The Girl from the Ouachita Ch. 07

He walked back after class; they ate meatloaf with the Clays for lunch, and took a nap. Feeling refreshed, they went to the workout room to stretch and lift some of the soreness from the strenuous hikes away. That night they watched TV while holding each other, and then made sweet love again.

From that point, they settled into a rhythm: breakfast at 7:30, class from 9-11, work from 12 -- 6, supper, do something fun, and then go bed by 10:30. Jo quickly got bored, so she signed up for a self-paced online writing course that TCU would accept for English credit; that took care of her mornings, but not her afternoons.

Chris insisted she also practice her martial arts, so she joined a dojo that taught Krav Maga. There they expanded her knowledge, refined her techniques, and developed her repertoire and skills. He asked her to join him in the workout room each Friday to demonstrate; she countered that he should come join her at the dojo Friday after work and see for himself. He waited two weeks to go, and was highly impressed; she might be small, but her skill and toughness were not.

On weekends they did something from their list, starting with a Colorado Rockies game at Coors Field in Denver. That was the last trip they took with the Clays, who had family visiting for the rest of the summer.

They traveled to Golden the next weekend, visited the Coors Brewery, shopped the historic downtown area, and took in the Railroad Museum. The next day they were wowed at the Buffalo Bill Memorial and Museum, and enlightened at the Golden History Center.

The highlights of the rest of their summer together included a trip to Blackhawk and Central City. Jo wasn't allowed in the casinos, so they focused on the historical sites of the old mining town turned gambling mecca.

Aspen and Vail were nice but expensive, the hot springs outside Steamboat were fun, but they fell in love with historic Leadville - especially the Opera House.

Most of the things they did were touristy and sometimes crowded, but they were together, exploring, seeing, and doing things for the first time, and they enjoyed every moment.

Suddenly it was mid-August, and they learned the meaning of "parting is such sweet sorrow." She left with the American Airlines Credit Card that Chris had secured in her name, a promise that he would fly down for Labor Day in two weeks, and promises they would be together for holidays and at every other opportunity.

****

Jo started back to school just after Chris finished the second summer semester and began the fall semester. She again loved her courses, which were more challenging and though provoking. Although she was entering only her second full semester, she had enough AP credits from high school to be classified as a second semester sophomore, allowing her to move into the more rigorous coursework.

She, Donna, and Kate reviewed, laughed about, and signed the "Agreement" he sent with Jo. It codified what they had promised when they asked him to let them stay in his house. He included a warning that audio and video recordings were occurring on the grounds and in the house, and they had to sign an acknowledgement that they knew and approved.

He arrived at DFW on a 10 pm flight the Friday of Labor Day weekend. All three girls came in the Jeep to pick him up, and Jo had to share him with Donna and Kate much more than she wanted during the three-day weekend. She did, however, have him alone at night and for the afternoon naps she insisted he needed.

They barbequed, went to the Fort Worth Zoo, ran the trails along the West Fork of the Trinity River, and went dancing at Billy's Bobs after eating at Joe T. Garcia's. None of them drank alcohol, but they all had a great time dancing and meeting new people. Feeling responsible for the safety of the three girls, Chris was hyper-alert, but nothing of concern happened.

He flew out Monday night, leaving three crying girls, and with tears in his own eyes. It would be Thanksgiving before he had free time to spend with them again, and being away from Jo that long that was going to be difficult.

At Chris' insistence, Jo found a martial arts academy between school and the house where she could continue her training. Donna and Kate were curious, so they went with her, heard the sales pitch, watched the beginners' class, and decided to join. Jo soon moved from the intermediate group to an advanced group, so Kate and Donna didn't see much of her at the academy. Kate and Donna displayed natural ability in and an affinity for martial arts, and they learned rapidly. They weren't near Jo's level, but they were getting pretty darn good, and felt they could handle most situations if accosted.

Chris went to class, worked, studied, and worked out hard three days a week, but he wanted more. After looking around, he joined the dojo his girlfriend spoke so highly of, and began training in Krav Maga. His previous training in boxing and karate had served him well in self-defense, but he had urged Jo toward Krav Maga because it is one of the deadliest forms of martial arts. In his mind girl of Jo's size, and with her attributes, needed to be able to protect herself against predators of any size, number, or configuration.

While he felt he could already hold his own in a fair, or even unfair fight, he realized after his experiences of the past year that sometimes you are outnumbered and need to immediately reduce the threat. Krav Maga taught how to accomplish that, so martial arts became his evening training outlet on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

The self-imposed daily regimen required self-discipline, a lean and powerful body, and a sharp, focused mind. It was difficult at first, but as the weeks passed it became his new norm. His body and mind responded, and he knew Jo would be shocked when she saw him again at Thanksgiving. He hadn't lost weight, but his waist was a size smaller.

They used both Facetime and the security system to engage in video-sex at least weekly, and to visit and share for an hour or more on Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday. Their classes were challenging, and Chris' work was in high gear. Winter was approaching, meaning work interruptions were getting nearer, and so they were using every available moment of daylight.

The other interns from the school of engineering were getting schooled in the realities of the worksite as compared to the classroom, and they were all in awe of Chris' knowledge, expertise, and the respect he received at the site. Word spread to the professors and then to the dean, who then felt much better about the deals he cut with Beck Construction and Chris Alexander.

They had experienced the first Canadian cold fronts, with howling winds and cold temperatures, beginning in late September, but the first winter storm broke out in the arctic and headed south the last week of October. With dire warnings posted for the next week, the university cancelled classes and the project manager sent his people home on the 31st with orders to not return until the storm was passed, likely in five or six days.

Chris and three others from around Fort Worth got seats on one of the last planes out that night, getting into DFW at eleven CDT. Roberto's wife picked them up in a minivan, dropped Al and Willie off along the route, and deposited Chris at his house before continuing on to their home near Ben Brook.

Chris was surprised that the Jeep was gone and the house was dark and empty, until he remembered that the girls were going to a costumed Halloween party at one of the fraternity houses near campus.

Donna and Kate had been dating quite a bit, but rarely the same guys. Jo was focused on her learning and grades, but, after a few weeks of persuasion, she agreed to go with them the costume party dressed as powerful women: members of the Avengers.

Jo was dressed as Carol Danvers, Kate as Hellcat, and Donna as Storm. They had actually debuted their costumes to Chris over Facetime earlier in the week, so he knew they were form fitting but modest in terms of exposed skin. Still, he worried about them in the testosterone fueled, drunken atmosphere he was sure the frat party would be, so he waited up.

When one o'clock passed, he called Jo; it went to voicemail. He called Donna, and then Kate, with the same outcome. Now he was getting worried enough to call for a rideshare; they were apparently swamped -- the app said it would be thirty minutes.

Twenty minutes later he was walking through the back yard to meet the Uber driver at his gate, when lights appeared on the road. The vehicle paused and the gate swung open, which meant it wasn't the rideshare.

Chris stepped behind a tree and waited as a second vehicle sped up to join his orange Jeep Wrangler Sahara. The vehicles sped down the short road, swerved onto the drive, and skidded to a stop in front of the house. He wasn't sure who was driving, but he was certain it wasn't Jo; she drove more like an old lady than the maniac currently behind the wheel.

He moved forward, staying out of sight in the shadows behind the barn. He had no idea what was happening, but he already knew it was going to be outside the bounds of the agreement.

The doors to the Jeep flew open first, and five boys climbed out. They were laughing loudly, and he saw one stagger over and pee on a plastic pink flamingo they had jokingly placed beside the parking area "to guard the house."

The front passenger reached back into the truck, heaved, and pulled a blonde-haired body out. The body did not move; she lay spread eagle in his arms, legs, arms, and head dangling. Chris moved closer, but kept out of sight.

The doors of the BMW SUV were thrown open, and the interior lights came on. It was closer to him, and he could clearly see two boys up front, two boys and two girls on the second seat. Both girls were slumped on the boys, but he was sure the blonde was Donna and the brunette was Kate. The boys climbed out and pulled the girls out, letting both fall on the ground before telling the other two to come help.

They each took an arm and lifted the girls, then drug them to the house. Kate lost her glittered athletic shoe, but no one stopped to pick it up.

He noticed that the boys who went first did not stop to turn off the security system, so he would be receiving a call any second; he turned off the ringer, and seconds later it buzzed in his hand. He was in the shrubs around the front porch, so he quietly told the caller that there were nine intruders, all males, of unknown ethnicity. They had three female hostages who appeared to be unconscious, and he considered the hostages to be in imminent danger.

He listened as the security service called 911, and was told it would be about ten minutes because the patrol assigned to the area was investigating a shooting outside a nightclub. They were sending cars from further away. Chris told his contact that they needed EMTs also because the girls were unconscious.

He knew if he waited ten minutes bad things would have already happened to the girls, and he was already deeply concerned about their state of unconsciousness -- their state indicated either drug overdose or alcohol poisoning, and he was confident the girls would not knowing get in that state.

Another clue was that the boys appeared predatory rather than concerned, which meant he might have to deal with all nine. He knew they were drunk and he probably could pick them off one by one if they separated, but he was going to have to use whatever force necessary to keep them from warning the others. Even drunk, nine strapping boys was a task, and his failure could be fatal to the girls.

Chris slipped back into the barn, took his Colt.45 1911 pistol out of its hiding place, and then pulled the two 7-shot magazines from theirs. He loaded one magazine, put the other in the front pocket of his jeans, and took his "billy club off the nail above the work table. The billy club was an eighteen inch long section of a sawed off pool que that had been hollowed out so lead could be poured inside. It had a leather strap strung through one end.

He pulled on a tight-fitting pair of leather gloves, looped the strap of the club over his left wrist, took the pistol in his right, and started back to the house. Not knowing where anyone was inside the house, he stopped behind the corner post of the porch and logged into the camera feed.

Only Kate was in the living room; she was lying on the couch and two boys were kneeling beside her trying to peel her skin-tight costume off. He quickly scanned the other downstairs cameras, found no one else, and activated the feed from the second floor bedroom cameras.

Jo was lying on the bed, with three boys working her costume off. They had her breasts exposed, and a boy standing beside the bed was kneading her near breast. There was no sign of fight, of response, or of consciousness.

He moved quietly onto the porch and checked the feed in Donna's room; it was dark. He switched to the camera in Kate's bedroom; his sister was lying on the bed, and her costume had been largely removed by the three boys in that room.

His blood was roaring in his veins, but he forced himself to remain calm. The boys looked young, fit, and muscular, like athletes -- maybe football players. The two downstairs were white; the seven upstairs included four whites and three blacks. He couldn't hear what they were saying without giving away his position, but the security system would have every word and every movement recorded.

He slipped in the kitchen door and moved stealthily through the kitchen and dining room. The drunken boys finally had Kate's costume pulled down to her waist, and were focused on getting it off while describing how they were going to use her body when she was naked.

Chris had little sympathy or concern for their welfare -- they deserved what was coming. Yet, he pulled his punches, so to speak, as he struck one with the club and the other with the pistol butt. He was trying to remove them as threats, not kill them. They crumpled onto the floor; Kate moaned, so he knew she was alive. He stealthily moved to the staircase.

Knowing where the squeaky steps were allowed him to avoid them, and he made it to the top without being detected. Jo lay straight ahead, but her molesters had been struggling with getting her costume off, while Donna was almost naked when he last checked. He turned and crept to Kate's room, where is sister lay.

All three of the men were naked; one was between her legs, pumping; the other two were molesting her breasts with their hands. He surged forward, but the boys didn't notice until it was too late. He punched the one kneeling by the bed on his side in the cheek with the butt of the gun. He reached over the male mounted on his sister to tap the head of the one across the bed, who was looking at him in shock before he went night-night.

He then hammered the billy club into the kidney area of the rapist, who arched his back in reflex. Chris swung backhanded, hitting him in the back of the head with the butt of the pistol and the bottom of his hand; he fell forward on top of his victim. They were all out cold, including his sister. He took off his right glove, shoved her molester off, found her pulse, kissed her on the forehead, pocketed his glove, and moved on to the master bedroom.

He had handled the first five quickly and cleanly, but his bloodlust was unsatisfied, screaming for pain for the other four. He checked the feed so he could burst in cleanly and effectively; whatever his feelings, Jo's safety came first.

They had cut her costume off; it was laying on the floor beyond the foot of the bed, and a man still holding a knife was trying to push his cock into her closed mouth. Two others were holding her legs apart, and the fourth was on his knees between her legs, cock in hand. A phone was propped up on the dresser facing the bed, most likely filming the rape.

The door was wide open; he burst through, struck the closet man on the cheek with his club, and swung the barrel of the pistol in an arc that caught the rapist on his ear. He screamed, grabbed at his ear, and fell off to the side. Chris was now facing the other two men, who were on the opposite side of the bed. They saw the club and the gun: the man with the knife brandished it at Chris; the other man stepped back and reached for something in his pants, which were laying on the floor by the wall.

"The cops are almost here; drop your weapons and live, or prepare to die," he said forcefully but calmly. He pointed the pistol at the one with the knife; he stepped back and dropped it. The other man knelt down and turned, holding a small pistol he pointed toward, Chris, who immediately shot him in the right shoulder. He screamed and dropped the gun.

The rapist who had been knocked to the floor grabbed the gun and raised it; Chris shot him in the left shoulder, and quickly turned his pistol back to the knife wielder, who was holding his hands above his head.

"Turn around, keep your hands above your head, and press yourself against the wall; if you move I'll shoot you in the spine!" The man turned and followed directions.

Chris checked Jo's pulse; it was quick but steady. He opened the app on his phone and spoke to his contact at the security service. "Where are the cops and EMTs? The girls all have a faint, fast pulse; they need immediate attention! The two I shot do too, and some of those I gave love taps to might as well!"

"Two cars are on the way; they should be at your gate soon, so I've opened it. The other men are all still, but the young woman downstairs has begun to stir. I suggest you hold your ground there, where the weapons and the conscious men are.

"I'll warn you if any of the others move, and when the police enter the house. I've notified the dispatcher that you're holding three at gunpoint in the bedroom at the end of the stairs, but I suggest you call out when they come inside. Tell them where you are, that you are holding a pistol on the three rapists, and that you will lay the pistol on the floor when they come into the room."

It was quiet for a couple of minutes that seemed like hours, and then the contact said, "Chris, I'm being told that four ambulances have been dispatched, and they are looking for more that may be available."

"Thanks! What's your name, by the way?"

"I'm Rick. I'll stay with you until the police arrive, but let me say right now that you that you handled that as well as anyone could! I have it all on the hard drive and on the cloud. With your permission I'll provide a disk to the police so they don't have to get a warrant."

"Yeah, do that, and thanks for the support all night. I wasn't sure about all this security jazz, but your boss convinced me; best investment I've ever made!"

"Okay, two cars are through the gate and turning toward your house. Stay safe!"

****

There were two officers in each car; they burst through the door with pistols drawn and quickly spread out. One stood over Kate and her naked assaulters; the others searched and cleared each room on the first floor, and then three started toward the stairs.

"This is the owner, Chris Alexander. I'm holding a pistol on three armed men who were assaulting the woman in the room at the head of the stairway. There are three more men and another woman in the bedroom to the left of the stairs.

"When you are up here and can take over, I'll lay my weapon on the floor."

They proceeded up the stairs with appropriate caution. The first held his weapon on Chris while the second approached and asked him to place his weapon on the floor; he complied, moving slowly to prevent any thought he had other intentions.

They told him to back into the hall, and insisted he hold his hands behind his back and let them handcuff him while they investigated.