit her lower lip as the old doubts and insecurities flooded her system. She fought them with examples of Michael's obvious attraction to her. The memory of his reluctance to end that kiss heartened her and gave her new resolve.
She looked up as she heard him return to the room.
*************
Michael knocked hesitantly and having received no denial, entered the room cautiously. No sight of Nik scurrying off or flinging herself under the blankets to cover herself, unfortunately.
As a matter of fact, there was no sight of Nik anywhere. "Nik?" he called out.
"I'm in here, Michael. What did you find out?"
Michael located her voice from a closed door across the room. He walked over to the door and tapped on it carefully. "Everything all right?" The elusive scent of roses teased him from under the doorway and his groin sent warning bolts of sexual energy through him at the exclusive feminine scent.
"Yes, I'm fine," Nik reassured him. "I took a bath. What did you find out?"
Michael drew a deep breath as the image of Nik soaking in a tub teased him, the thought of bubbles clinging to her skin, hiding her silky breasts from his view tormented him. With a quick shake of his head, he moved away from the door, controlling himself.
He paced to the window and opened it wide so that the cool night breeze rushed over him and helped to cool the blood pounding in his brain and his crotch. "It seems our old friend, Sheriff Wolfe, has been making himself felt over here in Adrian. He's seeking to extend his power base. He's been cutting into their supply lines and apparently helped to start the current range war that is raging," he informed her, trying to pull his mind back to the information he had found out from the very tired Lisa earlier.
He remembered her start of surprise and brief flicker of regret before she accepted his money but did nothing more than put her feet up. He had explained to her he didn't want her services but was instead more interested in what was happening, what she had seen, what she had heard, things she had been told. Lisa had hesitated but then, tucking the money into her cleavage, she had begun to talk, slowly at first and then with gathering speed and intensity. The more she talked, the more details she provided. Michael had learned early into his training that women were rarely given any credit for their powers of observation and that knowledge had saved his life more than once. He was one of the few men willing to let them talk and, more importantly, really listened to them.
***
"What range war?" Nik's voice was clear, no longer obscured by the door as she opened it and stepped into the room. She pulled the robe closer to herself, unconsciously closing the top with a clenched fist.
"Something strange, but apparently only to me," Michael explained, turning from the window. "Something about sheep and c ... att .... le ..." he trailed off as he saw Nik standing in the room. Her white blonde hair shined and shimmered, her wild sky blue eyes peered at him with a mixture of fear and determination, and her body was clothed in a black robe that clung to her curves with tantalizing elusiveness. Her bare feet peeked out from the bottom of the robe, one soft ankle visible through the folds of the robe.
Michael swallowed and forgot how to breathe.
***********
Nik swallowed and took a deep breath. "You've ..." she began, only to run out of breath. She swallowed and tried again. "You've been so good to me," she whispered.
"Good to you?" Michael repeated, dazed.
Nik nodded, the movement shaking her hair partially over her face. "I wanted to thank you."
Michael's back stiffened as her words penetrated his lust fogged brain. "Thank me? Are you offering yourself to me, Nik, because I've been decent to you? Is that what's going on?" he asked, his tone softened to a near hiss.
Nik swallowed the lump in her throat and shook her head rapidly. She closed her eyes in shame. "No, that's not it. I would never ..." she trailed off and jumped as Michael glided close to her, his hand reaching up to cup her cheek.
"Never what, Nik?" he questioned, his tone curious, his hand trembling, his eyes locked on her mouth.
Nik risked a glance at him, struck by the vulnerable look residing in his jade green eyes. "I would never offer myself as a ... a gift, Michael." "I'm glad," he whispered after a long look into her determined blue gaze convinced him of her sincerity. "You are too priceless to be a gift," he continued. His eyes conveyed a deep sense of visual appreciation for the picture she presented.
Nik shuddered and closed her eyes as she leaned into his palm. With new resolve she opened her eyes. "You've been so good to me," she began again, "that I've found myself ... wanting," she finished.
"Wanting? Wanting what?" Michael questioned, afraid to breathe as he waited for the answer.
Nik's lips firmed and her shoulders straightened as she took her courage in her hands. "Wanting something I thought I would never want. Wanting someone I had lost hope existed. I found myself wanting ... you," she rushed out in a single hurried sentence and then dropped her eyes as she waited for his reaction.
Michael's heart pounded, trying to break free from his chest. He felt a fine shiver of exultation run through his body and the room actually began to swim in front of his eyes until he remembered to inhale once again. "Nik, look at me."
Nik slowly raised her lashes and peered at him both fearfully and hopefully. He had not rejected her outright and she took heart from that.
"I want you," Michael stated, his voice trembling with emotion, "but I don't want you because you feel gratitude to me ... or because I'm the first man to treat you with dignity or respect since ... your time at Madeline's," Michael concluded, allowing her a way out of the situation while his body screamed at him and called him a fool for passing up this chance. His cock ached and swelled in response to her offer. The feel of her skin against his palm, the scent of her own musk, mixed with roses, flooded his senses with a mad desire to kiss every inch of her body, to take his time, slowly discovering all the secret spots of pleasure she didn't know she had.
Nik looked at him, puzzled. "You want me?"
"Yes, Oh God, yes," he assured her, his eyes burning an imprint onto her lips.
"I AM grateful for your kindness, Michael," she began.
Michael groaned and searched deep for his control, his body yanking it away from him every time he thought he found it.
"But, what I want from you is not ... gratitude, Michael." Nik finished.
"No?"
Nik smiled shyly and shook her head, her voice husky with emotion, "No." She leaned forward to brush a kiss across his lips, her own lips clinging to his.
************
Michael sighed and let her lips play over his, the sweetness of her breath invading his mouth and soul. Nik trembled against him and moved closer, her hand reached up to cradle his head, and her fingers threaded through the silkiness of his hair.
Michael was enchanted with her timid advances. There was none of the practiced seduction techniques that Simone had used on him, nor any of the defiant willingness to indulge in wickedness that the women he had seduced in his line of work had displayed. Nik's desire for him was untutored and honest and the honesty ached through his body with devastating consequences.
In response to her shy venturing, Michael opened his mouth, allowing her in, stroking his tongue slowly along her hesitant one.
Nik murmured and pressed closer to the strong male body that had filled her with this strange longing, this inexhaustible fire that had haunted her. The image of this man stepping out of the pond flooded through her brain and she moaned as her fingers clenched tighter in his hair.
Michael groaned before taking control of the kiss, her hesitancy, enchanting as it was, was driving him beyond the point of control. He pulled back from the kiss and lip bit her lower lip, holding it lightly in his mouth as he traced the tip of his tongue across it.
Nik trembled and cried out softly as he began to nibble on her jaw, her body seeking more of the sensation. As he moved down her throat, her neck arched, surrendering to him.
Michael's body, moving independent of thought, moved them closer to the bed, his erection pressing against her eagerly, through the material of his pants and her robe, burning with intent.
Nik felt the softness of the mattress underneath her and the hardness of his body pressing down on her. Under his gentle urging she parted her legs, inviting him to lay between them, curling her thighs around his hips as she rocked upwards, seeking a feeling she never dreamed existed.
Michael pressed down onto her, his blood roaring in his ears and pounding in his groin. He felt her long legs grip his hips and wrap around him with a shaky groan. He pulled his mouth away from her shoulder, where he had been slowly devouring her taste, and buried his face into the mattress, breathing deeply and trying to clear his head. He concentrated on the scent of the mattress, the straw and hay scent, trying to divert his mind from the reality of what was happening. This was all wrong. He was rushing it. He needed to slow down and make it good for her. Good enough that she would want him again. Good enough that she would stay with him.
************
Nik cried out at the loss of his mouth on her skin. "Michael?" she moaned in question.
Michael groaned at the sound of her sweet, thick voice calling his name. He wanted to hear his name on her lips for years to come. He wanted to feel this body beneath him every night for the rest of his life.
Michael reluctantly pulled away from her, feeling her legs fall from around him with a real sense of regret. He looked down at the bed, at her flushed face and the robe parted halfway across, a shy nipple peeking out at him while a glimpse of the darker blonde hair at her sex called out to his body. She lay on the bed, her eyes drowsy with excitement, looking at him questioningly.
"I want to do this right," he tried to explain, the words sticking in his throat.
Nik smiled at him. "I thought we were doing it right," she teased lightly.
Michael shook his head, more to clear it than to deny her statement. "Not quite," he murmured and reached down to undo his gun belt. He carefully concentrated on his movements, not trusting his body to behave, and looped the belt around the bedpost, the handle of his gun facing inward.
Nik propped herself up on her elbows and watched his movements with an intensity that shook him to the core. Her eyes followed his hands with a single minded interest.
He grimaced and carefully unbuttoned his fly, his erection beating at the fabric for release. He stopped to take a deep breath and looked at the beautiful angel on the bed. There was enough light from the lit lantern on the bedside table that he could see most of her beauty and just enough shadow that he was teased by what he could not see. "You are so lovely."
Nik gasped, the simple comment striking her heart with its honesty.
She blushed, suddenly aware of her state of undress. She started to wrap the robe around herself when his softly voiced "Don't" stopped her. With trembling fingers, Nik dropped her hands.
Michael sighed with pleasure as he realized that Nik had found the courage to take the next step with him. He could easily imagine being able to view her beauty in the full sunlight, able to look at her at his leisure. Michael now had a goal. Inspired, he finished undressing with enough haste to put himself in danger and pulled her into his arms, kissing her breathless before she could start to think about what had just happened. His hands slipped the opened robe off of her shoulders and down her arms.
***********
Perry Bauer snarled as the extinguished lantern ruined his view. He was perched on the hitching post across the street from “The Garden,” his eyes glued to the silhouettes that had been acting out one of his favorite fantasies. The thought of that little blonde hussy coming, willingly, into his arms had kept him warm on many a cold night and now she was cheating on him with that pretty boy, that lapdog.
***
Michael pulled her closer, sweeping her hair back from her throat, leaving the long length free for him to explore with burning lips. He caressed the velvety nape of her neck lightly with his fingertips and smiled at the feeling of her shudder. He directed her with light shuffling steps back against the bed so that with a little nudge she fell back onto the mattress and he lowered himself onto her.
Nik sighed at the feeling of Michael’s mouth, her senses swirling at the touch of his lips. The feel of his fingertips brushing against the nape of her neck made her ache. She welcomed his weight on top of her, pulling at him with an unconscious strength. The coarse texture of his shirt abraded her sensitive nipples and she cried out in shock and delight.
Michael groaned in the back of his throat as she pulled him closer. This is what he wanted, he wanted her lost to everything but sensation, the sensations he was giving her. He wanted her thinking of him and only him.
He cupped a breast in his rough palm, aware of the vast difference between his work-hardened hand and her delicate skin. His head spun at the enticing sweetness calling out to him. He rubbed a thumb across the stiffened tip, glorying in her involuntary movement of need. He nestled his head on her shoulder, watching as her rosy nipple peaked in response to his simple caress.
Nik pushed her breast firmly into his hand, craving more of the delicious sensation. This was no sweaty palm pawing at her, making her skin crawl. The strength and warmth of his hand comforted her even as it excited her. She breathed his name.
Michael shuddered and rewarded her desire with a quick flick of his tongue across the sensitive bud, curling the tip of his tongue around her nipple and gently tugging.
Nik arched against him, striving for more contact.
***
The fighting broke out again. It had originally started as a conflict between the cattlemen and the sheep ranchers over water rights, but had since escalated to include old feuds, new feuds and just plain cussedness.
The Colonel sighed and took another slug of whiskey as he watched another skirmish flare up and die down. The last one of the day. Always late in the day there was a truce as the men still had chores to do. The Colonel hated this war. He had always hated war. He had served his country when asked, but he had not liked it and now ... he shook his head, now they had pulled him off of his ranch where he was just starting to make a difference in a private battle with nature to lead this ... war against the sheep herders. Water! He downed another slug. Who cared about whose water it was? He expelled a long breath. This was the stupidest thing he had ever been involved in and now it was too late, there was no stopping it. He looked around the “camp.” These men were fighting just for the sake of fighting. Most likely some of them had served too long in the real war to be able to settle down to normal living, but ... this ... to fight about water! *Didn't they know that everyone needs the water - morons!* The Colonel headed back to the makeshift tent that was his headquarters. *Well,* he sighed, resigned, *I have to stand by my word. I just wish that damn dam had never been built.*
*************
Perry Bauer scowled at the whore in front of him. She returned his look with one of professional disinterest but he was new and he had money, so ...
“Have you seen a man with reddish hair, dressed in black and talking with an accent, in here?” Bauer questioned as he poured himself another shot with his left hand. He did not offer Lisa anything.
Lisa kept her face blank but recognized the rather crude description of the most intriguing man she had ever met. She thought of Michael’s soft voice and refined manners. She thought of the way he treated her like she was a real woman, a woman men respected. She remembered that he listened to her like what she had to say was important, like she was important. She looked at Bauer who was openly leering at her, his bleary eyes firmly focused on her chest. His manners were coarse to non-existent and there was more than a touch of cruelty around his mouth. “No.”
Perry Bauer cursed fluently and then belched.
***
Nik held her breath, her sudden stillness stopping Michael more effectively than if she had cried out.
"Nik?" he questioned, his voice husky with passion, his whole body tensed and strung tight with tension and desire. His forearms quivered with the strain of keeping his body weight from crushing her.
Nik looked into his eyes and saw his desire for her reflected a thousand times over. She saw the heat in his gaze, she felt it flow off of his body, she felt it beat against her in a steady rhythm and smiled. Her fears banished, she parted her legs and whispered, "My name is Nikita."
***
Perry watched as a man sauntered up to the whore and slung his arm around her waist, latching his hand onto the breast Perry had been coveting. The whore did not even look up but all defiance seemed to leak out of her, deflating her. "Hello David."
The cowboy looked at Perry's limp right arm and sneered. "What are you doing, you freak? Trying to prove you're a man?" The other men in the bar laughed at David's quip, anticipating a fight.
Perry tightened his lips and weighed killing this man against the wait to catch his little blonde and her pretty boy with the money. It was a tough decision even when he was fully functional. Finally the light of greed brightened enough that he put down his shot glass, threw a coin on the bar, took his bottle and left the saloon to taunts of cowardice. *Something else that little blonde will apologize for once I have her staked out on the ground.*
************
Sheriff Wolfe sighed as another building burned. He could hear the sounds of men passing water in a fire line and shrugged philosophically. *Well, it's all for the greater good.*
***
Madeline circled the individual in her "white room." This room was the most notorious secret in the entire town. Men dared not speak of what they allowed her to do to them in this room, but somehow men always seemed to know to ask for it, admittedly with embarrassed faces, whispered tones, and constantly shifting eyes.
"Tell me," she whispered, running the leather strips through her fingers, "what are Leon's plans?"
The man in the chair silently looked straight ahead, maintaining his stoic demeanor. He was in this room involuntarily and felt no hidden thrill at the items prominently displayed on the walls, chairs, and bed.
Madeline smiled, amused by his fortitude. No doubt he had been coached in the various techniques this room was known for, trained, perhaps, in how to withstand the application of some of her favorite devices, however, unfortunately for him and fortunately for her, Paul had enlightened her on the "twins'" talents and she had quickly forged a strong rapport with them and their mutual understanding of pain. Her smile broadened as she contemplated the man in front of her and the unknown "delights" he had yet to endure.
The man swallowed, not caring for Madeline's broad grin. He knew it boded ill for him and wondered how much preparation was really possible for capture by this woman.
The door to the "white room" swung open and a petite woman and enlarged man stepped through. Both of them were carrying carpetbags and both of them were wearing small smiles of anticipation.
The man shuddered.
***
Walter shook his head as he listened to Birkoff's concise report on the latest devastation of Section One's structures. All out war had been declared and those few townsfolk who had not fled were being held captive by the fighting.
The Circle K was still receiving refugees everyday. People who had not realized, had not believed, had not understood what was going to happen when Madeline flexed her muscle against Leon were trooping up to the front gate, dazed, exhausted and hauling all of their possessions they had been able to salvage. Walter had opened the gates to all of them. Though he was cautious enough to make sure each group was semi-isolated from the main compound, just in case, he had been unable to turn any of these people away.
"I know how much Nik hates to use it, but I think we may have to break into that last haul from Madeline and send further west for supplies. With this many people to take care of, the larder won't last much longer," Birkoff advised, chewing his lower lip slightly. He disliked suggesting something Nik had so vehemently opposed, but this was for the greater good.
Walter sighed, feeling the same as Birkoff, understanding and agreeing on a practical level. "Make it so," he stated with a small wave of his hand.
