by Holla Dean
“I’m sure you’ve hit the nail on the head. Relocating to a strange place, your children living overseas, and being unable to visit the grandkids have just taken a toll on your emotions. Please tell me you weren’t jealous of me when I brought Russ some cookies.”
“No, of course not. I guess I wasn’t jealous of anyone. But, Venia—afterwards, when we were just lying on the bed and he had his arm around me—I felt so…I don’t even know how to express it. Loved, cared for, safe, protected, and just plain damn good.”
“Those feelings are the wonderful side effects of this type of relationship. In DD, a man doesn’t spank his wife just to show her who’s boss. He does it because he wants her to be the best she can be. Your emotional responses to everything that has been going on isn’t the real you. Russ could see that and his goal in this punishment was to bring you back to yourself. He cares about you.”
“I know and I wanted to come and talk to you about it. I think I understand the whole dynamic a lot better now. I’m not sure how far we’ll be going with this, but for now, I have two rules. I have to admit it seems strange to me since Russ and I have never had any rules.”
“Just keep the communication open. You two have been married a long time and know what works for you. There are people living here who spank only for pleasure and some spank only for punishment. I think most end up with a mixture, but I know of several TiHs who are punished very rarely. They want to please their HoHs and don’t get in trouble often.”
“Thanks, Venia. You know, when you were first assigned as my mentor, I thought it was unnecessary. But I can’t tell you how much I appreciate having you to talk to.”
Venia got up and hugged Debi. “I’m always here for you, Debi. I feel we’ve become friends, not just mentor and mentee.”
Chapter Eleven
The following Saturday, Debi headed to Boulder shortly after breakfast. Russ didn’t have any auto repair calls and decided to start working on getting a couple of workbenches put together in the garage. Just as he finished laying out his materials in the space normally occupied by Debi’s SUV, his work phone rang. Hoping his project wasn’t going to be delayed with a repair, he answered. It was Brent and he didn’t waste any time with the usual pleasantries.
“Russ, I’d appreciate it if you and Debi could come to my office immediately. I’m sorry about the short notice, but it’s urgent and I need to talk to you.”
“Now?” Russ was confused. What could be so urgent that they needed to drop everything right now? “Debi just left for Boulder about an hour ago, but I guess I can come over now.”
“Damn! Get her on the phone now. Tell her to turn around immediately and come straight to my office at the community center.”
“Just hold on a minute, Brent. What’s going on? What’s the problem here?”
Brent blew out a big breath. “Jack just called. Trouble is on the way. Is that clear enough?”
“Fuck!” Russ hung up and called Debi.
No answer. He tried again. Nothing.
Maybe she’s in a dead spot with no coverage, he thought as he grabbed his keys to head over to Brent’s office. On the way there, he tried her twice more with no luck.
* * * * *
Debi was listening to her favorite oldies station on her satellite radio, singing along with all her favorite songs from the sixties and seventies. She was beginning to become more familiar with the ride up and down the mountain and she could take a little more time looking at the beautiful scenery. Careful to still keep her eyes on the road, she marveled at the beauty of this place and thought if they had to leave their home, this at least was one of the most beautiful places to be.
Once she reached Boulder, she headed for the mall where the Bed, Bath, and Beyond was. The guest bedroom still needed curtains or some kind of window treatment. But what she really came to town for was to buy some new clothes for her teaching job. She’d do that first.
Parking near the big Macy’s store, she locked up her vehicle and went into the store. Noticing the sale signs everywhere, she stopped and picked up some work pants for Russ before wandering upstairs to the women’s department.
While looking at various racks she noticed a man she had seen downstairs in the men’s department. What was he doing up here? She shrugged it off thinking he was probably buying something for his wife or girlfriend.
After making several selections of slacks with tops to match, she went into a dressing room to try everything on. Making returns wouldn’t be as easy as it was back home. An hour’s drive in each direction required a little planning and now that she was working every day, there was no time for impromptu trips to town. She needed to make sure she liked everything and that it all fit.
Some forty-five minutes later, she left the women’s department with her packages and slowly wandered towards the exit nearest her car. Stopping at the jewelry counter, she found a cute pair of earrings on sale and decided to buy them. When she glanced up from getting her credit card out of her wallet, she saw the same man again at the far end of the counter. He turned away when he saw she was looking at him and something in the back of her brain gave out a little tingle. Unfortunately, she had so much on her mind the tingle barely registered.
One more stop at the cosmetic counter and she was done shopping. Leaving the store, she walked to her car and put everything in the back cargo area. There were lots of people around either parking or walking to and from the store. Getting in, she backed out and had to apply her brakes quickly to avoid hitting a man walking behind her car. Was he the same guy from inside the store? The thought was forgotten as she headed to Bed, Bath, and Beyond and found parking right in front of the store.
She spent a lot of time looking at curtains and drapes trying to figure out what would look best in the guest bedroom. Stepping back to get a better look at the displays, she bumped into a man and without even looking at him said, “Excuse me.”
He mumbled, “No problem,” and stepped away.
Making up her mind, she found a package of the curtains she wanted and headed for the front of the store when she saw him again. This time her brain didn’t let her ignore the flags it was sending. It was the same man from Macy’s. He was in the men’s department, the women’s department, at the jewelry counter, and now he was here in the same section Debi was in. A little too much to be coincidence.
He had turned away as soon as she looked at him and she dashed up to the checkout counter to pay for her purchase. Leaving the store quickly, she got in her car and as she backed out of her parking place, she saw him step out of the store and watch the direction she was going in. He was talking to someone on his cell phone.
* * * * *
Russ was up in Brent’s office listening to what Jack had called about. Brent got straight to the point.
“Jack had no choice but to tell me about the Mellinni Family and your troubles with them. He didn’t give me all the details, but apparently two men are on the way to Colorado. He thinks they know at least the area you and Debi are in and they’re coming after you.”
Russ was still trying to reach Debi on her cell and becoming more frantic with every failed attempt. “Where the hell is she? The dead spots don’t cover the whole way to Boulder.”
“Jack will be here tomorrow,” Brent continued. “But we have to keep you and Debi safe. I think the best way to do that is for you both to stay here in the community until Jack arrives. By then he’ll have more information.”
“Man, I’m going to blister her backside when this is all over.” Russ looked up in surprise when he realized what he’d just said. Had that really just come out of his mouth?
Ignoring the comment Russ just made, Brent, now in full cop mode, got up and said, “Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“I’ll tell you on the way. But we gotta move now.”
Russ followed him down the stairs and out to his truck.
“We’ll take my truck, I’ve just gotta stop at home for someth
ing.”
Driving as fast as he dared within the community where a kid could dash out into the street at any minute, Brent drove to his and Char’s house, told Russ to wait, and dashed inside. He was back in a few minutes with a shotgun and a pistol in a shoulder holster.
“What the hell are you expecting to run into?”
“Hopefully nothing, but I was a boy scout and I like to be prepared.”
“Shit! Fuck!” Russ tried Debi again as Brent maneuvered his car out of his driveway and headed for the mountain road. Russ was beginning to get seriously worried.
“Stay calm, Russ. We’ll find her.” Brent’s confidence wasn’t rubbing off on Russ.
Russ’s cell phone rang and his heart leapt into his throat when he saw it was Debi.
* * * * *
Grabbing her cell phone Debi saw she had missed several calls from Russ. Shit! She realized she must have left her Bluetooth on the kitchen counter and put the phone on speaker so she could drive with both hands. She called him back and he answered immediately.
“Honey, I’m scared. I think someone is following me.”
“Where are you?”
“In the parking lot at the mall where BBB is. This guy was in Macy’s at three of the same departments I was in and now he was in the BBB and he came out and watched me as I backed up. What should I do?”
“Hang on.” She could hear him repeating what she’d told him to someone else. Then she heard Brent’s voice but couldn’t make out what he was saying.
“Babe, here’s what you do. Drive carefully around the lot for a little bit like you’re not sure where you’re going. Try to lose him and then head back to the road that’ll take you home. Brent and I are on our way and we’ll see you.”
“Will you stay on the phone with me? Please don’t hang up.”
“I’m not hanging up, just stay alert and watch what’s behind you. If you think he’s behind you, stay in the mall parking lot.”
“Okay, why are you with Brent? Is something wrong with his car?”
“Not really, but he needs a part for it so I offered to drive into town with him to make sure he got the right thing.” Something in his tone didn’t sound right to her, but she was too worried to think about it just then.
“There’s no one behind me right now, I’m going to leave the parking lot.”
“Okay, but keep an eye on any cars that might be following you. Don’t get on the mountain road if you think you’re being followed.”
Debi took the first right that would put her on the main street, and saw only one car behind her. It had a woman driving and two or three kids with her. Relieved, she turned and headed for the mountain road.
She couldn’t hear anything on the phone.
“Russ? Are you still there?”
He didn’t respond.
“Russ? Russ, answer me!”
Nothing. Shit! Damn these mountains that block the cell signals!
She tried calling him again, but there was no answer. Glancing in her rear view mirror, she saw several cars behind her and tried to remember them all. It was difficult to keep up with all the cars behind her and watch where she was going at the same time.
Thinking if she went down a side street she’d know someone was following if they turned with her, she made a few turns. She took a right, then a left, and then another left, and another. A dark blue sedan made each turn right behind her.
Her heart started beating faster in her chest. She tried calling Russ again.
No answer.
Too many turns—she didn’t know where she was anymore. Did she go one block before turning right or two? Turning three more times, she was dismayed to see the sedan keeping up with her, and actually getting closer.
She came up on a busy street and turned onto it. Yes, it was better to be on a busy road. She didn’t want the mountain road now. They’d follow her right to Corbin’s Bend which would put her new friends in danger.
Her phone rang. “Russ? Is that you?”
“It’s me, baby. Where are you now?”
“I don’t know, but there is a dark blue car following me.” She heard some static and then the phone went dead again.
“Oh God, oh God. What should I do?” She was on the verge of crying.
Get your shit together, Colleen. I mean Debi. Crying is not going to fix anything. Find a police station and get some help. Even a fire station will work.
She took a peek in the mirror and saw the blue car right on her tail. Then all of a sudden she was past the last street light and on the beginning of the mountain road. Now what? How the hell had she ended up here on this road? There was no place to turn around, she had no choice but to keep going.
She called Russ again. Yes! He picked up.
“I’m on the mountain road. He’s behind me!”
The phone went dead and she could only hope they were nearby.
* * * * *
Brent and Russ were about three quarters of the way down the mountain when Debi told them she was leaving the parking lot. By the time she found herself just crossing the last street before starting the uphill climb, they were near the mall and Russ was frantic since it appeared they missed her.
They cruised the area, knowing she had to be close by. Brent was on his phone talking to a friend with the Boulder police when Debi’s last call came through. He pulled into a fast food restaurant parking lot to turn around and headed for the mountain while filling in his friend. Then he lost his connection.
“She can’t be more than ten minutes ahead of us.”
Russ tried speed dialing her again. It should go through, they were both so close to Boulder it shouldn’t be a problem. It rang, but she didn’t answer and he hoped it was because she was too busy driving.
Brent zipped past the last light and they were on the road to Corbin’s Bend. He called his friend again, and thanking the cell phone gods that he was able to get through, he gave a brief explanation and then hung up, confident that help was not too far behind.
* * * * *
A white car pulled out from behind the blue sedan and passed both it and Debi. Just as it pulled in front of her, the driver hit his brakes forcing Debi to slam hers on. The white car came to a stop and Debi had no choice but to stop as well. The blue car stopped directly behind her.
The driver’s door of the white car opened and a tall man stepped out. He was holding a long barreled handgun at his side.
Debi didn’t even think. Her car was still in drive and she floored the accelerator, plowing into the white car, causing the tall man to lose his grip on the door and fall down. She quickly slammed her transmission into reverse and floored it again, bashing into the blue car behind her which pushed it backwards three or four feet. That gave her the room she needed to throw it back in drive and swerve around the white car.
She thought she heard a gunshot, but nothing hit the car and she kept going. There were several dirt roads off this main one and her plan was to take one of those before they caught up to her. She had to keep them away from Corbin’s Bend—there were children there, innocent people whose lives she refused to put in danger.
There! Just ahead was a side road. She almost missed it as she careened around the turn. It was barely wide enough for her SUV and she heard the branches of the trees and bushes as they scratched and scraped against the side of her car. Driving as fast as she dared she couldn’t even take her eyes off the road long enough to see if they were behind her. The SUV bounced along and she swore the road was getting narrower.
Suddenly there was no more road and she slammed the brakes on with both feet and closed her eyes, sure she was going to do a Thelma and Louise take-off from the cliff.
But no, the vehicle came to a shuddering stop and she put the transmission in park. Grabbing her keys and cell phone, she ran from the car. She could hear another car come crashing through the trees on the narrow road and all she wanted to do was find someplace to hide.
* * * * *
Bren
t and Russ came up on the dark blue sedan. Telling Russ to stay in the car, Brent cautiously approached the sedan with his handgun ready, looked inside and then walked around to the front. Russ saw him studying the road and checking out the front of the car. Then Brent walked to the back of his truck and studied the road behind them for a few minutes before he jumped back into his vehicle and started driving, going around the blue car.
“What’s going on?” Russ asked.
“No one’s in the car and it looks like someone—I’m thinking Debi—slammed into the front of it. The radiator is damaged and all the fluid has leaked out.”
“So what are we doing now?”
“Trying to figure out where the hell the asshole that was driving that piece of shit of a car went.”
“And how the fuck do we do that?” Russ wanted details and he wanted them now.
“Calm down, Russ. If I’m reading things correctly, there was a second car following Debi. I’m not sure how it got ahead of her or how that driver knew where she’d go so he could get ahead of her, but I’m pretty sure we’re dealing with two cars. It looked like a car swerved suddenly to pass, but there’s no way to know it’s the same car that was ahead of Debi.”
Brent was driving far too slowly for Russ’s peace of mind and he asked, “Shouldn’t you be going faster?”
“Settle down, we’re gonna find her.”
Brent continued to drive slower than normal, explaining to Russ that he didn’t want to miss any additional signs that might tell him something. Then he came to one of the dirt side roads and it looked recently disturbed with tire tracks fishtailing onto it.
“She went this way,” he said as he turned in.
“How do you know?”
“Tire tracks. Keep your eyes peeled for any sign of her car or any other cars.”
In a few minutes, Russ saw the SUV. “There, it’s her SUV!”
To the left, Brent saw a white car that had to be the one working with the blue sedan. “Stay here,” he ordered Russ.