Lady of Way

by Rosemarie McCants

  "Mark, what was wrong with you?" Lisa had to run to catch up with his quick strides. "Couldn't you go along with what I said?"

  "I have never been in such a situation before Lisa," he didn't slow down, "And we got away, so I don't know why you're…"

  "They suspect us, Mark. Had they known..."

  "We'll just report them, end of the story." Mark hurried on, oblivious of her efforts at keeping up with him.

  "Mark, open your eyes to reality. They know their game very well."

  "Good thing we walked away sooner."

  "Mark, stop!" She shouted suddenly. Don't you understand? We're not free! They did not let us go for nothing! They'll be following us, keeping tabs on us, since they suspect that we may report them!"

  "Why would they expect it?" Mark had stopped, though he kept glancing around him nervously, "To all intent and purposes, they could make it seem like they're nature lovers like us."

  "The bearing-of-arms-in-the-park policy?"

  "Illegal poachers. Thought these things happened in the African bushes." Mark grumbled and resumed walking.

  "Slow down, Mark," she caught up with him, "Do you appreciate my coming with you now?"

  "You made it worse… Lisa."

  "How?"

  "You… shit, here comes another…" but Lisa had seen the approaching figure too, and she turned to Mark… just relax and hmm..!" He grabbed her and planted a kiss on her lips, catching her by surprise from the way she flailed her arms about and also arched her eyebrows as he...

  "We are spicing it, yeah..." He mumbled and released her, just what turned out to be a man in ranger uniform approached them.

  "I see." She panted back. The ranger waved as he approached, "Hello there!"

  The two waved back.

  "I'm looking for a man and a woman… they were headed this way last time I saw them…"

  "Yeah, we saw them," Mark offered, "They called each other Jared and Goat," he pointed, "way back.'

  "That way back, you say?" The other man asked as he fished out a sat phone from a small pouch fastened to his belt. Beside him, mark heard Lisa's barely audible gasp.

  "Yeah, a man and a woman as you just said." He reached for her hand, squeezing it to let her know that he was aware of it too.

  "I think you'll catch up with them if you leave now." She added generously.

  "Oh, don't worry. They'll use this route definitely." The man pressed a few buttons on his phone and pressed it to his ear as he turned to thank his informers… but they were already out of earshot, hurrying on as if suddenly possessed. The call was picked…

  "That pouch… he was using… for his sat phone." Lisa panted.

  "Yeah... I noticed."

  "Didn't you get… get… a good look at it?"

  "I did. He's the poacher! Lisa, he's the one hunting the pangolins, and we told him where the man and woman were!"

  "They could be together, Mark… What did I tell you… I'm out of breath, let us sit here for a while… we can't run Mark!" She looked at him angrily when he started to protest, "Didn't you understand- he was probably calling them to update them on our whereabouts and what we were doing! Ah, thank you for the surprise kiss, though…" she smiled. Suddenly Mark wondered why they had to be in the bush, why they were being stalked and why nothing could remain as perfect as the feelings of love before it is expressed. Perhaps expressing it ruins the mysteriousness, he thought.

  "…and a ranger at that… Let's leave Lisa. If he decides to pursue us…"

  "He didn't suspect us though, I hope. You should have put more effort into the kiss though."

  "Why?" She didn't answer but regarded him long and hard.

  "Mark, is there anything interesting in your life? Danger? Unexpectedness? Not knowing whether you'll be alive the next second? Anything at all ever?"

  "Yeah. Many things…"

  "Don't say, Vivian."

  "She's first. Then my job. Then…"

  "Then what Mark?" She stood very close and held his gaze, her eyes challenging. Mark felt his insides heat up as he observed her extremely smooth skin and her inviting lips. Suddenly, he felt he knew what she had in mind, and he took a few steps backward… tripping and falling on his back, but thankfully on a patch of grass. She approached and legs astride him, looked down at his perspiring face.

  "Lisa… not in the bush! The dangers..!"

  "Will add to the excitement," she licked her lips. To him, as he lay on the ground with her standing over him, he felt like concerned prey, and she the predator preparing to take the killing bite.

  "It wouldn't be… exciting…"

  "We can find out," she purred as she got on her knees, sat on him and placed both hands on his chest.

  "Wanna know something?" The cat purred as she played with her captured prey.

  "What?"

  "See this…" she tugged at her hiking pants, "Are custom made." She laughed at his confused look, then leaned to kiss away the question on his lips. He expected her teeth in his jugular next, but all he felt were her soft lips trying to tantalize him to responsiveness. She lifted her head and regarded him. If she had a tail, it would be swishing with excitement, he thought. Too bad she didn't, and that meant he couldn't find out… between his own legs, something was stirring, lazily at first, but now fully disturbed, it strained and refused to be stilled.

  "You seem to be lost in something you're very keen to fight and find out at the same time. What will it be, Mark, hmm?" She brushed his cheek and brought her face very close to his. Mark closed his eyes and groaned silently… as his hard dick pounded impatiently to be let out and allowed in… and Mark groaned again.

  "I can't force you, but your mind…" she looked at the straining throb which was evident through his cargo pants, "…and obvious need won't give you a moment's rest." He felt a hand brush him lightly, and he buckled violently. In his mind, he was the captured impala. She was the hungry cheetah. Or leopard, yeah leopard since a leopard could drag her prey up trees and enjoy them with leisure… without having to look around and about them all the time…

  "Patience," the leopard purred, "We're yet to get there…"

  "Lisa, stop it..." The impala was begging to be freed or given the kill bite and mercifully be put out of his misery… "You know what you're doing, and you're doing it intentionally."

  "Mark," she bared her teeth, "For how long will you torture yourself? Spice your life by courting danger once in a while..!"

  "I'm…" he tried to arrange his thoughts, but his reasoning had fled him in a time of need, to be replaced by such a strong temptation as he had never experienced before. The hand brushed over his throb again. He was sure he would lose control… and then he was sure he would pass out when he felt himself freed and in very soft hands. He didn't want to go back… he couldn't take it anymore. Feeling that an explosive release was imminent, he tugged at her shirt and with an imploring look, used all his last remaining strength to beg, "Please," he moaned, "Bite the jugular now, I surrender." She did. Through his glazed gaze, he saw her rise, take hold of her pants zip and lower it. He raised his head to watch as she opened it to where it should have stopped, but then she continued opening it, passing it between her legs and around to the back. Mark could only gawk at the fact that when she parted her legs, he could see her pulsing, wet lips, for she had no panties. Letting his head drop to the ground, the impala relaxed as much as possible as the leopard lowered herself… and having been let out, he groaned as he was allowed in. Closing his eyes, he waited- and when the bite came with a pulsating tightness around his dick, he couldn't hold back the scream he had promised himself he would, for it was not one bite, or two, or three… but stretched out all over, sending him into waves of wanting for more but at the same time yearning for relief… when their one moment came with unrestrained abandon, the wind quickly gathered their moans, groans, and shudders, to send them far and wide, to let it be known that indeed a new moment had come into being. The trees around them received the news with a
wave of their branches, the grass with cute flutters of their blades and the bushes and flowers around and about thanked them with scents sensed anew, scents that would become part of their love memories for as long as they recalled that moment.

  *****

  "They're coming, Mark!" Lisa brought him back to reality rudely. "The Goat and Jared!"

  "I give up Lisa," Mark waved a hand lazily. He was still on the ground, but Lisa had slid off him. She was zipping up her weird pants frantically and hissing at him to get up. "I'm not going to run again. If they are poachers, I'm going to confront them. No more talking in the safety of my comforts while doing nothing about it." He continued in a drunken voice, "I'm done running."

  "What did I just do to you?"

  Jared shouted something as they approached, and Mark raised his head. He and Gote arrived just as Mark got onto his knees.

  "I'm not running from spineless poachers anymore," he looked at them as if drugged, "Lisa has already called for help."

  "What's he talking about?" Jared asked. Mark looked at the woman standing next to Jared and pointed, "I'm sorry, but I can't pronounce your name. You two," he waved at them, "Are poachers. I'm not going to run and hide behind my cameras anymore."

  "Lady," Gote addressed Lisa, "What is the secret? When we first met you two, he could barely stand from fear, but now it is the other way round. He looks ready to fight..."

  "I…" Lisa started, "Um… we just…"

  "Listen," the other woman moved closer, though Mark planted himself between the two of them, "It seems you made him come…" she laughed as Jared joined in, "And his fear came out too…" they roared with laughter as Mark, feeling more sensible but less amicable now, lifted up a hand."

  "Who are you two? And why guns?" He asked in a voice that he hadn't thought he had.

  "We," Gote retraced her steps and stood next to Jared, "Are the… should we say it together love… Rhinotectors!" They burst out laughing as Mark and Lisa stared at them unashamedly.

  "What?" They both chorused.

  "Isn't word out yet? Damn this place. Worse than my homeland," Gote smiled, "Back home we heard of a group, Pangotectors, and how effective they were with their protection of pangolins. Then news reached us that the Sinai Walk Camp may have to be closed down or allow hunting. We sought each other out, rhino lovers and formed our own group which… is now asserting itself here. Sorry for our rudeness earlier, we thought that was how it worked…"

  "I wasn't rude, you were," Jared interrupted her, but Gote took no notice, "And I believe you just met Julian."

  "The ranger with the pangolin skin pouch?" Mark asked.

  "Yeah, he's the park bait. Anyone with ill intent will think he's the rogue ranger and confide in him… perhaps ask him something significant which will be of benefit to us all…"

  "What a relief," Lisa smiled, and a weird day."

  "By the way, who said these are guns?" Jared asked. They held their weapons out for inspection, and after a glance, Mark cursed quietly when he recognized the tranquilizer guns.

  "Of course rhinos are larger, stronger, heavier, thoughtless…" Gote looked at Jared as she spoke, "But they don't know when…"

  "Goat.. Goot… listen, I'm so sorry for my pronunciation, but I can tell you the secret," Lisa spoke up, "You see, when you love…"

  "Allow me, please," Mark interrupted her and turned to Jared, "Never, resist, no matter what..."

  "…you never give in easily…" Lisa was instructing Gote… and when the interruptions became unbearable, Mark pulled Jared to one side while Lisa and Gote sought the privacy of another.

  "Do you know what this means?" Lisa asked Mark as they sauntered to their car.

  "No, and you warned me with your eyes about revealing your pangonoter connection."

  "Pangotector, Mark, and I'm yet to trust them, even if the camp management assured us that they're legit. Sherry is fuming, though."

  "In this day and age, no one should be thinking of such things as hunting for sport Lisa. So, what does it mean?"

  "It means our group is having an impact, Mark! Reports of our deflating cars' tires must have spread abroad, and with it, our cause. Soon we'll be having Giratectors, Beartectors, Whaletectors, Liotectors…"

  "Markonoters…" he quipped, and she turned to him savagely, "There is only one Mark rector," she pointed at herself, "And here she is." She hurried off, leaving him where he was. After a moment, he hurried, caught up with her and took her hand.

  "Say 'tector' not 'noter."

  "Tector, not noted."

  "See how easy it is?"

  "Yes. So, you're my Marknoctepoctor… ter… no… Markopocetector… ter… arg!! I hate you."

  "I love you too."

  "And I love you. The one I can't do without," They were back in the darkness. Before leaving in the morning, Lisa had checked the breakers which were located in the basement, “I switched it on, off, on, off, on… till it held,” she had told Mark as the house welcomed the power with hums, whirls and ticking sounds from the various electrical and electronic components. Now back after their bush adventure, the lights had worked for only ten minutes, and from where Mark had been sitting, he swore he heard the trip. Tired and having eaten in town, they were in bed, once again letting feel and touch rule, since sight seemed- not to be in the mood.

  “Sounds cheesy." He detected the smile in her words.

  "Seriously? Do I?"

  "'I can't breathe without you by my side, if you left me, I would die…' kind of."

  "What would you like to hear then?" He placed a hand on her bare shoulder, "I can live without you, I can breathe perfectly even without you stifling…"

  "Mark! Why?"

  "What, I expressed my love, and you called it cheesy."

  "Mark… can you live without me? Answer honestly."

  "Well…"

  "Can you?" She raised her head and supported it with her hand.

  "What answer do you want, the one based on facts or a sentimental and emotional loaded one?" He reached out and touched her chin.

  "Any that won't make me fry you with my gaze. If you could see, that is."

  "Well, ah, I wouldn't die, but I would have a very hard time initially. Then, as time would slowly do its magic, and I would slowly heal…"

  "I prefer the sentimental loaded answer." He voice cut through the dark.

  "Okay. I have tried, and I can't imagine how my life would be without you in it," he caressed her cheek, "My one, my only, my life, my breathe… my air…" he touched her navel under the blankets and slid his hand downwards… "My pulsing need…"

  "Stop!" You can really be an ass if you put your mind to it!"

  "You asked, I answered, and you pouted. I rectified, you threw a tantrum..."

  "And I will if you don't set it all straight!"

  "With a kiss?"

  "No."

  "With what?"

  "Figure it out," she slid off the bed, "I'm going to the basement to find out what it is with these lights from hell."

  Left to his thoughts, Mark wondered about the elusive picture he was yet to take. He wasn’t worried though- I can still check the other time-lapse camera, he thought, though when I don’t know. I’ll have to visit Mr. Dionte too, after Paul… and why is she making such a racket down there?

  She was back, but the lights were not. In her hand was a-

  “Do those still exist?” he asked, genuinely surprised. She held up the lit hurricane lantern, and Mark could have wept at the effect the dancing light had on the shadows around the room… I should have brought my camera; he chided himself as she set the lantern on the table and looked at him.

  “Mark…” he seemed still mesmerized as he touched the metal frame with a trembling hand, “Such nostalgia…” he crooned, “The effect…”

  “Mark!” she brought him out of his trance, “I’ll leave so that you and the lamp can make love!” She climbed into bed and into his waiting arms,

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered to t
he lantern, “She’s jealous and can’t do without me…”

  “Damn right you are,” she whispered, her mouth close to his, “And especially not after this…” He settled back to welcome the coolness, the warmth and the softness that alternated in turns as she worked him to near stroke. He settled back and let the waves wash over him in alternating turns. In the dancing light, he watched her stand astride him as he lay on the bed, then kneel- and he felt himself slide into her wetness as she lowered herself onto his waiting readiness, which he welcomed with an unrestrained groan- and the lantern witnessed it all with an envious flutter of its yellow flame…

  The night was long for them, and the crickets knew it. At that particular moment that they made love, time respected a budding love by ceasing to exist.

  "When will we see each other again?" Since arriving home, he had done nothing- well, he had set down his bags and had then taken out his phone.

  “You tell me,” her voice sounded clear through the tiny speaker, “But keep the promise you made to yourself first.” Visit Paul, he thought, “I will. Lisa,” he paused a moment, “Light the lantern? For me?”

  "Have a good night, Mark, and sweet dreams." After a moment, the call disconnected, and the screen went to default.

  "I will, I will." He whispered to the silent phone before setting it carefully on the bedside table.

  Nothing was good about the night, and he didn't dream anything sweet.

  Chapter 8

  As far as Mark could recall, it was one of the worst nights he had had for a long time. The fire blazed, and in it, Lisa and Paul smiled as they rubbed themselves with it. As Mark watched, the flames flowed and trickled down their naked bodies. He tried fleeing from the fire and the disturbing sight, but a pangolin with a whip stood in his way. As Mark aimed his camera to take a photo, the grader packed in the forest started by itself and in low gear and engine roaring, started crawling towards him. The whells were covered with Angel’s eyes. The camera slid out of his hands, crashed to the ground and burst into flames. The flames were very hot, and as Mark stared into the blinding heat, hypnotized by the way the flames spelled bible verses, he heard his mother's voice calling, begging, crying, screaming, praying… he woke up with a start and switched on the bedside lamp. He signed with relief as realization dawned on him that he was in his bedroom in his own house. He tapped at his phone screen. He had been asleep for two hours. Well aware that sleep, having fled in such a fashion would take its precious time before invading his mind again, Mark got out of bed and walked out of the room.