by Aden Lowe
Fear gathered in my gut. "Cooking over a fire is dangerous. Wait until I come back in, please? You can get everything ready, then it won't take long." All kinds of shit started running through my head. "And make sure you put your hair up. No loose clothing either."
She laughed a little. "Yes, sir. Anything else?"
A finger under her chin tipped her face up to meet my gaze. "I'm fucking serious, Azia. Fire is nothing to fuck around with." Maybe I was a little too emphatic, but I didn't care. She had to understand.
Both her small hands slid around mine, and she pulled it up to her mouth and kissed my palm. "I promise, Flag, I'll be safe. Now, you have to make me the same promise. I don't know what you're doing out there, but I can't imagine it involves kittens and butterflies." Her smile and her touch reassured me and took away a little of the worry.
Fuck, I loved her. "I promise. I'll be safe, and I'll hurry back." I better get the hell out of there before I did something embarrassing, like fucking cry again. Still couldn't believe I fucking did that shit. I kissed her one more time and left, closing the door carefully behind me. She would flip her shit if a raccoon wondered in for an evening chat.
I grabbed the bucket of water and went back inside to hang it to heat for Azia. My eyes adjusted quickly once I went back out. The moon provided enough light for what I needed, but I grabbed a couple of chem-lite sticks from the truck, just in case. Long ago, I constructed a natural perimeter around my little hideaway, designed to funnel intruders to a kill zone riddled with traps. Unless you knew your way through, there was only one way in, and I controlled that path.
Earlier, I armed most of the traps designed to keep intruders out, but they were deterrents, not deadly force. Now, I worked quickly uncovering the half-dozen spiked pit traps and concealing them under woven mats disguised to look like the forest floor. I set a pair of trip wires to trigger a swinging log.
I had a few buried charges set as well, but for the moment, I decided not to arm them. Trick was due to arrive fairly soon, and he knew where the other traps were, since he helped me design and build them, but the explosives were added since his last visit. Rather not blow up my back up. He knew where to get through the impenetrable layers of brush and briars I had constructed all around, but he might choose to come in the front way.
Not for the first time, I wished for a good dog to let me know when someone came around. Unfortunately, my life refused to accommodate animals or houseplants. Trick always hired someone to take care of his place when he went away, but I preferred absolutely no civilians know about my refuge. Trick and X-Man knew, but other than them, Azia was the only other person who even knew it existed. And now the killer would know, but soon he would rest at the bottom of the old mine tunnel I found on the property when I bought it, so he wasn't going to tell any-fucking-one.
One last quick check around, and I headed for the cabin, satisfied the motherfucker couldn't sneak up during the night. Inside, I found Azia sorting through the mason jars and cans on the shelves. She'd followed orders and secured her hair into a single braid, and had even tied her t-shirt at the waist. She looked hot as fuck, and my dick paid immediate attention.
"Any luck, baby?" I pulled my own shirt off and hung it across the back of a chair to dry. Even though the night air was cool, it was damp, and I'd broken a bit of a sweat.
"I don't know what any of this is." She held up two jars. "The lid of this one says VS, and it's something brown and chunky. This one says CN, and it's white-ish and chunky." The furrow between her brows made me want to kiss it away. "And there are others with other stuff, and I have no clue what. And the cans have no labels. How is anyone supposed to figure out what's in them? That's crazy."
I laughed in spite of her earlier warning. "VS is venison stew. Potatoes, carrots, onions, and venison. CN is chicken noodle, which is pretty self-explanatory. Some are just vegetables or fruits, others are meats."
The furrow deepened. "And the cans?"
"Bread. Well, after it's cooked, that is. But all the ingredients are there, you just add water, mix, and put it in the pan to rise, then bake it." Showing her all this was going to turn me into the horniest bastard on earth.
"But…there's no oven." Her eyes widened as she looked around, trying to cover the whole place and make sure she was right. "How am I supposed to bake something without an oven?"
I stood and took the jars from her hands and returned them to their places on the shelf, then took her in my arms. "Don't worry, baby. I'll show you. But we'll pass on the bread tonight, since it takes a while." I leaned down to kiss her forehead until it smoothed once more.
Her arms wound around my neck, and I allowed her to pull my head down for a real kiss. She broke it off too quickly, though. "How do you know all this? Is it mercenary stuff? And how did you find this place? Whose is it?" That hazel gaze held me captive, demanding answers.
"Let me fix you dinner while I tell you?" She nodded, so I released her and pulled out a chair for her. "Have a seat." I chose a jar of the chicken noodle from the shelf, popped the lid with the back of my pocket knife. "The stuff in these jars is already cooked. Just has to be heated." I chose a pot and dumped the thick soup in, then hung it over the fire. "This place is mine. I built it. All the rest, I learned. The food in those jars? I made it, and canned it. I made the bread mixture, and sealed it into the cans. There's a lot more stored here. Enough food preserved to feed a half dozen people for a year. And weapons and ammo. Everything a good bug-out location needs."
Her forehead creased again. "But why? Do you spend a lot of time up here? Why wouldn't you want something a little easier?" The benefits weren't immediately apparent to her.
I paused long enough to stir the soup. "I don't get up here as much as I'd like. I also have an apartment that I can walk away from at any moment, and not lose anything. I have this place as a sanctuary of sorts. If I have to disappear completely for some reason, it's ready. If I wake up one day and civilization has gone mad, or the shit has hit the proverbial fan, I have a safe place to wait shit out."
"Okay. I think." Her eyes widened suddenly. "We aren't going to stay here, right? Like forever?" The alarm in her tone clearly gave her feelings on the matter.
I couldn't resist teasing her a little. "Would that be so bad?"
"Flag! I can't work from here. And I'm pretty sure something will bite me and kill me in that outhouse." She gave an emphatic shake of her head. "No. You can keep your little man-cave, or whatever it is, along with the bugs, but I want a house. And a road I can drive on."
Laughing, I gave in. "I actually have another place near a little town in Tennessee. There's no house or anything there yet. Maybe we could make something there." I grabbed bowls and spoons from the shelf and set the pan on the table. We still had bottled water from the trip, so I didn't bother with drinks. "Help yourself. I promise, it's good."
"Tennessee? That might be nice. Carrie's the only one I really have here now, and she and I really aren't all that close." She filled her bowl and tasted the soup. "This is delicious! You're sure you didn't, like, buy it, or something?" The twinkle in her eyes as she teased me turned out to be another thing my dick liked about her.
I grunted. "Eat. I have plans for dessert." Suddenly ravenous, I wasted no time with the meal.
To my surprise, after the way she picked at her food before, Azia ate quickly, too, emptying her bowl. "I can't remember the last time I had something that good." She sat back with a satisfied smile.
"Really? I remember a similar look on your face earlier, right after you came on my dick." She blushed heavily in response. Fuck! Teasing her that way just became my favorite way to spend my time. "Ready for dessert?"
"I couldn't eat another bite, Flag. I really am stuffed."
I grinned. "Good thing you don't have to eat this one, then." I stood and drew her to her feet. "Get undressed. The water is nice and hot now." A drawer at the bottom of the shelves yielded a soft washcloth and towel, and a bar of goat milk soap I
picked up on a whim at some street fair thing. While Azia undressed and unbraided her hair, I cleared the table and spread a soft blanket over it, and set the water bucket on a chair.
She watched my every move, clearly unsure of my intentions. "We really do bathe from the bucket?"
Rather than answer, I gave another order. "Get on the table and lie back." With doubt clear on her face, she complied, while I got rid of my clothes. "I promised you a bath earlier. It's part of my dessert." The expression she wore as I bathed her quickly had my dick hard as a rock. Drying her turned into pure torture, but I managed it, then cleaned up myself in record time. Finally, I palmed a condom and climbed onto the table with her. "I fucking love you, Azia."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Flag
I woke, instantly alert. Carefully, I slipped away from Azia and made sure the quilt covered her. The faint gray of pre-dawn showed in the windows. Unsure what woke me, I pulled my jeans and boots on, and grabbed my .45. Time for a look around. The concealed panel by the bed opened without a sound, and I stepped out into the cool night.
Eerie silence sat heavily on the clearing. The birds should be waking up, twittering to welcome the day. Small nocturnal animals should be rustling about as they headed back to their dens before daylight. Someone who didn't belong was in my territory. Trick? Or the killer?
The silvery moon illuminated open areas clearly, so the shadows of the cabin and outbuildings provided cover for me to move away from the cabin, and I went quickly. At the edge of the clearing, I slipped into the underbrush and waited. Whoever was here would eventually move or make a sound. Then I would have them.
A faint sound reached my ears and I listened intently, searching for the source. Gradually, the noise increased and came closer. Four-wheeler. So, it was the killer. He found my notes at the hotel, followed us, and rented an ATV. And now he crept toward us, attempting to come in while we slept in hopes I would fail to hear the engine. He had some experience with stalking and attacking. I could use that against him.
For now, I had a little time. I went back inside to get ready. Azia still slept peacefully, and I hated to wake her, but I couldn't leave her there so vulnerable. Sitting on the side of the bed, I stroked down her spine. She was so fucking warm and soft. I needed to crawl back in the bed with her, and hold her close and make love to her again. The fucking killer had to die, if for no other reason than he interfered with this.
"Hey, baby, time to wake up." I brushed her hair back where it had fallen across her face. Fucking beautiful. "Come on, sleeping beauty. Gotta get up."
A peaceful smile settled on her mouth the instant her eyes fluttered open. "Mmm. Good morning." She stretched, long and luxurious, like a satisfied cat after a nice nap in the sun.
"Morning, baby." I slid my thumb across her full bottom lip, and my dick instantly went hard. Fuck that bastard and his timing. "Need you to get up and get dressed, Azia. He's coming." Fuck, I hated saying that. Hated to see the terror spread across her face, evident even in the low light.
Her eyes widened. "What do we do?" She clutched at my hand, hers trembling.
"You get dressed, quiet and quick. Jeans, dark shirt, and shoes you can move in. We'll be in the woods part of the time." She wore sneakers when we left the hotel, and I hoped like fuck they were sturdy ones. She needed some good outdoor clothing. "No lights either. Can't let him know we're up and ready for him."
She nodded and grabbed the clothing she took off for me last night. While she dressed, I grabbed my own shirt and loaded up on weapons and ammo. Along with my usual arsenal, I slung a crossbow over my shoulder, and added a big Bowie knife to my belt. If I had a chance to get him from a little distance, the crossbow would be silent. A rifle report could be heard for miles in the still night air, and might bring questions. And if he got close, I would gut him like a fucking deer.
While Azia tied her shoes, I considered whether she should have weapons as well. "Were you in basic long enough for firearms training?" If she hadn't been, a gun wouldn't do her much good.
She nodded, looking up at me with wide eyes. "Only a little. Why?"
I grabbed my little .380 from the box. "Here. It's loaded, and the safety is off. It also has a laser sight, so you can't miss with it." I showed her how it worked. "If that motherfucker gets close enough for you to see his eyes, you pin that red dot on his chest and pull the trigger. And keep pulling until he goes down."
Her mouth tightened to a grim line while she figured out the best way to carry the weapon. "You really think I'll need it?" The fear in her eyes broke me.
Fury ripped through my soul. God damn that motherfucker for scaring her like this. "No. But I'm not taking any chances. You're going to be right with me, but I don't want you defenseless out there." Maybe telling her the truth was a mistake. She looked even more terrified, bordering on the point of breaking into hysteria. If that happened, we were in trouble. "I need you to take some slow, even breaths. Do you trust me?"
She nodded, wordless, still doing the breathing exercise.
"Then trust that I won't let anything happen to you. You are my woman. He won't get near you." Saying the words made me feel better too.
"That's not what I'm scared of." Her whisper was barely audible in the quiet cabin. "I'm afraid he'll take you from me. He's taken everyone else I cared about. I can't go on without you."
My stomach flipped over. "I promise, he isn't going to take me. I've gone through hell without you all these years. I won't fucking let that happen again." I pulled her into my arms for a moment to reassure us both. "Come on. We need to be in place before he gets all the way here."
We left the cabin through the hidden panel, then paused to listen. The ATV engine thrummed clear in the night now, reverberating from the trees. I led Azia through the shadows and into the underbrush. Her hand shook in mine, but she made no complaints as we crossed fallen logs and dodged branches.
Finally, we reached the vantage point I constructed as part of my defenses. "If you're thirsty, I have water stored here." I kept my voice low, barely audible.
She nodded. "I'd like a drink, but first, I really need to pee." Damn, I should have considered that when we were by the outhouse, but it hadn't crossed my mind.
"Okay. Come on." I grabbed the roll of TP from my little stash box, and led her to a slightly clear area under a big hickory tree. I kicked away some sticks and small branches, wondering how she was going to react to this one. "Here you are. I'll stand over there, by that tree, with my back turned. If you need anything, just call out softly."
She glanced around. "Here?"
"Yeah."
"How? There's no…anything." She looked around again, as if she might have missed something.
This would be much easier in daylight, and without a killer getting ready to stalk us. "You pull your pants down, spread your feet out, and squat."
"Squat? You're kidding."
I shook my head and dropped to my haunches, demonstrating. "Like that."
She looked at the ground skeptically. "Okay, if you say. I guess I don't have much choice."
Grinning and proud of her for facing yet another challenge, I stepped away, just as I'd promised. The creatures of the forest remained silent and watchful, concealed in case the intruder turned out to be a predator.
"Um, okay. Now what?" She stood, once more dressed fully, beside her little damp spot on the ground.
"You can kick a little dirt or leaves over it, if you want, but it isn't necessary." I grabbed a fallen branch and gouged a little hole in the earth. "You can put the TP here." She did, and I buried it for her. "All okay now?" She still looked doubtful, but she nodded.
We returned to the blind in time to catch the faint glow of the ATV headlights for a second. He was close now. Just in time for the sky to begin to really lighten as the sun approached the horizon. We waited and watched, and I held Azia close, trying to calm her fears.
The lights grew closer and the engine grew louder until, finally, the
four-wheeler climbed out of the deep hole and came into sight. Now, if he had a brain, he would leave the vehicle and move in on foot. Apparently that wasn't the case though, since he continued riding. I cursed my luck. Only one of my pit traps was big enough to swallow the bit utility four-wheeler, and even then, he wouldn't be incapacitated. Time to move.
"Come on." The path led upward a short distance, but it was steep and I had to help Azia the last few feet. From there, we had a good view of the whole clearing. I readied the crossbow. "We're going to have to stalk him to get close enough. I need you to stay close to me and be as silent as possible. If you have a problem, touch me instead of speaking." She nodded and we set out, picking our way through the brush to the other side of the clearing.
The ATV finally came to a stop not far from the cabin. How the fuck did he intend to sneak in? The man's actions confounded me. He sat there for a full minute, then cut the engine. He pulled off the full-face helmet with difficulty, giving our first glimpse of his face, but distance and the still-low light prevented me from making a positive ID.
I touched Azia and signaled her to follow as I worked my way closer. I would hate like fuck to kill some innocent hunter just scouting for game. I had to make sure before I sent that bolt hurtling toward him. Once that thing pierced his heart, it couldn't be undone.
The next time I came to a break in the perimeter, the man had dismounted and moved toward the cabin, an AR-15 at the ready. Azia hissed when she spotted the weapon. "He brought a machine gun?"
"No, it's just like any semi-automatic hunting rifle. One pull of the trigger, one shot. It just looks a hell of a lot meaner." I left off the possibility of it being converted to full auto. She didn't need to worry about it any more than she already did. I would deal with it if it turned out to be the case.
But I still didn't have a clear look at his face. Motherfuck. I needed a different angle. Or I needed to make him turn toward me and show his fucking face. Bending, I chose a fist-size rock from those littered along the brush-line, debris left from my work there. I turned to Azia and signaled her to step behind the big maple two steps back, and stay absolutely silent. She paled a little more, but followed orders.