by Ciana Stone
Victor walked several feet behind her, enjoying the view. She was wearing a simple turquoise blue silk sheath with thin shoulder straps. The dress was fitted without being too tight; just enough that it flowed down the line of her body like liquid blue fire, shimmering in the lights that winked overhead in time with the music.
Her long hair was worn free and unadorned, tumbling in a sleek shining wave down her back and obscuring the soft skin left bare by the low back of the dress. Watching her graceful fluid movements, he longed to reach out and touch the firm swell that swayed in front of him.
Morgan stopped at the edge of the dance floor and waited for Victor to join her. He took her hand and drew her against him, reaching around her to press her closer. A pulsating wave of electric energy went through her as their bodies made contact. She looked up in surprise and was met by an expression of intense desire on his face. He released her hand and placed his on her narrow waist, squeezing firmly.
His eyes never left hers as he began to move her around the dance floor. Their bodies moved as one, as though they had danced together many times before. Surrendering to the pull of the music and the feel of his hard body moving seductively against her she let go. Her arms snaked up to wind around his neck.
Heat radiated from his body like an inferno as he crushed her to him. Waves of longing rolled over her as his hands traveled up the bare skin of her back, exciting yet confusing her with the intensity of the sensations.
Victor moved his hands into her thick hair, lifting it from her feverish shoulders, allowing a breath of air to touch her moist skin.
Morgan closed her eyes against the sights and her mind to the confusion and melted in his arms, letting the music carry her far from reality. Victor's hands roamed down her sides, tracing the curves hidden beneath the thin fabric, and stroking the base of her spine. Moving lower, his hands caressed the firm curve of her backside then cupped the warm flesh and pulled her pelvis forward against him. She could feel his desire.
Morgan tilted her head back as he raised his hands to cradle the sides of her head, his fingers enmeshed in her hair. A long moment passed as they moved in unison. She would have looked away but was inexplicably bound to his gaze.
Slowly he lowered his face to hers; their breath mingling as he paused scant inches away. His lips brushed hers softly, a tentative kiss. "Want to get some fresh air?"
With an eager nod, she let him lead her off the dance floor and to an outside exit that led to a large open courtyard. Once outside, away from the stares of the people, she dared to look up at him. Arousal warred with confusion. What in the world was wrong with her? She turned away and went to stand in front of a low stone wall that encircled the courtyard.
With her arms wrapped tightly around herself, she stared out over the wide expanse of the lawn. The water of a man–made goldfish pond glistened and danced as the tiny lights along the rim cast their dim light on its surface. Crowded beds of blooming flowers and tall graceful willows dotted the landscape making it appear much larger than it actually was. The lovely landscape went unappreciated to her unblinking eyes. She was hyper-aware of the raging turmoil inside.
Victor stole on silent feet to stand beside her, watching the play of emotions across her face as she fought her inner battle. He’d not been prepared for the onslaught of passion she evoked in him. It is not as I imagined. For so long he had fantasized about their first meeting; how it would be to touch her, to take her in his arms. In his dreams he’d always experienced that first thrill of victory, knowing that he’d made the first step toward conquest or revenge, whatever the goal might be. He’d never considered that she would invoke such a deep heartfelt response in him.
Whereas he had been intrigued and concentrated on having Morgan as a trophy, a revenge, now he burned with a feeling that he couldn’t identify. His obsession exploded inside him with the force of a nova, taking on even more power. He would have her at any cost. She would be his completely, to control and possess absolutely. Nothing will stop me, he smiled at the thought. Not even you, old man.
Morgan was wrapped up in her self–recrimination. She couldn’t believe how she had behaved with Victor. Your husband just left you and already you’re carrying on like a tramp. How could you act this way?
A tempest of conflicting emotions tore at her. She was frustrated with herself for being even a little attracted to Victor. On the other hand, she was furious with Cord for leaving and for not being honest with her all along. Why couldn't he just tell me the truth? The pain of his deception cut deep into her heart.
Visions of the scenes on the tape and what Victor had told her served to increase her anger. What am I supposed to do now, Cord? Live in limbo until you decide to have me served with divorce papers? Damn you anyway! There was nothing she could do to change things. She hadn't been given a chance to try. Instead, he just tossed her aside like yesterday's news, moving on to the next woman as if she hadn’t mattered enough even to be told.
She imagined her life stretched out before her. She could see no joy in that future, only loneliness. No one to love, no one to love her. A dismal prospect to say the very least.
But even as the misery she envisioned stretched out before her, she became aware of Victor standing beside her. She turned and looked up into his eyes, seeing the blue flickers of flame dance within their smoky depths.
He encircled her slender waist with his hands, lifted her up, and placed her on the low stonewall before him. Words were left unspoken as they searched each other’s eyes. Bright sunlight blue met with midnight blue.
A low rumble came from Victor's throat, a muted sound of unsuppressed need. He seized her in heated urgency and claimed her lips, crushing her to him. At length he drew back, his breath harsh and rapid.
Morgan shook her hair back from her damp face and put her hand on his broad chest, feeling the pounding of his heart beneath the tight muscle. Her eyes rose to meet his. This was wrong. He was not her husband and she’d been warned to never trust him.
She pushed him away and stepped down from the wall. “I have to go."
“Now?”
“Right now. Good night.”
Before he could respond she hurried through the bar and outside to her car. It wasn’t until she was in the driver’s seat that she realized she felt no affects at all from the alcohol. That was odd.
Still, she’d take it slow. The last thing she needed was to be arrested for DUI.
Pine Springs, New Mexico
A little over three hundred miles across the Texas border, Cord drove into a town called Pine Springs. He pulled into a service station and got out of the car as a young attendant walked up.
"Filler up, mister?” The boy asked in a slow southern drawl.
"Sure." Cord leaned against the car as the young man proceeded to pump the gas.
"Not from around here, are ya?" The boy eyed Cord.
"No." Cord changed the subject, not wanting to get into a question–and–answer session. "Say, do you know of any large caves around this area?"
"Caves? What'cha wanna know 'bout caves for?"
"Um, research.”
"You one of them scientist fellas or sumpthin?”
"Yeah, something like that." Cord said, then tried to steer the conversation away from himself and back to the caves. "So, do you know of any?"
"Any what?”
"Caves." Cord surmised that the boy was definitely not in the running for scholar of the year.
"Oh, yeah." The boy pulled the nozzle from the gas tank. "Well, there's two round here, but one of 'um's been shut down by the government cause of rock slides or sumpthin, so nobody's allowed up there. They got all kinds of trucks and such up there, you know, workin' on it, so's it'll be safe and all."
That has to be it. Cord pulled out his wallet to pay the young man. What better way to take over an area than to appear as the good old government?
"Thanks." He handed the boy an extra five dollars for his trouble. "Can you give me direc
tions to these caves?"
"Told you one of 'um's closed, mister. Ya can't go up there.”
"But you said one was still open, right?”
"Well, yeah." The boy took off his ball cap and scratched his head.
"Then you can tell me how to get to it then, right?" Cord smiled in a friendly way.
"Well, I reckon. Jest make darn sure ya don't go in the wrong one. Them caves are purty close together, and ya jest might get 'um mixed up, and then ya'd be in a heap a trouble."
"Don't worry, I'll be very careful. Now how do I get there from here?"
Once he had the directions, Cord got back in his car and pulled out of the service station with a wave to the boy. As he headed down the road, he crossed his fingers and prayed.
Rock Ridge, Texas
The moment she walked away, Victor followed. He watched her walk outside, nodded in the direction of a thin black man standing nearby, and then walked into the men’s room. The thin black man followed him inside. Victor withdrew the empty vial from his pocket and flushed it down the toilet.
"There is a white van in the parking lot, directly in front of my car – an FBI surveillance vehicle with one occupant. Take care of it."
Victor moved to the sink to wash his hands. "Have Juro call our people in Madrid. No one is to move without my instructions. Also, make sure the business transactions I ordered in Geneva have been followed to the letter. I want a full report tomorrow."
He dried his hands, tossed the damp towel into the trash bin, and looked at the thin man. "That is all.”
Without a word, the man nodded and left. Victor removed his jacket, draped it casually across his shoulder and with a parting smile to his reflection he left the room.
*****
The young FBI agent was almost asleep. There’d been no sign of the Alexander woman for hours. He was beginning to think she’d decided to spend the night. With a jaw–cracking yawn, he slumped against the door and rubbed his tired eyes.
Suddenly he sat upright and alert. Mrs. Alexander was leaving. Finally, something to do besides just sit there.
Okay, time to rock and roll! The young man thought, just as he heard a knock on the window by his face. A thin black man stood beside the door. Rolling down the window, the agent assumed what he thought was a professional condescending tone.
"What do you want?"
The black man smiled, and then everything went dark.
Pine Springs, New Mexico
The directions the boy at the service station had given him were accurate enough for Cord to locate the route to the caves. His mind was partially occupied with thoughts of what he would do if he actually located the waste and what it would mean as far as Juan was concerned.
He also needed to get in touch with Morgan. He hadn’t talked to her in a couple of days and he was beginning to get worried. Every time he or Trevor called, there was no answer. That in itself was odd. They never turned off the voice mail. He couldn’t figure out why it had been inactive the past few of days.
Cable was also on his mind. He hoped she had gotten back from Spain. Although he didn't want to, he was beginning to doubt Juan. And if Juan was involved with this mess then Maria might be too. The last place he wanted his daughter was with someone who might be involved in something illegal.
Then there was Trevor. Cord smiled. He's a pretty cool kid. He felt bad about leaving Trevor behind. Actually, right now he would have enjoyed the company, but he wasn't about to let his son blunder into a situation in which some harm might come to him.
Cord turned off the main road and parked his car in front of a big roadblock. He debated whether to explore the area. Not being familiar with the terrain it would probably be smart to wait until daylight.
After finding a small diner and getting something to eat, Cord located a quaint inn at the edge of town and rented a room. He took a hot shower; sorry that he hadn't thought to bring a change of clothes.
Odessa, Texas
Samuels elbowed his way through the throng of people in the front lobby of the hotel. At the main desk, he shouted at the top of his lungs to be heard above the noise. "I'd like to speak with the hotel manager." He showed his identification to the desk clerk.
The young man nodded and pointed toward a door off to the side of the lobby. "I'll buzz him, you go on!"
Samuels nodded his thanks and fought his way back out of the crowd. Spotting Smith, Samuels yelled to get his attention then pointed toward the manager's door.
It took several minutes for both of them to make their way to the door.
Samuels knocked once and the door opened a crack. "Yes?" a man's voice asked.
"Agents Samuels and Smith, FBI." Samuels held up his shield. "Are you the manager?"
"Yes." The man opened the door wide enough for them to squeeze through. "I hope you're here to get rid of these, these−" He held his hands up, looking for the right word, "−these biker people."
"Actually sir," Smith spoke up. "We're here to talk to you about Cord Alexander."
Cotton Creek, Texas
Morgan reached for Cord in her sleep. When her hand met with cool empty sheets, she woke with a start
Depression set in immediately. Would she ever become accustomed to waking up and accepting that he was gone? She doubted it. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling. A week ago, her life was full. She and Cord were happy. Her children were safe and excited about their lives, and Joe was there to teach and guide her
Now all of that had changed. How to make sense of it was driving her batty. How to accept it was breaking her heart.
The phone rang and she jumped. Before it could shrill a second time, she snatched up the receiver
“Hello?”
“Good morning.” Victor’s voice greeted her.
“Hi.” A sense of shame overcame her at the way she had acted the previous evening. She couldn’t believe what she’d done, making out with him like some teenager.
“I hope you’re free this evening.”
Morgan hesitated. She’d just lost her husband, her dog, her mentor, and the government was threatening to take everything she owned and shut down her and Cord’s businesses. A date was the last thing on her mind.
“Morgan?”
“I’m here. Victor, I–I don’t know what to say. I ...”
“Say yes.”
The memory of his kiss, of his body pressed against her was like a spark that fueled an unexpected fire inside her. She tried to push the memory away, unwilling to admit how attracted she was to him.
“I can’t.” She forced the words from her lips. As enticing as it was, she couldn’t be with him. A physical attraction or even physical gratification wasn’t going to fill the void in her life. Nor would it fill the emptiness and pain in her heart. And there was still that matter of trust.
“Yes, you can.”
“Victor, I−”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.”
Morgan opened her mouth to protest, but before she could utter a word, he bade her good–bye
She hung up the phone and returned to staring at the ceiling, wondering why she seemed to have no control of her own life.
Chapter Nine
Pine Springs, New Mexico
Cord locked his car and started out on foot, carefully watching for signs of other people as he headed down the dusty road.
After walking for several miles, he reached the base of the mountain. Rising out of the dry earth it climbed into the afternoon sky, its mass casting shadows over him to relieve at least some of the relentless heat of the sun. He made his way along the base, noticing that the earth appeared to have been packed down along the bedrock. Cord followed the hard–packed ruts and made his way around a loose outcropping. Just as he rounded a curve, he jumped in alarm. He quickly hid between two large rocks and peered out.
An entrance to a cave lay about a hundred feet away. Two burly men with automatic weapons, dressed in what looked like commando outfits, stood just
inside the opening. Another man leaned against a boulder just twenty feet in front of Cord; his back turned so that Cord couldn’t see his face.
On the opposite side, about fifty feet from the cave entrance, another man with a machine gun stood guard. Cord looked overhead, hoping there was no one above on the mountain who might have spotted him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t see anyone.
It was clear he wasn’t going to be able to get a look inside the cave with all the guards standing around. He tried to decide what to do next. If he’d had any idea that there would be guards, he would have checked things out last night.
He decided that he might as well go back to town, eat, and wait until dark. Retracing his steps, he made it back to his car without being spotted. On the way back to town, his mind was busy trying to come up with a plan for getting inside the cave without being seen.
Cotton Creek, Texas
Morgan opened the door to see Victor smiling at her
“Hi, come in please.” She stepped aside for him to enter. She’d made up her mind earlier to recommit herself to finding out what his true intentions were for seeking her company.
"Very nice.” Victor commented as he looked around.
"Thank you." She felt quite awkward about being alone with him and she sought a way to relieve the uncomfortable tension. "Would you like to see the rest of the house?"
"Yes.”
Aside from the compliments he gave on the décor of the house, there was little talk between them. Morgan was trying to get a grip on the nervousness of having him in her home. Minutes after the tour began, they returned to the den.
"Well, that's it. What now?”
"I'd like a drink, that is, if you don't mind."
"Oh, of course.” Morgan quickly headed for the bar in the billiard room. "I'm sorry, I should have offered. What will you have?"
Victor followed close behind her. "A Long Island Iced Tea would be wonderful.”