Long Blonde Hair, Sky Blue Eyes Pt. 05

They exchanged handshakes, and Annika asked, "How do you know who we are?"

"Word on your kidnapping got out last night and created a firestorm on media. Then you disappeared, and created a firestorm in law enforcement. The FBI is frantically looking for you, but your dad has completely stonewalled them. It seems he's suspicious of their need to interview you and Erik in person, and of the state department's interest in the case.

"The oligarch and his cronies have been transferred into federal custody, and it seems the Russians suddenly acknowledged Koslov as having diplomatic status. The State of Minnesota and the PDs of the Twin Cities strongly disagree, and they have taken a boatload of documents the Russian's claim they shouldn't have to federal court in Minnesota. The documents purportedly prove Koslov was a Russian agent, not diplomat, and contain damaging information on both the Russian hacking program and criminal enterprises penetrating and spying on American corporations.

"Erik here seems to have caught their interest with a couple of things he and Johnny are working on, but in this particular case, Annika, it appears the reason for your kidnapping was something much more base - the infatuation, or shall I say lust, that Koslov and a few of his rich friends have for you."

"So what do we do, Ranger?" Erik asked.

"Sit tight for right now. Oliver and Carl Olsson are very well connected in their home state, and they are raising hell and calling in chits. If some of those grocery bags contained popcorn, I'd pop some, turn on the satellite TV, and drink a coke while I watch 24-hour news. We've already got men in place, so just sit back and see how this plays out.

"I strongly doubt the feds will find you, and the Russians are in disarray, so let your dad and grandfather do their thing. I'll let you know if anything changes.

"That said; I'm glad to see the firearms at the ready. Can either of you purty little things shoot a big ol gun like these?" he teased, pointing at the SS 365 on the counter.

They read him like a book and acted like dainty southern flowers for a moment. When he laughed and shook his head, Annika told him all about how she learned to shoot a pistol today and that she got every shot into the dummy's torso!

The Ranger acted impressed, and asked Hanna about her prowess. She was more modest, but assured him she had scored well with pistol and rifle, and loved to shoot skeet. "Well, then I expect you two to take good care of my Godson here. He's a good boy, but he don't shoot worth a damn! I beat him every time!"

"Yeah, sure - as I remember, you won every contest the DPS let you enter, so BARELY being outscored by you ain't really that bad! Besides, I know you cheated last time - I just don't know how."

"Might want to borrow my rifle next time; it's got special powers!" he replied with a wink.

"There's that too! I'm using my hunting rifle, and he's using something out of Star Wars!" he exclaimed to the girls, who rubbed their eyes and whimpered 'Boo-hoo, poor baby!'

The Ranger said it was time for him to leave, and they tried to get him to stay and eat with them. "Thanks for the offer, but Milly has plans for tonight, so I need to be getting home. Maybe another day, soon?"

They said he was welcome anytime, and Erik escorted him to the door. "She's a looker - you sure you're ready for that life?"

"Believe it or not, she's not what she seems. If anything, she's too naïve, almost childlike, about most things. Her mother was..."

"I heard, and I learned that your family is in love with her too. I just mean, being married to a beautiful woman is a chore sometimes - well, a lot of the time - especially if you're the possessive and jealous type, and have a quick temper."

"Well, you should know if anyone does. Can you bring her over? I'd like for Annika to meet herself in twenty years, or what I hope she is in twenty years, and the fact that Milly is a LPC counselor could be invaluable. She's holding it together, at least on the surface, but I'm concerned that it's just being buried. Bring Hope too - she and Hanna can trade secrets and school horror stories."

"I'll confirm, but how about tomorrow night? I haven't been told of any plans that would interfere. You could even smoke some pork, or something." Bill laughed at the last bit, but Erik knew he was serious. No one ever loved his daddy's pulled pork better, and Erik's was at least that good.

"We're on, unless you tell me otherwise."

****

Annika sent an anonymous text to dad asking him to call when he had a moment to himself so he could update her on her lawsuit. He replied that tomorrow at ten would be good.

Johnny called Hanna, she went into her bedroom, and they talked for an hour. Erik woke and gathered Annika from her spot in front of the TV, and took her to their bedroom. He helped her shower, dry off, and lie down in bed, and then he helped her forget yesterday.

She awoke him the next morning by standing naked in front of the 4'x8' window looking out over the lake. How she did it he didn't know, but some sense warned him of a naked beauty nearby. She felt his awakening and summoned him. "Come look at the lake! There are ducks and geese swimming, and a fisherman in a little boat casting toward the shore. It's so beautiful!"

Erik wrapped his arms around his naked lover, and looked over her shoulder at the lake. It was beautiful, in a simple, natural way, and he was again intrigued by her ability to so deeply appreciate nature and natural things. She leaned back against him, and rubbed her tight round butt against his rapidly stiffening rod. When he was hard, she stood on her tiptoes, placed her hands on the windowsill, pushed her butt back, and opened her legs, offering her warm wetness to him.

He accepted, bending his knees to enter her, and then holding her hips while he thrust up into her. She moaned, and he felt the warm wetness immerse his staff. He began thrusting and growling at the pleasure, and she responded with even greater passion. His hands were unneeded on her hips as she was meeting him thrust for thrust; they wandered up her taut belly to her heaving breasts. He gently held them, knowing they must be sore from the mistreatment in the van, but her cries increased in urgency when he did.

He knew she was close, and hoped he would last long enough; she gushed, cried out, and spasmed wildly. He coated her insides, and that increased the cries and quivering from his lover. They made it back to bed and held each other, speaking words of appreciation and love.

Hanna's knock and command to stop that caterwauling and come eat breakfast broke the spell; they giggled, rinsed off separately, dressed, and went to join her. Coffee and conversation ensued over the scrambled eggs and ham. It was only when the subject of Ranger Hammer's security force came up that Erik told her that the man in the little boat was almost certainly one of them, and probably had as much firepower in there as PT 109. He also teased that he hoped he didn't see as much of her watching him as she saw of him. She blushed, but said, "Wait until he sees us in our bikinis this afternoon!" Another good sign, he thought; she was somehow powering through the aftermath, even without counseling.

They thanked Hanna and cleaned up the kitchen and dining rooms, with Hanna sitting on a stool and telling them about her call with Johnny. The bay windows were open, there was a cool breeze and a hot sun outside, and the songbirds were singing ceaselessly. It was a beautiful morning, until Annika suddenly began sniffling, then crying, and then dissolved in sobs.

They comforted her, encouraged her to let it all out, and held her as they stood there in the kitchen. "I thought I had lost all this! Everything! All the joys I've discovered that I knew nothing about, the career I've worked so hard to build, my love for Erik and my friends, for my parents, my grandparents, the wonderful families in Hondo! All gone! Our future together, our kids! All swept away, replaced by me being used as a whore for the rest of my life!

"I'm trying to hold it together, and you guys have been great at helping me. But the terror sometime slips back in!"

They held her, spoke of her limitless future, and of the measures that would be taken to ensure something like that never happened again. She calmed, and with impeccable timing, Dad called. She took her phone into the other room, and Hanna had a war council with Erik.

Hanna then started preparations for tonight's guests, and Erik started one fire in the smoker and prepared another in the fire ring, for coals to keep the temperature right as the hours passed. As soon as the oak and mesquite was glowing embers, he put the butt roasts on, put the cast iron pot with the vinegar-based sopping sauce in a warm corner of the pit, and went back inside.

Annika was much better when she returned. Her parents and grandparents were together in Dad's secure room, and participated in the wide-ranging conversation that included little about the kidnapping, and a lot about her family. When she asked about the kidnappers, she was told that the state had used a federal court to stop efforts to free Koslov into Russian custody, and that the others were still in custody. Linda Warren's decision to seek witness protection in exchange for full disclosure and testifying against the others convinced one of the men to do the same, and the state police and FBI had many hours of testimony and evidence on Koslov's criminal enterprise and plans.

Maybe knowing those things helped her, or maybe it was all the family talk, but her demeanor was much better after the call. The update, however, brought a question to Erik's mind: if the bad guys were in custody, were they only hiding from the federal authorities? He wasn't sure how that could be the kind of problem that had them hiding out, wearing disguises, and keeping him from working on the module. He decided to continue as is, and ask Ranger Hammer tonight.

By noon the beans were cooking, the salad bowl was filled, the cole slaw was marinating in the fridge, Erik had taught them to make guacamole, and dough for three loaves of yeast bread was rising slowly in the refrigerator. The finishing sauce he liked to smear on an hour before he removed the pork from the smoker was also ready, and the smoker was hovering around the desired temperature of 225.

While adding coals, he heard the sound of a vehicle in the driveway. The Sig Sauer was in a holster under his left arm, the .357 magnum lying on the table beside him; he picked it up and snuck around the house. A white Chevy Silverado 1500 was parked in the driveway, and two men were driving away.

A text arrived: "The most common vehicle in Texas - a white pickup - should be in your driveway. Key under gas cover. Use it, not the Jeep. Dad."

He opened the back door and asked, "Who wants to mask up and go with me to Lowes Market to get some beer, cheese, and summer sausage?"

Wigs, camo hats, shirts, and pants were in place within a couple of minutes, with smudges of face paint. He wouldn't have known if he hadn't known, and they were stunned by the beard, long hair, and slouch he affected under his loose-hanging camo.

As if the $250 they spent yesterday wasn't enough, Isa, Gabi, and Lex spent another $100 on fruit, a charcuterie board, crackers, beer, and ice. He figured his parents had liquor, but he bought Azul tequila for strawberry margaritas and a bottle of Deep Eddy Vodka, just in case beer and margaritas wasn't satisfactory.

Since he was sipping a beer while keeping an eye on the meat, the girls decided to sunbathe beside him on the patio. He understood the $5 per piece cost of the end-of-season sale on swimwear when they pranced out; $5 was actually quite a bit to pay for the stings and pieces of barely-lined mesh they got for the money.

They paraded around him, asked if he liked their swimsuits, and giggled when he said they paid too much for the amount of cloth they got. They giggled, stroked his arms enticingly, and then lay down on the sun loungers.

"No perving!" Hanna commanded, and Erik laughed out loud. "Don't give me that shit! If you didn't want me to perve, you wouldn't be wearing mesh connected by dental floss! I'm going to be like a hawk watching a stray titmouse, but I'll be looking for stray tits, asses, and pussies."

Annika laughed at the interchange, but then told Erik he better keep his eyes on her and off her ENGAGED friend! "Oh, don't worry - I will! Only you, Baby, only you!" he promised, making a show of putting crossed fingers behind his back.

That drew a threat, and his response. "If Hanna doesn't want me to see it again, she needs to keep it covered up. Anyway, it's far too late for modesty now, after what I saw at The Grand!" They threw pillows toward him, but laughed while they did.

He cooked and eyed the barely-covered babes. Annika made no attempt at modesty, preferring to tempt and tease. Hanna made an attempt at decorum, but grew lax from time to time if she knew Annika wasn't watching and Erik was. She didn't mean anything beyond flirting, nor did Erik - it was all in fun, as if they were back in college.

The warm sun, cool breeze, and mid-afternoon doldrums had the girls dozing off within ten minutes. Erik did avert his eyes during their sleep, but from inadvertent glances while checking on the pork, and keeping an eye out for intruders, he reaffirmed his impressions of both heavenly bodies. If Annika and Johnny weren't in the picture, he would be all over Hanna! Hell yes, he would!

After twenty minutes, the green eyes caught his glance from beside the smoker; she winked and closed her spread thighs, ending his barely-obstructed squirrel shot. "Annika, we need to start getting ready," Hanna urged while shaking the sleepy one. Startled, her last ounce of modesty was lost when she tried to sit up suddenly, and, when Erik caught her eye, he winked.

She looked down, saw that the tiny strap between her legs was between her lips, not covering them, and that one boob was free; she shrieked. Hanna laughed at the somnolent modesty of someone featured on the cover a men's sports magazine wearing a thong bottom, no top, and staring naughtily over her shoulder at the camera. "Unless I misread all the caterwauling, Erik's seen it before, I have, and most of the men in the world have a good idea about it from the SI layouts, so don't suddenly act all modest!"

Annika's panic had jerked her awake; she made a face at Hanna, arranged her triangles and started to get up. "They won't be here until five-thirty; it's three-thirty," Eric offered. "There's no reason to start getting ready now, but if you're going to tan some more, turn over - Hanna, you're pink, and Annika is hot pink bordering on red."

They checked their chests, applied Aloe lotion, and turned over. Erik offered to apply suntan lotion, but they declined because they were getting up in twenty minutes to clean up and get dressed.

There was fewer things to perve over in this position, but the prime rumps and shapely legs on display kept him chubby until they got up, stretched for effect, and went inside giggling about his lumpy shorts.

Alone, Erik puzzled over the enigma that was his girlfriend. She had almost come unglued by the time she was rescued, and remained somewhere between weepy and overcome with tears all the way to Texas. Nothing he or Hanna said or did changed that, and he feared she should be in the hospital receiving counseling rather than hiding.

Once on the ground in Texas, she got better by several degrees. Last night and this morning, he thought she was about over it, because the sex was so outstanding; then the breakdown, followed by the quick recovery. This afternoon she was a temptress, and was urging her bestie to temp him too... sort of.

Hanna came out to check on things first, and he used the opportunity to tell her that Ranger Hammer's wife, Milly, was a licensed professional counselor with a small practice in Alamo Heights. "If we get a chance, let's give them a few minutes alone. Maybe she can help her, give us guidance on how we can, or both."

Hanna though that was a great idea, thanked him, and went back inside to begin baking the bread.

Eric heard Bill Hammer's pickup stop in front of the garage, heard three pickup doors open and close, and positioned himself where he could watch Hanna and Annika's faces when they saw Bill's daughter and wife. Hope came in first, introduced herself and her mom, and said, "I know you already met my Dad, because he's talked about nothing but how gorgeous you two are since we got in his truck! Now that we're here, I'll take back what I said about delusions, Daddy - they really are that gorgeous! But you were sandbagging too, by not telling us their names." She chuckled, "They're pretty famous!"

"Oh come on!" Hanna interjected. "I'm standing here staring with my mouth open because you are the most beautiful mom-daughter duo in history! I'm totally intimidated!"

"Well, you shouldn't be - you are breathtaking, and your silent friend is too," Milly replied. "Bill says you're both from Minnesota, and you're a teacher. So is Hope, so you have that as well as remarkable beauty in common.

She stepped in front of Annika and addressed her directly, hand extended. "I know your professions, Annika; your name and appearance are known worldwide. Believe it or not, I was once a beauty contest winner and I still do a little modeling on the side."

"Oh, I know who you are, Milly Cannon! You were my hero when I began. I admired you so much when I was fifteen I wanted to dye my hair red!. Luckily, before I did it my manager convinced me that blonde was my trademark, but I did insist on wearing those long, loose curls like you for almost a year."

"I remember, and they made you look older and more sophisticated!" She ran her hands through Annika's hair on the sides, and told her, "You're hair is so full; I'm sure you'd look wonderful with curls like that now! You should let me fix you up sometime, as a surprise for your boyfriend.

"Speaking of, where is that handsome creature hiding?"

Erik left his hiding place and walked quickly to Milly, whom he embraced with gusto before lightly kissing her on the mouth. Hope scurried over to join their embrace, and exchanged pecks with Erik. "Gorgeous one and Gorgeous too - man, is it ever good to see you! It's been way too long!"

Milly saw the question on Annika's face, followed immediately by jealousy. She would deal with that later, when she got Annika alone for counseling, but right now she was holding her second-favorite man on earth, and he felt wonderful - it seemed he got hunkier every year!

She still wanted her daughter to have children with Erik, knowing they would be the most beautiful in the world, but, though they loved each other like brother and sister, there was simply no spark. She and Kathy had tried time and again since they were old enough to date, but nothing! Such a shame!

This stunning blue-eyed Nordic blonde, however, was as beautiful as any creature she'd seen live, even on TV, movie, and photo sets. No wonder she was at the top of the food chain, and Erik was so smitten!

Milly had concerns for her beloved son from another mother, though. When young, Annika had been selfish to the point of narcissistic, and vapid, like many of her peers at the time. Yes, her mother was a horrible human being, but few mothers of childhood, pre-teen, or teen models weren't. She did split from her mother when she reached eighteen, which was a good sign.

Still, there was her media reputation and social media presence... Milly understood how misleading most press releases, photo ops, or set-ups were, and how edited clips were deceptive, but still! If she were going to survive her twenties and maintain her career by moving on to more mature roles, she needed to curtail the ambiguity, assuming the public face was the false face. If not, she needed to wean her precious Godson and redirect him!