I turn on the heater and position the vents to hit me. “You just feel differently when you have kids,” I explain. “You can’t go and break your leg and be out of commission for an extended period of time because they need you, especially when they are little. You sleep when they sleep, you eat what they eat, and you watch what they watch. Then there comes a time when they grow up and they no longer want to vacation at Disneyland. Instead, they want to go to Broadway shows in New York or take surfing lessons in Hawaii and they don’t really want you there with them. They only need you to pay and make sure they have clean laundry. I guess that’s why it’s been so long since I went rappelling, I’ve been too preoccupied carpooling to soccer games, putting hair into buns for ballet recitals, and making birthday parties fun for my kids.”
My thoughts turn to my kids and wonder if they’ll want to take snowboarding lessons this winter or if they will get on the slopes and whine about being too cold. My husband can help them figure it all out. He can manage the upcoming holidays without me too. Everything will be fine while I’m with Jake.
After dinner, I hear the water running in the loft shower. I’m still dirty and sticky from the day, so I make my way upstairs. I peel off my clothes to meet Jake in the shower. He has adjusted the showerhead to spray onto him as he sits on the bench in the large encased shower.
“Mind if I join you?” I ask.
“Please do.”
I lather my hair and wash the sweat from my body with Jake’s help. He returns to his seat and pulls me into him. My breasts are right at his eye level. He looks at them as if they are dessert and he hasn’t had anything sweet for weeks; he’s craving what is before him. He devours me as if I had two scoops of ice cream placed precisely on my chest just for him, licking and sucking. His hand reaches to my folds. I lift one of my legs over his knee while my other leg keeps my balance on the wet shower floor. Jake reaches deeply into me and finds my sweet spot. I brace my hands on the tiled wall to keep my bearings. I scream in complete ecstasy, then gasp for air.
I am dizzy with delight as I buckle to my knees on the floor of the shower between Jake’s knees. I take him into my mouth. His hands twist into my wet hair. I look up at him, not breaking my connection with him and he gasps deeply.
“Liz, those eyes, oh, what they do for me,” he says breathlessly.
I plunge him deeper into my mouth before I stand upright to lavish his mouth with mine. I pull Jake onto the floor of the shower. I squirt conditioner into my hands, warming it before rubbing it on Jake for additional lubrication. He moans in pleasure at my touch. I sink onto him and he groans. I slide on his slippery skin as the water runs over us from the cascade of the shower. This is our own private waterfall. I fill my mouth with water as I lean back with him still inside of me. I let the water spill from my lips and he pants.
“Liz, that is so hot,” he whimpers.
My hands grab hold of his chest. His feet are planted on the tiled wall. I can feel him deep inside of me, the heat between us climaxing as the water cools us off. My body trembles as I reach my peak. Jake sits up to kiss me when he releases into me. When we make it into bed, our naked bodies intertwine with one another while sleep immediately takes us both.
Chapter 42: Jake
As I drive away from the cabin on the crackling snow, my eyes are not on the road; they are on Liz’s and Zeke’s shrinking images in my rear view mirror. Liz’s hands are hidden in the sleeves of her oversized cable knit sweater to keep her extremities warm as she watches me. She is dressed in three layers and still cold. I want to take her inside the cabin and warm her. My heart is breaking, leaving her alone at the cabin. When she is nothing but a speck in my rear view mirror, I turn my head to the passenger seat. It is now empty and I feel empty. Is this what I will feel like if I go to report for duty and Liz stays behind at the cabin? If it is, then I am not ready.
I want to stop the truck and put it into reverse to return to Liz. I want to forget about this second meeting with my lawyer in Calgary. Liz insisted she would be fine on her own and that she had Zeke. Part of me knows she can take care of herself and manage on her own. Another part of me has a feeling something might go wrong and I can’t shake my uneasiness.
I wrap the chain around the main gate tightly. I feel as if I am wrapping the gate in Christmas lights, securing it tightly. After the insane wandering hunter roamed onto the property, I feel I should install a full panel security gate to ensure everything will remain securely locked. Liz is so important to me. If she stays on the property while I go out on another deployment, I absolutely will not leave her without changing the main gate.
I drive on the interstate to Calgary, thinking I should have dropped Liz off with Jennifer for this second appointment as I had for the first. Liz felt like she was being babysat when I first spoke with my attorney, but actually, Jennifer loved her company, and so did the kids. They wouldn’t have cared if she hung out at the house during this appointment. It’s as if Liz and Jennifer were meant to be friends.
I pound the steering wheel as my thoughts meander. These assault charges brought against me by the drunken hunter are ridiculous. I can’t believe I am forced to waste my time with this foolishness.
I wait impatiently in the posh office of my lawyer, who is in a meeting in the conference room down the hall. His credentials from Harvard Law frame the walls, while other walls are lined with shelves of law books. I brush off my dress slacks and look down at my shoes. I can’t remember the last time I was this dressed up, but Liz insisted as she handed me an ironed dress shirt. An hour passes until the lawyer finally walks into his office. I have been pacing.
“Sorry for the delay, Mr. Henderson. We had some unexpected items I had to attend to,” my lawyer says as he extends his hand to shake my hand.
I tell him it is okay, but it’s really not. I’m anxious to get home to Liz and every minute away from her is agonizing.
The lawyer sits behind his desk and opens a manila folder. “The bad news is the assault charges are not being dropped. The hunter who trespassed on your property is claiming you brought distress to him and can no longer work because of the injury you inflicted.”
The lawyer clasps his hands while leaning into his desk. “The good news is he has a long rap sheet of offenses. He has filed a dozen lawsuits against people like you. He always puts himself into situations where he truly is at fault and yet he makes himself out to be the victim. He hasn’t had consistent representation. There aren’t many lawyers willing to take on his accusations. None of his lawsuits have any merit, plus, he has already spent time behind bars.”
I ask, “So, where do we go from here?”
“I contacted his lawyer, who urged his client to drop the charges, but nonetheless, if it goes to trial…”
I cut him off. “Goes to trial?”
“Yes, goes to trial. I’m talking about the worst-case scenario, if charges are not dropped. The judge will hear the case in an open courtroom. I’ve even seen it where judges advise the case be dismissed before any more of the court’s time is wasted. They are ridiculous allegations, given the circumstances. We all know it. In the meantime, it’s a terrible nuisance to deal with.”
My lawyer closes the folder and pushes it to the corner of his desk.
“If we get lucky, the man will make another mistake and will do more jail time. Then enough time will pass and no action will be taken against you. For right now, just be patient and we will get everything covered to represent you fairly while keeping your best interests in mind. I don’t see you doing jail time for this or settling on any monetary amount.”
I gaze out the floor to ceiling windows of the office, watching the snowfall, worrying about Liz.
“Would you be willing to have a payoff?” he asks.
“If it means this can end quickly and not go to trial, then that is fine. Tell me the amount and I’ll write out a check. It couldn’t be that bad, could it?”
The lawyer shakes his head. “Not too b
ad. It may be worth it. Do you want me to inquire?”
I throw my hands up and say, “Sure, why not?”
The lawyer stands behind his desk and I shake his hand.
“Mr. Henderson, there is one more thing. This is public record, so the United States Marine Corps has access to this information.”
“I know. They’ve sent me a letter. An option to be deployed to the Middle East was given. The Marines frown upon criminal charges as a civilian, as it should be.”
“So, when will you leave?” the lawyer asks.
“Not sure; definitely not before this is cleared.”
“I was asking because I need to know how long you will be around to present yourself in court if this case goes to trial.”
“I understand,” I say before reaching for the door to show myself out.
I pass a hallway full of cubicles filled with paralegals and legal assistants before reaching the elevator. My phone rings as I step into the empty chamber.
“Where are you at?” my distant neighbor, John, asks with no formal greeting. It’s been a while since I heard from John, who lives on the reservation lands. In fact, I never introduced Liz to John like I meant to.
“I’m in Calgary. Why? What’s going on?” I ask, panicked.
“Do you have someone staying with you?” John asks.
“Yes.” My heart sinks as I think of Liz. “Why?”
“In that case, we have a problem. We followed a man who robbed some gas stations and vandalized homes after he raped women. He’s not one of us. He’s a stranger to the Reservation. We tracked him to your property. I am standing at your gate with a chain cut and lying on the ground. I was hoping you were home so we could get your help with this criminal,” John says.
I forcefully push the lobby floor button on the elevator panel and lose a connection with John as the elevator descends. I growl in frustration. The elevator stops at every floor to let more people on. I grow more and more impatient at every descending floor with no cell reception. Once the elevator door opens, I leap forward, not concerned with anyone in my path. I run furiously to my truck. The pavement is slick with slush and the snow is starting to stick to the ground.
Before starting the truck, I try to call John, but there is no answer. I am stricken with terror at the thought of Liz being in the cabin while John is tracking a criminal. How could anyone have traveled that far? Why would they cut through the gate? I hope Liz knows there’s a loaded rifle under my bed.
I keep pressing redial on my phone as I race through the streets of Calgary. I turn to drive on the interstate, only to find traffic at a complete stand still. There is an accident ahead and no opportunities to turn off. I sit in the truck for an hour, stewing with anxiety as emergency crews attend to a three-car pile-up. I burn through my battery trying to call John. I plug it into the charger and wait for his call.
Once traffic opens, I tread through the snow to get back to the cabin. The roads are more treacherous and slick with fresh snow, which slows me down. There are two police SUVs following me. I stop to let them pass. I soon find we are parking our vehicles at the same endpoint, my gate. There are three other trucks parked at the opened gate. Multiple footprints mark the freshly fallen snow.
“What is going on?” I ask the police officers while stepping from the truck.
“Is this your property, sir?” an officer asks.
“Yes, why? What is going on?”
“We got a call that a man causing some problems. He was last seen at this location. He may have been looking for some kind of asylum or refugee. We are told he is being detained near a lake,” one officer explains to me.
“There’s a lake on the property,” I say.
“Well, you can stay here or you can escort us to this lake,” the officer states.
“You can follow my lead.”
I climb into my truck, drive over the sliced chain, and past the gate, which is wide open. I drive slower than usual, not knowing what I am leading these officers to. I regret not having a cell phone for Liz to call me. Worry runs rapidly through my veins. Did this crook make it into the cabin? Did Liz have to fire the rifle? Is Zeke protecting her like he should?
As I approach the lake, I see the scenario unfold before my eyes. John has a rifle pointed at a man sitting on his knees in the snow with his hands held behind his head. Two men stand next to John, also with rifles aimed at the man. There are four other men, who I do not recognize, standing guard on the cabin porch. There is no sign of Liz and no sign of Zeke in the cold.
The officers quickly hop out of their vehicles, drawing their weapons. As I get out of the truck, I recognize the man they are holding hostage for the authorities in the snow. It is the drunk, wounded, sorry ass of a hunter! The same man who is pressing assault charges against me. Why did he come here?
John speaks loud and clear. “Officers, this man robbed stores, raped three women, and vandalized their homes.”
That ass knew Liz was here. She was going to be his next victim. I am enraged at this filthy criminal. I want to kick him over and over again in the stomach until blood spews from his mouth.
The officer pulls handcuffs from his belt and places the metal bracelets on the hunter’s wrists, locking them tightly into place; protecting the hunter from the built up rage ready to explode inside of me.
“Good thing you caught up to him before he did any more damage. Let’s go.”
The officer forces the man to his feet and pushes him into the back seat. The hunter is caged in the back seat, where I can’t touch him. The police lights flash as they make their way along the main road.
I turn directly to John and extend my hand in gratitude. I pat him on the back with my free arm. “Thanks. I don’t know how I will ever repay you for this.”
John averts his eyes to the cabin. “Someone is in your cabin. We could not get in. Whoever it is has barricaded themselves inside. We don’t think the criminal was working with someone. He was alone. We believe the person in the cabin is the one you have staying with you. We didn’t force our way in like that lunatic was trying to when we arrived. The chaos calmed down once we got the man covered and away from the cabin.”
I run desperately to the cabin. The armed men let me pass. The windows on the main level are all broken. The doors all remain locked. I pull my keys from my pocket. After I turn the deadbolt and press on the handle, I discover what John means by “barricaded.” I peek through the crack in the front door. All the furniture is piled in front of it. I look in the windows. I cannot push the shutters open through the broken glass, there is something barricading its opening too.
I run along the wraparound porch to the back door. Once I unlock the door, I find it is obstructed with the kitchen table. I push hard on the door, not caring what damage I inflict to the door or the table. The chairs stacked on top of the table come crashing down onto the tiled floor and shatter. I hear Zeke bark from the loft above, which is a good sound, a soothing sound to my ears. The two must be safely harbored upstairs in the loft.
I squeeze through the door. Everything that could be moved in the cabin has been relocated to secure any entry from windows and doorways. I’m impressed Liz was so resourceful to think of such a thing.
“Liz!” I call out.
There is no reply, only silence.
“Liz!” I repeat. “Everything is all right now.”
I inspect the main level. My loaded rifle is no longer under my bed. She must be hiding in the loft bedroom with the rifle where I heard Zeke’s bark ringing. She may be too scared to answer.
I run up the stairs, skipping two as I go. I stop so as not to startle Liz. An accidental shooting is the last thing we need to deal with.
“Liz, it’s me, Jake,” I say as I rap my knuckles on the door. It is locked.
I kick the door in, but then stand away from the threshold to avoid being in the line of fire, even an accidental line.
I poke my head through the door to find Liz on her knees pointing
the rifle at the door, at me. When Liz sees my face, she lets out a puff of air and sets the rifle on the bed. She collapses to her knees on the floor behind the bed and buries her tearful eyes into her hands. Zeke is jumping all over me. I shove Zeke out the door and command him to stay as I close the bedroom door.
I walk over, crouch down next to Liz, and sit next to her on the floor.
“Oh, Liz. It’s okay.”
Liz wraps her arms around me and crawls into my lap. She weeps and weeps into my shoulder. I hold her shaky body as I stroke my hands through her hair. I am sick I wasn’t here to protect her. When Liz’s cries begin to diminish, she pulls her moist face away. She uses the sleeve of her sweater as a tissue. I run my fingers along her cheeks to help wipe away her tears.
“I guess I can’t handle things at the cabin on my own,” she says through sniffles. I cup Liz’s face in my hands. “This never happens. I should have been here. I should never have left you alone,” I tell her as she fights back tears. “You did really well, Liz. Moving all the furniture…well, I’m quite impressed you did all that on your own. Plus, keeping Zeke in the bedroom with you was perfect.”
Liz begins to smile and relief comes to me.
“It’s freezing cold downstairs.” She coughs through more tears.
“It’s all right. We can board the windows and get them fixed. It’s still warm up here. We’ll be okay. The windows are nothing. I’m just happy you were not hurt. I can’t replace you.”
“It was that man, the hunter. I recognized his voice when he yelled crude things at me while he was trying to force his way inside. He made sure he was loud enough so I could hear him.”
Hasty Resolution Page 28