Cabin In The Woods

by Kristine Robinson

  “I know,” Jordan replied. “But I just can’t. I’m not sure I ever can.”

  Riley felt a twinge of sadness as she stared off into the beautiful sunny sky and the blue ocean in the distance.

  CHAPTER 4

  Riley woke up early and went for a morning run along the beach; she had always wanted to do that. It seemed that almost every great Hollywood movie had a scene where one of the main characters jogged along the beach at sunrise and here was her perfect chance to try it. She knew it was a silly sentiment, but once she was out there it felt fantastic and she did not want to leave.

  There was something about the morning ocean air, the crisp feel of the warming day, and the bright and happy smiles plastered on the faces of everyone else she was seeing along her run. It was easy to see how one could fall in love with life down here; she could not imagine anywhere more beautiful.

  She’d had a good chance to think the night before as she tossed and turned, trying to get to bed. Her head was swimming with so many thoughts and feelings; she wasn’t sure how to deal with them all. Finally she drifted off a bit after midnight. She could not get Jordan out of her head, and it wasn’t just the total crush she had on the woman, which was ten times stronger than anything she’d ever felt for anyone; it was the fact that she had a job to do and Jordan was not really allowing her to do it.

  The Captain was going to be harping at her for some info and to get a report to her soon and let him know how things were going and she wasn’t sure right off what to tell him. Should she tell him that she hadn’t found Jordan yet, or should she just come clean and say that Jordan was alive and well, but living life under a new identity and did not want anything to do with her former life or family?

  Riley wanted to solve the case and prove to the Captain that she could do this, but for that to happen she had to convince Jordan to change her mind and come back. There had to be something she was running from, something terrifying, and Riley was determined to find out what that was. She had to help the girl; Jordan wanted help, but was too terrified to admit it. How awful must this thing be that she turned her entire life around to escape from it and now that help was being offered she was too afraid to accept it? Something that awful must be brought to justice and could not be left to hurt anyone else.

  Riley arrived at Jordan’s restaurant just before lunch. She was hoping that Jordan might be persuaded to take a break and have some lunch with her; she was dying to try some of that delicious smelling Cuban food she had seen just about everywhere.

  Jordan was actually surprised to see her when she walked in the door and even greeted her with a sweet smile; Riley knew that she had broken through a layer of the façade that Jordan had created to hide under. She was starting to trust Riley just a little bit. That was some progress at least.

  They sat down and Jordan asked her chef to prepare them one of the most popular lunch dishes; Riley had no idea what it was or even how to pronounce it, but it sounded delicious.

  “So, you fall in love with Miami and never going to leave?” Jordan joked.

  Riley smiled. “Yes, actually. This place is like paradise, isn’t it.”

  “Yeah, it’s one of the places I’ve always wanted to live; ever since I was a kid I’ve dreamed of being here. It’s like a little tropical paradise.”

  “I agree,” Riley replied. “But of course I can’t really stay here forever; the job will be calling me back soon. I was just hoping that I could talk with you a bit more before I left.”

  Jordan sighed heavily, waiting for what she obviously knew Riley was going to say. Riley hated to sound like a broken record, but this had to be said. She at least had to try.

  “I really wish you would reconsider and come back with me, at least for a while to reconnect with your family. They have never stopped looking for you and you are breaking their heart. Now you seem like a very sweet, kind, caring person and I can’t imagine you would want to do that to them.”

  Jordan wiped tears from her eyes just then. Riley hated that she had pulled the emotional cord, but sometimes that was what it took to get through to someone. You had to break through that wall.

  “I would love to, but I can’t. I know what I’ve put them through; I think about it every day, but I have to do this. I wish I could tell you, but you have to believe me when I say that this is the best way.”

  “Why? What is so horrible that you have to keep running, that you have to keep hiding? I can help you; you have to believe that.”

  “I’m sorry; I know you mean well, but I have my reasons and I can’t talk about them.”

  Jordan pulled the tears back and pretended that nothing was happening. She was so good at putting that wall back into place so that no one could even hope to tear it down. How was Riley going to reach her? Would she even be able to?

  CRASH!

  Riley leapt out of her seat and tackled Jordan to the ground with her, protecting her head. The noise was loud and very close to them. Her years on the force had sharpened her impulses and her reflexes to the point that she did not even think about what was happening or what she was doing; it was second nature for her to protect those closest to her from possible danger.

  She expected to hear follow up crashes as bullets pelted the restaurant. But nothing. There was nothing else happening. And as she thought about it and replayed the sound in her head it was too much of a loud crash and not as much of a ping as a gunshot would have been. Something had broken the window though.

  “Are you ok?” Riley asked Jordan as she helped her to her feet, sensing the danger was over. The other customers in the restaurant were getting up off the floor as well, their instincts following suit with Riley’s.

  Riley was on her feet in a split second and running out the front door into the open mall area hoping to catch a glimpse of a possible suspect. But there was nothing; the mall was filled with casual shoppers, and none of which looked suspect. Damn.

  As she walked back into the restaurant Riley immediately saw what had shattered the glass; it was a brick that now sat on the floor only a few feet from their table. A piece of paper was attached to the note with a small rubber band wrapped around it several times.

  Riley pulled the paper off the brick, unfolded it and showed the message to Jordan.

  I FOUND YOU!

  The shocked expression on Jordan’s face right then was one of the most gut wrenching things that Riley had ever seen. It was as if every ounce of fear that resided deeply within Jordan was coming to the surface. All her hope, her strength, and her determination to start a new life and leave whatever wickedness she was throwing behind her were gone. Jordan began to cry.

  Riley held her close for a moment of comfort and then pulled back slightly, grabbing her by the shoulders to look her directly in the eye.

  “You have to tell me what is going on.”

  “Ok,” Jordan said between sobs. “I’ll tell you. But I’ve got to get out of here!”

  Jordan jumped to her feet and started to run. Riley grabbed her arm quickly and pulled her back.

  “No! This way!” Riley ushered Jordan out the back of the restaurant and down the alley way that ran behind the mall.

  “Look,” Jordan said. “I’ll pick you up at your hotel tonight at seven and I’ll explain everything. I have to get my stuff.”

  “Jordan, promise me that you will not leave town without speaking with me. Meet me tonight.”

  Jordan waited a moment before responding. “Ok, I will.”

  Riley had no idea if she would ever see Jordan again.

  CHAPTER 5

  Riley anxiously watched the clock tick past seven and then five minutes past seven…going towards ten minutes past seven…

  She groaned and poured herself a glass of merlot. It had been a stressful day wondering if in fact Jordan would show up to talk with her. She thought she was finally having a breakthrough and she really wanted to help this poor woman any way that she could. The girl was in trouble and she had no idea how t
o get herself out of it.

  Riley knew she could help, if Jordan would just let her in.

  She stared at her reflection in the mirror on the wall once again and convinced herself that she looked ok. She had put on her best dress that she’d packed. On a case like this you never knew what kind of dress you would need to be wearing; it was almost like a costume that you were required to wear to portray the part convincingly.

  The doorbell finally rang, lifting the huge weight off her shoulder.

  When she opened the door she could not believe her eyes. Jordan was standing there wearing a killer dress, low cut showing off her perfect natural cleavage, tight and form fitting to accentuate her angelic curves and sweet ass, her hair flowed beautiful and shiny halfway down her back—the woman was a supermodel.

  Riley could hardly keep her jaw from falling to the floor.

  “Wow, you look great,” Jordan said echoing Riley’s thoughts right back to her.

  Riley had been so nervous, wondering if this was going to be a romantic evening or if they were just going to stay at the hotel room and chat about things. But apparently Jordan had read her mind and decided that they would go someplace nice and romantic.

  It was odd to know that a beautiful woman was having the same romantic and delicious feelings about her that she was having about them. Riley wasn’t sure how it had happened so fast; she had never endured a whirlwind romance before and she was not sure how to proceed or how to deal with it emotionally or physically. But she was just going to have to play it by ear; that was how she had been doing things and so far it seemed to be working.

  Jordan took her to a romantic French Restaurant a few blocks away from her hotel room. The atmosphere was beautiful and everything seemed to sparkle. Riley had no idea what to order; she had never had French food. And the menu was written in French. Luckily Jordan took the lead and ordered for the both of them, which was very sweet and romantic.

  After a bit of small talk and a glass of wine to take the edge off, Riley pointed out the elephant in the room.

  “So, are you ready to tell me what is going on?” Riley asked.

  “No, but I will,” Jordan replied. “It all started when I was in briar county, one county over from my family’s farm. I was at McDougal Lake, which is a great place to fish that I went to once a month or more. Everything was going fine and I was just getting ready to go home, but then I heard a scuffle going on. It was a quiet, cold day and I had not seen anyone else there for at least an hour. I began walking towards my car and I noticed the sounds of distress growing louder. I jogged over the hillcrest of the clearing by the lake into the field leading to the woods and I saw a man strangling a woman. She was fighting and gasping for air. I yelled at him to stop and he turned to look at me. I’ll never forget the evil in his eyes. Just then he stood up and as the woman struggled to her feet and started to run away she tried to tell me to run, but she could hardly speak. The man pulled out a gun from a small holster on his back and shot her dead right there.”

  “Oh, my God!”

  “I didn’t know what to do. I could not help her. This man turned and pointed the gun at me and as I ran away back towards the car I managed to escape back over the crest and the shots he fired missed me. I’ve always been a fast runner and I hit my car before he could get down the hill and I took off. I drove home as fast as I could. ”

  “That had to be traumatizing,” Riley said.

  “It still haunts me that I couldn’t do more.”

  “So, what happened next?”

  “Well, that night our barn was burnt down when I was home alone. I had fallen asleep and woke up to the smell of smoke. The barn was not that far from the house. I knew that it was a warning sign and that I had to disappear. So, I did. I knew my family would be in danger if I didn’t. I’m not sure how he found me; he must have tracked my license plate as I drove away.”

  “And now he has found you again,” Riley said.

  “I don’t see how… I have left nothing to lead him here.”

  “It’s my fault,” Riley said. “It must have been me. I tipped him off somehow. Maybe he is someone connected to law enforcement.”

  “I know who he is,” Jordan said.

  “What?”

  “I know who he is; I saw his picture in the paper a while back. I am in several news groups online for back home and I saw where this guy Larry Tavers was released from prison last week. I did not know he went inside, but he was arrested for sexual assault.”

  “That name does sound familiar. I can have them check to see if he is in the area or not.”

  Riley makes a few quick phone calls outside and gets the information she needs.

  “Ok,” Riley said sitting back down to the table. “Larry was released but he is at his house right now; he has not left town.”

  “Then who threw the rock? Who else knows about me? And how did they track me here?”

  “I don’t know, but I have my team at the precinct working on it now. We will know something soon. You just have to try to relax. Everything will be alright; I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Jordan smiled as she placed her hand on Riley’s.

  CHAPTER 6

  Riley stared as Jordan walked across the room and sat down on the edge of the bed. The hotel room she had been afforded was small, consisting of one room plus small bathroom, a bed, a TV, a writing desk, and another casual chair. There was not a whole lot of places to sit down and relax, so the bed was kind of the only option.

  This suited Riley just fine.

  Watching this beautiful specimen of a woman sitting there, kicking her shoes off and taking a few deep breaths was one of the sexiest moments that Riley had ever experienced. She wasn’t sure she should have invited Jordan up to her room, but before she realized it the words were slipping out of her mouth. Jordan did not hesitate a moment, but in fact led the way.

  Riley poured them both a couple large glasses of wine, which Jordan sipped on rather quickly. The girl liked her wine. The sight of her drinking turned Riley on for some reason, as if she knew this might lower Jordan’s inhibitions so they could do something… what? What did she think they were going to do? The thought made her weak in the knees.

  “So, you are coming back with me tomorrow?” Riley asked as she sat down on the bed beside Jordan. She looked deeply into Riley’s eyes, so beautiful and serene, a canvas of sensuality staring back at her. Riley’s heart fluttered and her eyes watered slightly as if preparing for something very special to happen.

  “I will,” Jordan said. “The only thing keeping me here is the restaurant, and I will return for that. I do love it. But I will come home to make amends and reunite with my family; I want to help you catch this freak who has held me a prisoner of sorts for years.”

  “We will catch him,” Riley said. “Trust me,” she whispered.

  “I do,” Jordan whispered back.

  Suddenly Jordan’s lips were on hers. The realization hit her as the sensation of floating rose throughout Riley’s body. The kiss was soft, cool, and slightly moist. It was so gentle that her body’s soul felt as if it was being reborn forging a new identity for her, or perhaps just awakening what had always been there.

  This small, sweet kiss was the most romantic moment that Riley had ever experienced. Her head began to swim with the emotion and behind the sensation of being wanted. It was like Jordan’s mouth had expressed more love and more affection to Riley then she had ever known possible through such a simple action. It went far beyond ordinary physical lust or attraction; there was an emotional connection there that Riley had only read about and never dreamed could really be possible.

  The kiss became deeper and stronger now, Jordan’s mouth moving open slightly and closing drawing Riley’s mouth into her rhythm, so that now each and every movement created more sensation and desire which ebbed and flowed through her. Riley’s body began to warm up as she felt trickles of sweat begin to pour out of her body, so slowly. She felt like she wo
uld soon be glistening.

  Jordan’s hands were suddenly flowing through her hair, rubbing her and pulling her closer to her. The passion that Jordan had for her in that moment was like the big earthquake, the category 5 hurricane and the EF5 twister all happening at the same time inside of her body and she had no choice but to surrender to it.

  And as Jordan’s other hand found the smooth skin of Riley’s inner thighs and began to slowly move up towards her waiting pool of desire Riley knew that her true life, her true self had finally been awakened.

  Jordan’s fingers discovered the bare mound of pleasure that resided in between Riley’s smooth legs. Goosebumps instantly broke out over her entire body as Jordan’s soft hands gently curled around her bare fountain of desire. Riley braced herself, her body transforming into one ball of sensual delights as she awaited the pleasure that Jordan was about to unleash on her. She was getting so wet now, her body beckoning out to be touched and invaded by any means necessary. She needed to feel the touch, the smooth skin on skin fleshy contact that her dreams had always been filled with but real life had so far let her down in. This was it; she knew that it would be unlike anything she ever could have imagined.

  Jordan’s fingers met the slit of her two private inner lips and slowly began to part them, becoming one with the moisture that dripped out of her, coating Jordan’s long, slender fingers. A gasp was expelled from Riley’s tense throat as the pleasure jumped into her beneath Jordan’s gentle touch, creating little waves of ecstasy that bounced up and down through her soft, wet, core.

  Riley tried to take deep breaths to relax her body and really get into everything, but her body would not erase the tension. She wanted it so badly; she needed this to be truly set free, once and for all, but Jordan wanted to take her time. The woman was enjoying the control which only served to make Riley hotter and amp up the tension.