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Eliza stretched and rotated her shoulders. “It does feel
good to be back, Duck-man, but I did have fun. I'm afraid I broke
the no civilian rule, though, but it's all right. We just had
fun.” Duk shook his head. “Eliza, you're telling me you got it on with this dude and he knows nothing? Are you really that good or is he that slow?” “You wouldn't believe this guy, Duk. It's almost like he can read minds. In fact, he used to make a living as a con-man until his family was murdered and be started consulting for the law, in California, so track down the murderer, so he can kill him.” Duk handed her a bottle of ginger beer spiked with Black Seal rum 151. My version of the “Dark and Stormy,” he said. The both took a sip. I remember hearing about a case like that some time ago. I followed it for awhile, but then it cooled down. The guy was Patrick Jane, a real sleaze con man, as I remember.” He took another sip of his drink, missing the fact that Eliza was suppressing a giggle. “Patrick Jane, as I recall.” Shame about his family. It should have been him!” Duk snorted. Eliza finally gave up and laughed out loud. “That's my boy! Patrick Jane. I actually think you'd like him. He's got a wicked sense of humor and he can insult more people is less time than you can.” Duk sipped his drink and shook his head. “Eliza, if there were a tiger in the room, you'd pull it's tail wouldn't you? Just what did you tell this dude?” “I told him about killing my father and told him that when he killed Red John to enjoy it. I told him that nothing could be linked to me and why. The expression on his face was priceless.” “You my dear lady are out of your freaking mind! He's a freaking cop!” “No,” Eliza said, shaking her head. “He is anything but a cop. He's a vigilante, and he's using his consultant position to track down Red John. He's not going to do anything that rocks that boat.” Duk frowned, but nodded. “It hangs together, but I'm going to look him up and get the skinny on him. Hope you don't mind.” Duk grinned. “Yea, yea, Eliza said. “I know. Even if I do mind, you'll do it anyway, but the fact is I don't. Fact is I kinda like the guy and wouldn't mind helping him, if I could, but this Red John guy is more elusive than eternal life.” She grinned. oOo
The man in the three piece suit slid the SD card into the card slot on
the computer and copied the files he'd organized to the 16 gig
card. Not that he needed 16 gig, but it was better to have more
than needed than not enough. He removed the card and put it in
the silver aluminum brief case, that though it was not obvious, was
very bullet proof. Again, better to be safer than needed than not
safe enough. He smiled, adjusted his rimless glasses and logged
out of his root level account. He scrubbed all cache and shut
down the interface to the big Cray computer. When you needed
crunch power, a Cray was one very good way to go.Standing he walked out of the privacy cubicle, used his key card to secure it and walked down the gleaming hall of the upper level of the Federal Building. As he paused to sign out at the desk, the secretary smiled and said, “It was nice seeing you again Mr. Duchaine. The directory said to tell you that he was happy to be of service. I hope you'll be visiting us again, before too long.” “Thank you, Steffie. You know me. In and out as needed and never knowing when the next time will be. It was nice seeing you, too. You have a good one, now.” Duk, put his visitor's badge on the desk and left. The next day, back at his home digs, Duk reviewed the data he'd pulled on Jane. Every now and then, he'd lift and eyebrow, chuckle or let out a low whistle. “This guy has more tricks than a circus monkey,” he mused. “Really weird. Some of the people who he's soaked the most seem to like him the best, and no one has ever filed charges on him for conning them.” He frowned. “It's almost like they think he was worth the money they paid. I wonder what the hell he does.” “Damn!” Duk sat up straight. He was reading about what had precipitated the Red John incident and the aftermath of it. “Interesting and I can see the logic of his choices. He is one pragmatic dude, and nowhere can I find where he's harmed an innocent person. Eliza had good taste in men.” He grinned, thinking, “She like me.” Duk breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that “my little buddy” was OK and that Jane was no untoward threat to her. oOo
The evening was pleasantly cool and the library was quiet. Things
had been slow lately. College had started the new year, but
things had stabilized, and the past few days had actually been
slow. Eliza smiled at the scrolling IRC screen on her
computer. She set up “the room” again and VampEl was
trolling. “Trust me,” she'd typed, “my bite is
much worse than my bark!” The room was jumping and she'd
lost track of all who had joined. A private window opened and she grinned. It was InPjs! “Hi mysterious lady of the night. I was hoping I'd be lucky enough to find you.” “Well, here I R” she typed. “Yes, there you are. I'm going to be coming to Maine, soon. Any chance we can get together. That is your area of the world, isn't it?” “Yes it is. Is this business or pleasure?” Jane typed back, “If I meet you, it'll be both. We have been loaned to the state to consult on a case.” “I don't see any reason we couldn't meet. Maine isn't all that big and I do have transportation! <G>” she typed. “Let me have you cell number and I'll text you as I get information. When we're leaving isn't set yet. We have to wind up a case, here.” “Sounds like a plan,” she responded. She then sent him a picture of herself to his phone, just to make sure it worked and to make sure he'd have a return number work with. He did approve of the picture. They disconnected and she smiled. It would be fun to get with Patrick, again. Maybe.... she pleasantly drifted, considering some of the possible maybes. oOo
“Here ya go, Sweet Meat, your boy, Jane's, file.” Duk
dropped a folder about two inches thick on Eliza's lap and
smiled. “Everything and more that you've never wanted to
know about him.”Eliza wrinkled her nose and picked up the heavy file and opened it. “Damn! You have his third grade report card in here! That's not possible.” He snickered. “It's possible if you have friends in low places. Look, you know I'd do almost anything for you, Eliza, and I just wanted to make sure this guy was not working some sort of con on you. If he's half as good as his file makes him out to be, he's probably guessed that you are just a wee bit above average and could be really useful to him in his quest for Red Jane.” Eliza nosily exhaled. “Silly Duk,” she said smiling. “I already offered my my tender body and my assistance in that quest.” She got a dreamy look on her face. “He accepted the body part, but said he couldn't think of any way I could help him find Red John. We've never discussed it since.” Duk broke out laughing. “Remind me to stop underestimating you! But that file is good reading. This guy is a hoot. If you get the chance, I'd really like to meet him. Bet we'd hit it off like long lost brothers.” “I'll see what I can do. You never know what will happen in this weird life!” oOo
“Mount up, Team,” Lisbon had said.
They made their way to the airport, manage to get through security and
finally were air born to Maine. On the flight out, Lisbon noticed that Jane was acting strangely. He'd seemed totally pissed when he was told that he could not turn his cell phone on. Jane hated the cell phone, so Lisbon was struck by the incongruity of his actions. Jane was pleased with the big black SUV they been assigned. Lisbon wondered why he didn't bother to ask her to drive it. Once again, he was fiddling with his cell phone, something that was unusual for him. “Maybe he has a friend, here,” she speculated. Little did she know how right she was and how important to them all that friend would be! Check in was quick and easy. All of them were tired, so they'd retired early with plans to meet in the morning. The room was reasonably warm. Outside, it was chilly. After all, it was north Maine and night. He'd showered and was dressed casual. Casual for Jane meant no jacket, but he still had his vest on. It just felt natural. Besides, that's how she knew him. Why change what was working. There was a tap on the door. Jane's hear skipped a beat as he went over and opened the door. Yes, it was Eliza. She was wearing bikers leathers, was carrying a helmet and a small back pack. Jane's breath came short. She was so much smaller than he remembered. She'd loomed so large in his mind that this tiny woman almost didn't seem real. He stepped back and smiled, inviting her in. "I just made 100 miles in an hour and fifteen minutes. You have a beat, thirsty guest." She reached into the back pack and pulled out a bottle of Palinca. She pulled the cork and took a long pull. "No glass needed, thank you." Her voice was hoarse from the 151 proof alcohol, but she was holding up. She sat down and kicked off her boots. "Leathers are great for the road, but it's really hot in here. She quickly stripped, demonstrating that she did not wear underwear, but before she could reach into her pouch for clothes, Jane asked for some Palinca. "I could use some too, you know. It was a very long flight." She smiled and turned to face him. His eyes scanned up and down her taut, firm body. "I could deliver more than Palinca, you know," she said. oOo Eliza woke
at the first hint of sunlight, before Jane got his wake up call from
the hotel. She took the time and effort to deliver a totally
different sort of wake up call for him. It was one that had both
of them moaning and sweating, holding on to each other like they were
in an earthquake, which was as close as either could come to describing
it. Afterward, Jane had left the room looking very content but a
bit worse for wear. To look at him, you might think he'd spent
the entire night tossing and turning with sleep eluding him at every
twist. Not exactly how it had happened, but with similar effect.Eliza put the climate control on high, sucking in the cool outside air, threw the covers back and luxuriated in the cool breeze blowing over her sweaty satiated body. Ah, that had been good. He'd never even noticed the little nip, or if he had, he'd not mentioned it. She grinned. “Well, I AM a vampire, you know. What do you expect,” she asked herself. “I was very dainty and no one would ever guess,” she continued. Once she'd managed to focus sufficiently to handle daylight, Eliza retired to her room, in the same hotel. Here is where she'd set up to watch what was going on. Her trusty little lap top was acting as a remote terminal to her home computer, which was far more than the average home computer. She'd gleaned enough information from the “pillow” talk, last night, to be able to do a search and figure out what case the CBI had been called in to consult on. Much to her surprise and dismay, it was she that was the target of the search. She and Duk, actually, but it was still going to be messy. She and Duk, trying to lay low, were still trying to do a little housekeeping. She'd been careful and thought that her proclivity and need to feed would go unnoticed on those men. All of them had been real scum and in the pay of The Deacon. Offing them had been a real pleasure, and on a couple of them she'd made them pay as much, or more, than some of those they'd victimized. Their pleas for mercy had only fueled her blood lust and made her make it take longer. “I was a bad little bat,” she thought. She sighed. “Now I gotta make it all go away.” Eliza was not a happy vampire. oOo
Jane checked the tell on his hotel room door. It was undisturbed, as it
should be. He'd left the "do not disturb" sign on his door, mainly to
see if it would be honored. Of course, knowing if anyone has been in
your room is good, too. Of course, knowing if anyone was IN your room
was even better, but his tech toys weren't readily available, here, in
the northeast. Somehow, he doubted that there was anyone, around here,
who was inclined to pass and reset his tell to wait for him in his room.Jane used his key (Key? In this age of cards?) to open his door and walked in. He instantly knew he was not alone. The, "Hi, guy. Glad you could make it," was a dead give away. Eliza handed him a steaming cup of tea. "Careful, it has Palinca in it." He lifted one eyebrow and sniffed it. "That doesn't smell too disgusting," he observed. "Oh, try it. After the first few gasps, it'll grow on you." Eliza grinned at him and he had to marvel, again, how tiny she seemed. "You must have a liver of stone." He sipped his tea and gasped. "That's one gasp. You need at least one more." Eliza's smile lit up the room. Eliza lost no time is establishing the mood of the night. A passionate kiss followed by some very pointed question abut the case, all disguised as feminine curiosity. Jane shook his head. He was having trouble focusing. "Pheromones." he thought. "She's loaded with them. She's turning my mind to mush." He realized she was speaking. "Do you have any theories so far? Is this really a serial or just coincidence. Is there any commonality between the victims?" Eliza stopped and waited. "Well, as you know they've all been bled almost dry. We have no idea how or why that was done. There was almost no blood at the scenes, to they must have been killed elsewhere, but we don't know where. They have been identified, but we spent most of the day examining the site, trying to get a handle on the geography. We'll get into trying to find some common links between them tomorrow. We're taking this one step at a time. At this point, honestly, all we have is questions and six bodies." Jane couldn't believe he'd said so much, but it really felt good to discuss this with an interested and interesting listener. Eliza was able to quickly establish that they had no clue, at the moment. It was to her best interests to keep it that way. She made the suggestion that CBI may simply not have the political clout to solve this set of crimes. We've been doing crime a very long time, you know. We're quite good at it." "We," he asked, grinning. He didn't seem all that disturbed at the idea. "We," she chuckled. "I drove over a hundred miles an hour to get here, you know. I'm a total scofflaw!" "So, hanging around with you, I might get corrupted?" “Now here is a man ready to be corrupted, she thought. Eliza laughed out loud. "You! All the cons you've pulled? Me? Corrupt you? The next thing I know, you'll be trying to talk me out of my clothes and into your bed of passion." Jane felt his heart skip a beat again. Last night flashed through his mind – again – and again, his stomach flipped. "As long as you agree, it's consensual, right?" "All right! You got me. I consent. Now, let's get started. It's almost midnight and you have an 8:30 meeting. I promise you that you'll need a lot of tea, tomorrow morning." oOo
When Patrick and Eliza kissed goodbye, this morning, they felt like
they were floating. The reason for that was they were.
Eliza got so involved that she lost control and managed to levitate
them both a few inches. Not the either of them really
noticed. It was an unconscious occurrence and it ended the same
way. Unconscious and unnoticed!They'd actually spent much of the night talking, giggling and being silly. The bottle of Palinca that Eliza had brought was getting seriously dented. At 151 proof, that can dent the constitution, too. He realized, that what had started out as a fling, was something else now. He wasn't sure what, but it was something else. That was for definite. When he left, Eliza quickly stripped, used his lap top cam to take a naked picture of herself and set it as is wallpaper. She turned the laptop away from the door so he would be the only one to see. It didn't take long for the CBI team to discover that the “victims” consisted of pimps, drug dealers, and men charged with assault on females, there were even a couple of murders. Everyone of them. Aside from that, and the wound on the neck, the only other thing they have in common is that they all seem to have done business in that yuck ville town about a hundred miles down the road. Jane commented that about the only thing they seem to be victims of was victims of delayed justice. While the CBI team was sweating over hot terminals, Eliza was on the phone with Duk. “Yes,” she said. “I'm pretty sure I can arrange for you and he to meet. You can steer him towards The Deacon, but if you do, we have to cover his ass, OK? I really don't want him to get damaged.” Eliza nodded. “Yes, I am sort of fond of him and you know I like those I'm fond of to be safe and happy.” Eliza giggled. “I will NOT suggest a threesome. No I won't!” She giggled again. “Ok, Duk. I'll make it happen as soon as I can, but this has to be a gentle touch. Don't want the hounds to stumble on the track of the rabbit, now, do we?” oOo
The tell on the door had been moved to the opposite side. Whoever was
in there, he was assuming it was Eliza who was waiting for him, wanted
him to know they were there. He stood to one side and gently tapped on
the door. "Come on in, Mr. Paranoid," he heard Eliza say, as the door
opened. She peeked out and saw where he was standing. "I approve. You
just might learn to survive, yet."She pulled him into the room with surprising strength, closed the door and pinned him against it. His first instinct was to resist, but the soft breasts on his chest and her firm lips on his banished all rational thought. She finally released him and pulled him over to the couch, where a cup of Palinca laced tea was waiting for him. This time he unhesitatingly took a deep pull, suffering none of the trauma of prior attempts. Jane frowned. He knew he'd wanted to ask Eliza something, but every time he got around her, he ended up telling her things, not the other way around. "This is not like me," he thought. "This is simply not like me. I tell you, this girl has pheromones on top of pheromones! How can any man function with her in the room?" "Oh, I remember something I wanted to ask you. A couple of times, you mentioned things, like you remember them, things I can hardly remember. How old are you?" "Patrick, Patrick, Patrick, you know you should never ask a lady her age. I'll tell you this much, I am older than you, but you didn't seem to mind last night. Now, let's put his one in the "don't ask, don't tell" category, OK?" He started to say something and then changed his mind. "Ok, then tell how you got into my room last night. I checked out the possibilities at lunch, today, and for the life of me I can't figure out how you did it. I'm good, but I'm thinking that you're better, and for some reason that really doesn't disturb me." He grinned. "Too much." Eliza stood and kissed him on the forehead. Her scoop neck silk blouse gave him an enticing view as she leaned towards him. He was staring and she knew he was staring. Jane felt uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "This is ridiculous," he thought. "I am not a love struck teen," but he did not look away. "I'm glad I don't disturb you – too much," she said coquettishly. She sat on his lap, facing him. "Why don't you tell me about your day. I know about the saliva thing, but I have no clue to what you and your team is making of it. Clue me in." He sighed. "You and your computer skills." He paused. "Lisbon was quick to inform us that we do not have a vampire, because vampires don't exist, and that we should be very careful to avoid any leaks that might brand this case." Eliza grinned. "It wouldn't surprise me if Lisbon is going to be in for a shock." "Are you trying to tell there really are vampires. You aren't going to try to sell me that, are you?" Jane's incredulity was apparent. "I guess that depends on what you mean by a vampire. I'm not going try to convince you that there are undead vampires roaming the streets at night eating people, but there is a very real 'vampire' culture around here, and some of them do some really sick stuff. That I can assure you. There are some heavy duty BDSM groups and a couple of Satanic groups. Any of these could be an explanation for some of what you've found." "I see," he said. "Right now, I'm leaning towards some sort of vigilante group or an organized crime hit." Eliza nodded. "That makes sense and it doesn't eliminate what I mentioned either. Life is rarely as simple as we want it to be." Then continued to chat for some time, discussing the case. They were lying on the bed and they both seemed to be getting sleepy. They were propped up on pillows, his arm around her, his hand cupping her breast. He sighed a contented sigh and drifted. The alarm awakened him with a start. Eliza was curled up next to him, her nude body very pale in the dim light. He ran his hand down her body, her skin slightly cool to his touch. She was very slim, but well developed muscularly. He wondered if she really weighted the 112 she'd claimed to weigh. He doubted it, but muscle does weight more than fat, so some lean people weight more that some fat people. He groaned and sat up. Tea was going to hit the spot this morning. They had stayed reasonably sober last night. He'd been grilling Eliza about the local crime scene and he'd been amazed at the depth of her knowledge. He was going over their conversation as he dressed. "You mind if I sleep in a few," she asked. "My motor doesn't want to get running this morning." "Not a problem, Love. It ran just fine last night. You take all the time you need." Jane kissed her and headed downstairs to meet with the group. "Jane, you look like you might actually be alive this morning. I guess you slept better last night," Van Pelt observed. "That I did, but I still need my tea. Morning without tea is like..." He paused. "Oh, never mind. Where's the tea," he asked, looking around. As they ate a leisurely breakfast, Jane gave the group and edited version of what Eliza had told him. He was relating it as if he'd found it on the net. He thought it might not be a good idea to say that he was shacking up with a woman who knew more about the local crime scene than the local cops, and who had claimed to have killed her father. No, that did not seem like a good idea. "OK, people. Let's adjourn to the meeting room and plan out day, considering what Jane had just told us. Chop, chop," Lisbon said. oOo
After interviewing the sheriff, the team agreed that what they were
getting from local law enforcement was less than helpful. Jane
volunteered to interview Duk's Raiders. He said, “From the
way the sheriff was acting, I don't have the political clout to get
close enough to the Deacon to do any good. Getting information about a
gang is mostly psychology." He smiled. Knowing a personal friend of the
gang leader didn't hurt either. Based on her references to Duk, he was
sure they were at least friends.A quick cell phone call and Eliza had been quick to agree to arrange a meeting between Duk and Jane. She never even questioned his "inside" knowledge that they were friends. She met him in his hotel room and entered carrying a duffel bag. "What's in the bag," he asked, not even allowing her the chance to explain. "Clothes. First of all, you're in for a bike ride and this is Maine. Second, where we're going, you will want to blend in as much as possible. I have some juice there, but we really don't want to have to fight our way out. One of us could get hurt." Jayne had no doubt which "one" she was referring to. He sighed and got undressed. As he reached for the clothes that Eliza had set out, Eliza leaned forward and whispered, "Do we have time?" Jayne groaned out loud. Eliza smiled. "OK, I can take a hint. You're working. Get dressed!" After the ride to what they'd been calling yuk-ville on Eliza's chopped hog, Jane finally knew the meaning of terror. Once, he'd seen the speedometer bounce off of 130mph (210Kph). They drove through a seedy area of town that Jane would not want to be caught dead it – mainly due to the probability of ending up dead – and stopped in front of a bar. Then number of chopped hogs parked out front was a clear indication of what was inside. The sign over the door said, "CHAINS". oOo Duk
glanced at his watch. Eliza had sent him a text saying she was on
her way. He was mentally calculating and figured another half
hour when in she walked. She had the neatly dress consultant with
her, and she'd even made a totally futile attempt to have him blend
in. He chuckled. The only thing that would get him out of
here alive was Eliza and him. They finally made it to the end of the bar where he was. "Hey, Duck-man, how's it going?" "Greetings, short-quart. What's that you're dragging in here," he asked, indicating Jane. "This is my friend and current sex-partner, Jane. He's sort of a cop and wants to interrogate you about your criminal activities." "Ah, I see." He leaned over and stared into Jane's eyes, saying nothing. He reached around his back and pulled out a very large pistol and aimed it between the eyes, at Jane's forehead, about two inches from his skull. "You're a cop?" "CBI. Actually, I'm a consultant," he responded calmly, his Jane-smile appearing. "What's a CBI," Duk asked, momentarily acting as if he was thrown off balance. "California Bureau of Investigation. CBI." "OK, you're a cop consultant from California. This is Maine. Why shouldn't I shoot you and get another notch for my baby, here." He shook the pistol indicating that it was his baby. "Oh, you won't shoot me," Jane shot back. "You still have the hots for Eliza, you are very curious and love satisfying your curiosity, and you have no reason to, and you are not the type of guy to do something without a reason." "Damn, that's a long sentence. You must be a college professor." He put the pistol back and turned to Eliza. "Where do you find them, Eliza? You do come up with some winners." At that point, they were interrupted by a man dressed similar to Duk. Frank, over there, thinks he can take you arm wrestling, Eliza. You want to show him," he asked. "Go get him, Eliza. I'll babysit Jannie, here, and make sure he doesn't get hurt." Duk pushed her in the direction of Frank. "You gotta see this," Duk said, addressing Jane. "This'll be a hoot." Eliza quickly conned the man into losing the arm wrestling match by flashing her breasts at him just at the start. He'd been a good loser and everyone had a good laugh. Jane grinned. “I take it that's a regular happening.” Duk nodded. “When we can find someone who isn't in on the joke or who is willing to pay a hundred dollars to see her tits.” Duk grinned. “Don't ever tell her, but every so often they'll pass the hat till it's got a hundred in it and someone she doesn't know will challenge her. We all get a gander at the best boobs in town and she takes a cool hundred home. It's a win-win.” Eliza circulated, giving Jane and Duk time to chat. She'd purposefully had not prepared Jane for Duk, wanting to see the interaction. Jane had not disappointed her, and she knew she could count on Duk. He was her buddy, and Eliza didn't have many buddies. Jane discovered that he actually liked Duk. He seemed to have no compunction about discussing some of his very criminal activities saying, "Ya gotta have evidence to convict and I never said nuthing." Then he laughed uproariously, thoroughly enjoying himself. Jane quickly realized that this was a very intelligent man, very well educated, and possibly totally amoral. He had an incredible sense of justice and made his own rules. Jane would have hated to have this man mad at him. Without a doubt, that could be fatal. It was clear that Duk was top dog, and to burden analogy further, Eliza the queen bee at Chains. Jane had figured there was no need to con or work Duk. For some reason, Eliza's introduction gave him an instant "in". When Jane had told him why he was here and what he was looking for, Duk had instantly said "The Deacon." They talked for a long time and in great detail. Eliza approached. "You done with him yet, Duk? We've got a ride ahead of us." "I like this dude, Eliza. You gotta bring him around again, and I think we're about tapped out." "Did you tell him how really smart you are?" "Nah, I figured he could guess. I've never seen anyone guess so good. You'd think he was some sort of con man, not a cop." "I am NOT a cop," Jane repeated. "I am consultant." "And was a con man," Eliza added. "One of the best." But Duk already knew that. That statement was purely for Jane's benefit. The master work-man was being very effectively worked. oOo
The bed was heaven. The ride back had been worse than the ride out.
Eliza was in a hurry to get back to the hotel and Jane never knew a
machine could move so fast. Eliza seem to have a psychic sense of the
road ahead."Again," she asked. "At least once," he grinned. "Maybe twice." oOo
Eliza frowned and stared at her laptop. They'd managed to find a
judge that issued a sort of search warrant for The Deacon's
property. It wasn't exactly a search warrant, but it did give
them permission to “trespass” but that piece of paper would
not keep them alive is they went to the wrong place. Eliza felt guilty, but she did it anyway. She accessed the telephone provider and activated Jane's cell phone GPS. She fed the coordinates into the mapping program and whistled. They were headed to The Deacon's main compound. No way was The Deacon, or even his lieutenants, would let them leave alive. No one entered that compound and left alive unless The Deacon said so. Eliza sent a 911 text to Duk. Texting from the computer was fast and easy. Her text message put into motion an existing plan. It was an old plan that had been updated, taking into account the presence of CBI. Eliza ran down the stairs at full speed. She'd just have jumped out the window, but it was broad daylight and being noticed was something she wanted to avoid right now. For once, her hog started on the first kick and she was off to the meeting point. If they pulled this one off, she'd owe Duk big time. Not that he'd insist on collecting, but she'd probably insist on paying, somehow. She screamed out of the hotel parking lot and headed to the barn, where they would meet up. Duk was already there, handing out weapons and filling everyone in. Some of them just shook their heads and walked away, not willing to tangle with The Deacon. Eliza pulled up and killed the motor. She stood on the seat and yelled. “Hey guys, this one's for me. Anyone makes the trip and comes back, I'll spend a night with them and I'll promise it'll be a night you'll love to remember. You all know I'm good on my word and I promise you: it'll be one of the best nights of your life.” Duk grinned and shook his head, but no one else left. Only Eliza could sell that one, and it was working. They rode out, Duk leading, followed by bikes two abreast six deep, each bike packing two. A driver and the rider, armed with every weapon that Duk could get his hands on,and being a weapons dealer, that was a lot. They have more fire power than the average Marine platoon – a lot more! As they approached The Deacons' compound they could hear gun fire. They rode by the pinned CBI team and unleashed hell on wheels towards The Deacon's men. The assumed a staggered formation so that every bike had a clear field of fire. They had one LAW and the gang's best shot made effective work of it. That one round killed over half of them. The remaining broke and ran for the vehicles. They were trying to get back into their vehicles when the bikes circled them, and in a coordinated maneuver, reduced their vehicles to rubble. There were no signs of life left. The bikes wheeled and headed for the CBI team. Lisbon was like a deer in headlights, not that any of the team was any better. They came to a very noisy halt just a few feet from the ditch. Jane was even more shocked when he realized that Duk was packing Eliza and she was armed to the teeth, the weapon in her hands still smoking. Duk stood, straddling his bike. "I thought I told you to be careful, there, Janey Man. You don't listen too good do you?" Maybe for the first time in his life Jane was at a total loss for words. "Say 'thank you.' to the nice man," Eliza said grinning. Jane shook his head. "Seriously, thank you Duk, and maybe I don't listen to well, sometimes. I owe you one." Duk laughed. "I think you own me six! But who's counting." Duk sat down and gunned the big machine. Eliza blew him a kiss as they roared by. Silence settled and all that remained was to crawl out of the ditch and return home. oOo As
he approached the door, the clink of a glass, probably Palinca, into a
cup of tea, thrilled him unreasonably. His stomach fluttered and he
felt rather foolish. "I am a grown man," he told himself. No matter
what he told himself, his hand shook slightly as he opened the door,
not even being cautious.She straightened and smiled. "Hi lover. So glad you could make it." She was suddenly pressed against him, pinning him to the door. "I'm going to think about this one of these days." As Eliza began to run her hands over his body and press firmly into him, he thought, "But not today." Their clothing was strewn all over the room, and Eliza's body glistened with perspiration. Jane was lounging on the sofa, sipping the Palinca laced tea, a contented smile on his face. He yawned and casually said, "Now, tell me what actually happened today. I mean besides you and Duk saving our asses." She remove the cup from his hand, tossed the remainder and flipped over, lying, head on his lap. She put his hand on her lean stomach and patted it. "Wasn't saving your asses enough?" Her infectious grin made him smile. He didn't need too many hints to figure out what to do with his hand. He enjoyed stroking her lean, hard, nearly hairless body – almost as much as she. "Yes, Eliza, it's more than enough, but you know how curious I am." He leaned forward and kissed her. She smiled. "On the mouth this time." He complied, and Eliza started talking. "Duk called me and said there was activity going on at The Deacon's compound. He has The Deacon under surveillance at all times. He'd discovered that you have a 'warrant' of some sort and figured that when you went there it was going to be a "shit storm". I asked him for help and he agreed. " Eliza smiled. "We're actually buds. He'd go to hell for me." Eliza had slightly reversed the rolls of who discovered what, but she thought it was in Jane's best interest to look at it that way. It would stop too many embarrassing questions. Jane nodded. "And he has a mild dislike for The Deacon." Eliza laughed out loud. "That he does. That he does." They fell silent. "It's been nice spending time with you," Jane said slowly. "I'm going to miss you." "I could visit you, every now and then," Eliza offered. "I..." "Trust me, I can afford it and you can't stop me. All you could do is not let me in, and I'm rather hard to keep out." Her smile made him feel funny, again. "Ok, but right now, time is slipping away. Let's use it." oOOOo |