Drive

"Holy shit! I knew it had to be you! Rapunzel, who'da thought I see you in my own town!" a fat man exclaimed as he got closer. The thin man standing next to him just kept his eyes on Hal.

The talker looked around. "Where's Frank?"

Hal glanced at Sam, but she was frozen, so he answered for her. "She's not with Frank anymore."

The man's beady eyes finally focused on him. "Bullshit. Mr. Capello don't let no one go, and certainly not Goldilocks here. Who the fuck are you?"

"I'm her friend. Who are you?"

The chunky man snorted. "I run the Kitty Club just south of seventy. Yeah, me and Frank go way back. I know Rapunzel here from her stage days when she'd be up there shaki—"

"I don't think she cares to recall those days," Hal said firmly, interrupting the smirking man whose eyes went cold.

The man passed his eyes over Hal, and the smirk came back. "You're not the friendly type."

Hal contained his snort. The man had no idea. "You could say that. Have a good evening."

Chubby nodded to himself, then nodded to his partner before fixing his eyes on Sam. "See ya 'round, Goldilocks."

When they were alone, the waitress hurried over, and Hal settled the bill.

He saw Sam was trembling from the visit. He needed to distract her, or he'd be dealing with tears again.

"Come on. We have some shopping to do."

She stood, and he wrapped his arm around her back to steady her. She glanced at him in surprise but clung to his hand to keep the arm there until they reached the door. He guided her to his car, then drove and parked in front of the supercenter.

"We can get the basics here, everything you'll need," he said as he exited the car again. She nodded and rushed to get next to him, taking his arm in hers. She glanced behind her.

They went inside, and Hal grabbed a cart. He immediately took her to the woman's wear section, and he directed her past the discount t-shirts rack she'd stopped beside.

"Please don't take this as a criticism. This is an opportunity to upgrade your wardrobe. You don't need to stick to t-shirts. Don't worry about the cost. If it looks nice on you and fits, we'll get it." She was looking at him with wide eyes. "We need a week's worth of outfits."

She began tentatively. With each blouse she liked, she would turn to Hal and look for permission. He'd just nod. Only once did he shake his head, but only because he thought it didn't flatter her. She took the items over to the change room, where he stood guard over their cart. When she returned with only three of the blouses, he raised an eyebrow.

"The others didn't fit over my tits," she explained and received a scowl from a nearby salesclerk.

"Let's find some more," was all he said. Sam smiled as the three items went into the cart.

While she hunted, he found a few items for himself in the men's wear section across the aisle; a three-pack of black t-shirts and a three-pack of boxer briefs, also black. A pair of charcoal grey running pants finished up his purchases, and all went into the cart.

The next hour went by with Sam trying clothes until they had at least eight days' worth of outfits. Along with the blouses, she had three dresses, which she seemed particularly thrilled about. He made her buy jeans with fewer rips, but she countered with three pairs of yoga pants, which he knew weren't going to leave much to the imagination.

Throughout the activity, she modeled many of the outfits for him, and he saw she had an amazing figure. His original assessment of her from the glance at Pinkie's didn't take into account how long and toned her legs were or how the cutest apple bottom topped them. She had almost no extra meat on her bones, but her ass was truly perfect in his estimate. He caught himself comparing it to Lisa's, and his mood suddenly spiked downwards.

He struggled to shake the funk as he guided her to the lingerie section. He held her eyes with his. "Again, get undergarments that fit and feel comfortable."

"The bras that can support these tend to be expen—" she began but stopped when he shot her a glare.

He held up a hand as he rubbed his face with the other. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to react like that. I just... have things on my mind. Don't worry about the price. If it supports those, it's worth every penny."

She snorted in surprise, then moved off between the cases with a happy smile on her lips.

He wondered where the hell those words came from. He wasn't a flirt. Not like Lisa.

She returned with arms full of bras and panties, which went into the cart. She caught the distracted look on Hal's face, but she didn't ask.

They were walking past the shoe section, and he stopped. "You need some sandals for the dresses and definitely new running shoes."

Her eyes lit up, and she went on the hunt for sandals. He spotted a nice pair of women's runners. White with pink accents and a well-cushioned sole. They were a little pricey, but they were well made and would give far more comfort than the ratty flat crap she had on her feet now. He grabbed a six-pack of ankle socks as well. These and the shoes went into his cart.

He walked over and saw her sitting on a bench, looking at her feet. Her eyes were sad. "What's wrong?"

"I can't wear sandals with nails like these!" she sniffed.

He pulled up his cell's map application and found a nail spa nearby. "Let's wrap this up. You can have your nails done at a place in the next shopping complex."

Large eyes held his gaze as she looked at him in bewilderment. "Why are you being so nice to me?"

He paused as he thought about that. Doing things for Sam was making him feel better. "I-It's helping me too. I can't explain it better. Not yet."

She slipped her crappy runner on and stood. She put two pairs of strappy sandals into the cart and looked at him. "Thank you."

He just nodded and got them walking again.

They stopped before the luggage, and she looked at him in confusion.

"Did you think I was going to make you carry your clothes from motel to motel in plastic shopping bags? You need a suitcase. Pick one. Medium size. The hard-shell ones are pretty good."

She looked around, and her eyes immediately locked onto a bright pink hard-shell a short distance away. She walked over and touched it almost reverently. She looked back at him. "I've never owned a piece of luggage before." She looked down at it sadly. "I've never gone anywhere to need one. This is the farthest I've been from home."

Leaving the cart in the aisle, Hal walked over and pulled the piece out to give it a thorough examination. It passed his quality control review, so he carried it back to the cart and slid it underneath. He picked up a pink make-up kit to hold the cosmetics they'd be picking up next.

"What's that?" Sam asked as the small bag went into the cart, too.

"Make-up kit. We're heading there next." He pushed off, and she rushed to catch up.

This took a little time, but he ensured she got moisturizer, deodorant, the cosmetics she liked, a few brushes and combs, a toothbrush, and toothpaste. He bought her the largest size pump bottles of shampoo and conditioner for her massive amount of hair.

The cart was quite full by the time they went through the checkout. Sam fretted about the cost until he'd had enough. He didn't want to snap at her again, so he just hugged her. Hal was as surprised he'd done it as she was, then a little amused to discover she was actually an inch taller than his 5' 9". He was also more than a little aware of her soft breasts when they squished against him. He pulled back, and she smiled shyly at him.

They carried their loot out to the car, and he opened the trunk. She saw he had two black hard-shell suitcases inside already. He put her pink case inside, opened it, and quickly loaded the items they'd purchased into it. There was only a little room left when he was done. "We forgot to get you sleepwear!" he said in frustration.

"I don't wear clothes when I sleep," she confessed.

He glanced down at her chest, then pulled one of the black t-shirts from his purchases and tossed it inside her suitcase. He then closed the case. "You should have something on in case you need to leave in an emergency."

She just nodded.

They drove over to the nail salon, and he followed her in. He found a spot to sit and wait while a pretty Asian woman brought her over to the pedicure area first. Seeing she was being taken care of, Hal leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. He catnapped like this until he heard Sam and the nail technician approach him again. He opened his eyes and saw the widest smile on Sam's face. She was wearing disposable flip flop sandals to let the polish on her toenails dry, and he spotted her favorite hot pink color on her toes. She saw carrying her old runners, so he took them from her and dropped them into a nearby trash can.

Sam held out a hand, palm down, and he admired the polish they'd applied there too. It started off as a soft pink and faded into white at the tips of her fingernails. They weren't fake. Her real nails only extended a short distance beyond her fingertips. He told her they were lovely, and she blossomed anew.

Once more, Hal paid and gave the young woman a good tip for making Sam so happy.

They went back to the car, and Hal got them on their way to the motel, which wasn't far from the shopping district.

They went inside to register, and Hal got the key cards for the rooms, ground floor, side by side on the west side of the building. He drove them around the building and parked in the spot before one of the rooms.

"This is mine, and you get the other one."

She looked at him. "We don't have to be in separate rooms," she said quietly.

"Yes, we do." He took a deep breath. "I don't sleep too well these days. It's saf—better for you to have your own room."

She watched him, then nodded.

He got their suitcases as she opened her room. With a small push, he rolled hers over to her. She grinned happily and caught its handle as it rolled by, to wheel it into her room before closing her door. He opened his door and rolled his cases inside.

He went back to her door and knocked.

"Who is it?"

"It's Hal," he said with a smile. She did it right.

She opened the door and saw his smile, which brought a smile to her lips, too.

"If you need anything during the night, just knock on the wall between our rooms three times. I sleep very light. I'd like to get on the road tomorrow at 9 AM, so that means leaving the motel no later than 7:45 AM to get breakfast. We come back, brush our teeth, then load the car and be on our way. Okay?"

She nodded, so he continued. "Feel free, if you want to watch a movie—" She shook her head.

"Thank you. I'm going to take a long hot shower and wash my hair. That's enough for one night," she said.

He smiled as he took in the long braid. "Okay, lock up, and I'll see you in the morning."

She smiled and closed the door. Listening for the secondary lock, Hal heard her snap it into place. Satisfied, he went into his room and locked up behind himself.

He stripped down and folded his worn and wrinkled clothes. He frowned, as in his haste to escape from his home, he hadn't packed any other clothes. All he had were the t-shirts, underwear, and running pants he just bought. His suitcase contained his boots and socks, so he'd switch from loafers to those tomorrow. He set aside clothes for the morning and carefully packed away the dirty items.

Naked, he began his exercises. It was a mixture of stretches and stresses for different muscle groups.

It helped him sharpen his focus, clear away the day's noise, and put all of his daily actions into compartments for later review.

This routine always left him feeling cleansed, but tonight he couldn't achieve that due to Lisa's recent actions. The taint remained.

The best he could hope for was to achieve enough of a relaxed state that he'd be able to slip into sleep when he went to bed.

An hour in, he realized he needed to stop. The cleansing wasn't going to happen, and even relaxation seemed an impossibility.

Releasing the monster on those two in the parking lot in Erie, yet not allowing it to finish them, had been a mistake. He could feel its alert presence in his mind. Waiting for the next opportunity to get loose again.

He wasn't concerned that the trucker and his friend might continue their predation. He'd left them with injuries that meant their driving careers were over. Walking without pain was likely not in their future, either.

He switched over to push-ups then sit-ups. When he felt a good burn, he jogged in place for twenty minutes and then walked into the bathroom to shower. The hot spray felt good, and he allowed his mind to wander, just a little. He thought about how much effort it must be for Sam to wash all that hair!

An image of her standing naked under the spray popped into his mind, and he forced it out.

In its place came a memory of Lisa in the shower with him. It was the last time he'd been with her. Compared to Sam, Lisa's body wasn't so tall, wasn't so slim, and she had more flesh on her ass. She knew how to get his motor going and how to drive him to madness. She wasn't above doing both together to reach a new high in her search for chaos and bliss. She was the most dangerous woman he knew.

He'd caught a twenty-something gardener with his pants down around his ankles as he tried to line his cock up with Lisa's asshole while she writhed under him on the edge of the bed. The man's frustration made him miss the sound of Hal entering the bedroom door behind them. He was a pothead, and the scent of weed was heavy on him and in the air as Lisa mumbled incoherently.

Her eyes watching him in the mirror as he entered might have been a little glassy, but her crooked smile as she watched the monster break bone after bone in the screaming and retching man's hands and arms now seemed far more aware than she'd pretended she was.

As they stood together in the shower afterward, his pelvis was crushed up against her soft ass, his hot cock buried to the root in her ass, and his cum filled her. She was struggling and hoarsely moaning as he had one hand gripping her gushing pussy while the other was squeezing her throat, slowly choking the life from her.

The monster was sated, and Hal returned to his mind to feel her life on the edge of slipping away. He quickly loosened his grip, and Lisa sucked in a deep breath. He carefully lifted her off his softening cock and gently sat her on the bench in the shower.

"Fucking... coward."

He looked up into Lisa's tear-filled eyes and saw her disappointment. Her eyelids began to flutter as she spiked through a few more micro orgasms as sensation flooded back into her body across her raw nerves.

Hal ripped his mind away from that memory and concentrated on the mundane task of getting clean.

Physically, at least. He wasn't sure he'd ever be mentally clean again.

Chapter 3

It was the chirp of a key card that pulled Hal to full awareness. The monster was already moving his body, sliding him off the bed to roll soundlessly to his feet, the knife he'd pulled from under his pillow clutched in his hand. In his black t-shirt and matching black shorts, he was partially hidden in the shadows of the dark room. He slipped up to the wall next to the door and adjusted his grip on the knife.

When the door burst open, time slowed to a crawl in the monster's perceptions. The tall, skinny man he saw at Olive Garden charged inside, gun in hand. His feet tangled in the bedspread Hal had arranged on the floor just inside the door, and down he went. His weapon went off as he fell on it, and he went still, his brains sprayed across the carpet.

As the first guy was tripping, a second man stepped through the door and got a fist to the gut. He began to double over. Hal grabbed the front of his shirt and felt something tearing under it. He pushed the man out the door as he reversed his grip on his knife to slam the pommel against the man's temple.

He released the crumpling man to dart into the open door of Sam's room. Chubby was standing a few feet inside the room, spinning to point his gun at Hal. Terrified, he put a bullet in the wall as Hal surged closer to drive his knife up under the man's ribs into his heart. The impact lifted the heavy man off his feet, and Hal used his momentum to carry the man like a shield as he charged the last assailant.

That man was fast and got his gun pointed at Hal, but the two shots he managed to squeeze off just hit the corpse.

Hal ripped his knife free of the body just as it collided with the last gunman. He darted his arm around and stabbed the final man in the throat, tearing open his jugular. The man squeezed the trigger once more, and Hal felt the wind of the bullet as it passed by. They all fell in a pile, and Hal drove his knife through the man's wrist, pinning it to the floor. He heard the squeal of tires on the pavement as their getaway driver got away. He crouched over the corpse as the gunman choked out his last breath. Hal was silent as he listened, but no one else was coming. He could hear terrified moaning coming from the bed.

"Sam!" Hal called out as he pushed the monster back into the dark recesses of his mind. He left the knife pinning the man to the floor and moved cautiously to the bed.

"Hal?" her voice asked quietly from under the sheets.

"Yeah, it's me. Stay there for a second. I'm just going to take a quick look around. You're safe here."

He went to the door and listened. Nothing. He darted outside and checked on the man he knocked unconscious. Lifting his shirt, he saw the microphone, wires, and tape he'd felt when he grabbed his shirt. The monster had wanted to kill him, but Hal still had override on kills.

The man was out and might have a mild concussion.

He went into his room and collected his cell. He dialed his handler.

"Report."

"Need assistance. Clean up. Attempted murder and abduction. Three dead, one captured wearing a wire."

"Shit. Give me the address, then sit tight."

Hal gave his handler the details then hung up. He went back to Sam's room. He heard her crying quietly.

"Sam? It's okay; it's over." He sat on the edge of the bed

She pulled the sheets down to her chin and looked around for him.

She squeaked when she saw the two dead men on the floor. "These were the guys we met at Olive Garden, plus goons," he said.

"You—you killed them?" she said quietly.

"They weren't here to play. The skinny guy rushed into my room with his gun out. Ended up shooting himself in the head with it when he tripped. Stupid." He pointed to the others. "These two were after you. Someone got away." He frowned when he saw Sam was still holding the blanket up to her chin.

Red and blue lights suddenly filled the doorway as the local police arrived.

"Are you wearing the t-shirt I gave you?" he asked, and she shook her head.

He sighed and pulled his off to hand to her. "Put this on. The police are here, and they aren't going to be friendly. It's going to be okay, though. I made a call." He looked to the door as she struggled to pull the shirt on.

"POLICE! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!"

He sighed. "Here we go."

Sam was staring in shock at Hal's back. It was a roadmap of pain. The scars were many and varied. She watched him stand and walk through the door, lit up by the lurid colors and flashing lights.

Then it was her turn. She was grateful for his long t-shirt as she only had panties on underneath.

She tried to emulate his controlled movements, but she was just too frightened.

She stepped into the lights.

Chapter 4

Hal caught up on his sleep in the police's holding cell. There wasn't anything else he could do.

"Demon!"

He opened his eyes and looked towards the entrance to the cell. "Demmon."