The Last 24 Hours Ch. 14

I attempted to doze off with my lovely Beth in my arms but found that I simply could not. Beth had gone to sleep and as her breathing deepened, my disquiet increased. After thinking about it for a few moments, I had an idea that seemed to fit the facts. I concluded that the decision to 'be dangerous' had an unexpected side effect. Much as I wanted to just lie there and doze, I could not sleep until I was certain that we were safe. I waited until Beth had drifted off into what I had thought was a deeper slumber and then slid out of the bed. I retrieved both of our pistols from where we had left them in the bathroom, checked the magazines and assured myself that we were alone in the RV. I then checked the rest of the RV. Its doors were secured. I looked out and saw Asa kneeling in front of the garage doors on a mat she had placed there for that purpose. Her back was erect and her eyes scanned the area every few minutes. I went back to the bedroom and put Beth's Walther on her nightstand and my Browning on mine. I slid back into the bed and discovered that my sweet Beth had been playing possum.

"Will you stay with me so I can sleep now?" Her voice held no reproach, no recriminations, only a sexy tiredness.

I brushed a stray wisp of hair back over her ear and whispered, "Yes, my love." I let her drape herself across my body as was her habit, her head resting on my left shoulder with her left arm across my chest stroking me, and her left leg thrown across mine resting comfortably.

"Did you mean it when you told them you would burn the world to ash for me?" Her voice was quiet but held notes of both fear and awe as well.

I sighed and a tear ran down my cheek as I knew I would lose her because I could not lie to her. "Beth, you are the only thing in the world I care about right now. They tried to kill you when they firebombed my apartment. I couldn't take losing you. I just couldn't. I've lost nearly everything that mattered to me in the last few months; Lisa, the twins and now my home. I've only just found you and I can't lose you too." The thought brought more tears to my eyes. "I just could not take it. It would destroy me. The person I am, when I think of you hurt or dead, frightens me. I know there is literally only one way they could stop what I would do. I had to make them understand that so you would be safe. I had to." I whispered this last statement and ran my hand up and down her back. "Life without you isn't worth contemplating. It would be an unbearable existence, not life. I will do all that I can to protect you. I love you."

As I spoke this last, my tears made their way down my cheek. I was certain that she would not want to be near someone capable of such terrible things, someone like me. Beth stroked my chest and said, "Oh my dear sweet, sweet love. To know that you love me so much makes me feel warm and safe." She kissed my breast and I held her as we both drifted off to sleep.

~~~~~~

The sounds of the automatic weapons firing rang throughout the warehouse. I stumbled down the steps of the RV as I saw the twins' bodies falling riddled with bullets. Blood splattered the area around them. I turned and saw Jacquie holding the Ingram MAC 10 sub-machine gun. She sprayed it around the area catching first Josh, then Asa and Yuki, in a hail of forty-five caliber bullets. I turned to shout to Beth not to come out of the RV.

As I turned I watched in horror as the rosettes of torn flesh bloomed as they stitched themselves across her body. A look of surprise etched her features as she fell into my arms and I lowered her gently to the ground. I watched as the spark of her life faded slowly from her eyes. I looked into Jacquie's face as she continued to laugh. I watched the light of the world fade around me, colors fading to grey. I raised my head and howled my anguish to the lightless, soulless world. As I screamed, my rage built and my body changed until it resembled something from the pit of hell itself, swelling to consume the available space in the warehouse. As the demon roared, the world burst into flame and everything turned to ash...

~~~~~~

I jerked into consciousness and was instantly wide awake sweating and shaking with the memory of the fear, rage and despair the nightmare had left within me, the demon's roar still echoing in my mind. I was distracted from the nightmare's memory by a loud chattering, clattering sound. Beth awoke to the sound of the smaller of the two overhead doors rising to let the Commander exit. The Jeep pulled out and the door began to close. At the first sound, I had snatched up the Browning and peeked cautiously out of the window. Rudy was in view and saw the curtain move. He waved and pointed towards the dinning area. I looked at Beth and found her crouched and looking out of the other window, the Walther in her hand.

"Rudy would like us to join him for breakfast it seems. It also seems he wasn't paying attention when I said no one was leaving. The Commander just pulled out. We need to be ready to roll in about ten minutes." Beth frowned and nodded.

"Do you really think that he would sell you out? I think that it was just a bad mistake as Bill said. Only that." She looked unhappy.

I sighed, "Ithink so too, Sweets. But what if I'm wrong? What if he is a part of all of this? What if they counted on me going to him? I won't take that risk with your life. I can't have you hurt or killed because I was too stupid or trusting. If it's just a mistake, fine; I'll try to make it right with him later, but I made it clear that we were all staying here and they waited until we were asleep and someone left. I just won't take that risk with you. I can't." I had been dressing as I spoke. So too had Beth; the Walther now rode in the holster in the small of her back as did my Browning.

With our meager supply of clothing running out, we were quickly going to need to do laundry. I was down to my last change of clothing and I assumed Beth was in similar straits. She was still beautiful, though. She was wearing the same jeans from yesterday and a purple pullover with three buttons at the neck. She had only fastened the bottom button and the tight fit let me know that she wasn't wearing a brassier. Her nipples were prominent and as I watched, they tented the fabric even more.

Beth sauntered over to me, wrapped me in her arms, and said, "Like what you see, Big Man?"

I smiled down at her and said, "Always and forever, love. It seems you're happy to see me too. Or did it suddenly get cold in here?" I ran a thumb over her nipple which garnered me a sigh of pleasure. I smiled at her some more as she laid her head on my shoulder.

"I need to brush my teeth so I can say good morning properly." She pulled back as she spoke and picked up her toiletry bag and went to the bathroom. I took mine to the kitchen and did a quick brush of my teeth as well. I had just repacked my kit when Beth came out of the bathroom.

Beth gave me one of her patented toe-curling kisses. I ran my hands down and cupped the cheeks of her glorious ass in my palms. "If we had more time I'd show you just how much I love waking up next to you in the morning."

I hugged her tightly and said, "I feel the same way but we need to be ready to move out. Lets retract the slide-outs and then we'll go talk to Rudy."

As we moved forward, I checked to make sure there were no obstructions and set the computer to begin retracting the slide-outs so we could leave. Beth went to the cockpit and started the RV as I went to speak with Rudy.

At the sound of the RV starting, Rudy looked up and saw Beth in the driver's seat. He looked confused and alarmed. [WAL1] Beth passed me heading for the door. I hit the switches that started the slide-outs moving and then headed towards Beth and the exit, my nightmare still fresh in my mind. As I opened the RV door, my hand drifted to the Browning.

We exited the RV and I scanned the area. Bill, Asa, and Yuki came from the bedrooms in various states of undress. We walked to the dining area where Rudy was sitting, a large carafe of coffee stood as centerpiece on the table. Rudy was drinking from a large mug that depicted a frail looking Chihuahua saying "Beware of my owner he has rabies". Beth and I both chuckled at the mug.

"Are you going somewhere?" Rudy asked blandly. His look made more of the question than the words implied.

I ignored it for the time being and asked "I could have sworn..." I paused for dramatic affect, "that I made myself quite clear when I said no one was to leave here. Yet Beth and I were awakened by the sound of the Jeep leaving. She and I will be leaving here in a very few moments. I'd just like to know why you thought I was bluffing." The ire in my voice let him know just how pissed I was about this.

"Josh and Paulee went to get you and Beth some new clothes at Wally World as you have important guests coming very shortly. It seems the Feds are going to be making another appearance in about..." he checked the time on his Rolex, "three-quarters of an hour. Granger and someone from the Department of Justice will be here to discuss your situation. In addition, a little birdie called me about an hour ago with some information. She told me that a certain lawyer was caught attempting to board a chartered flight to Mexico City where it was to refuel and then proceed to Havana. However, the Feds had the info and armed with the warrants your judge issued yesterday, they were able to intercept him. As it is, Mr. Dunne spent the night in the Federal Holding Facility at Lebanon, Missouri. Granger should have an update on him when she gets here."

The first thought that crossed my mind was, It's over? It just got started and it's over! The next thought got interrupted by the sudden appearance of a Beth-shaped growth that launched itself into my arms and attached itself to my lips while wrapping its legs around my waist. I cupped Beth's lovely bottom to help support her.

After a time --I really have no idea how long-- Beth pulled back and looked into my eyes and said "We are free my sweet lovely man!"

She was shaken from her gazing at me by the sound of applause and wolf-whistles. We turned to look at the others as they poked fun at Beth's exuberance. My lovely, sassy lady blushed from the top of her head all the way down until the skin disappeared inside the shirt she was wearing. She turned her head and buried her face in my neck.

I stroked her back and said to Rudy, "I suppose we could stay a few more hours." Bill went into the RV and shut the engine off after my statement.

Rudy asked, "Would either of you care for some breakfast? How about some coffee?" He moved back over to the kitchen dining area to refill his mug from the carafe on the table.

I took a seat and Beth sat on my lap cuddled as closely to me as she could get. I put my left arm around her waist and held her tightly to me, my nightmare still very much in my mind. Asa brought over a tray of mugs and set two of them in front of us. She filled two other mugs with green tea she took from a box she had retrieved when she got the mugs and prepared one for her sister and herself.

The coffee was excellent. Beth took turns drinking from my cup, as she would not let me hold it myself. Yukio wore a bemused expression watching Beth serve me while Asa rolled her eyes. I was feeling content and happy in the main but I still felt things had happened too quickly.

"Rudy? How did Dunne know to run? The warrants were being served by U.S. Marshals. How did he find out that we were on to him?" I had to end these doubts.

"The story my birdie gave me was that some idiot at the Torrington lock-up gave Mr. Johnson his phone call before they were supposed to. They were going to hold him for seventy-one hours and then give him his phone call. Granger figured that by then they would have picked up Dunne and the others and it would be a Dunne deal!" he grinned as we all groaned at the bad pun.

"As it turned out Johnsondidn't tell Dunne he had been locked up for more than two days. Dunne hung up on him mid-rant and immediately chartered a jet for Mexico. The wiretaps had been in place since yesterday afternoon so the whole thing was recorded and is admissible. Johnson is now screaming to make a deal to testify since they told him that they had arrested Dunne and he now knows his ship is sinking." Rudy's smirk left no question he was enjoying this.

Yuki asked, "If they have all of the players, what do they need Alex for?"

Rudy lay his index finger alongside his nose and said in a more-than-passable Irish brogue, "Now that, me darlin' lass, is precisely what oy wuz wonderin'."

Beth looked at him, then at me and deadpanned, "Just what we need: another crazy Mick to confuse things!" The table erupted in laughter.

We sat for a few more moments and suddenly Asa and Yuki both were racing for the armory. The sound of a helicopter was getting louder and louder as one came in low nearer the building. Beth and I both drew our weapons and Yuki and Asa returned and threw Kevlar vests into the chair we had vacated. "Put those on and be ready to move. If we say 'RUN' you go to the third door on the right down the hall and lock the door behind you. Tilt the bed on end away from the wall. There will be steps leading down. Follow the tunnel to the end and take the vehicle you find there; the keys are in the ignition. Pull the chain to lower the bed back down behind you, the door will unlock automatically when the bed is down and will lock the passage so you can't be followed."

Saying that she and her sister took up defensive positions facing the garage doors. Suddenly we could hear the turbine on the helicopter winding down and then go quiet. We waited and then there was a sedate knock on the door.

"Open the damned door, Dantzinger! I don't have all day." Granger's muffled voice was clearly agitated. Asa and Yuki flanked the door as Bill opened it.

To her great surprise Granger was met with a host of weapons and promptly froze, "Oh! Uh... um... hey guys? I'm on your side, remember?"

Yuki quickly slipped out past her and checked the area for more surprises. Granger looked at Rudy and said, "Can I have a seat while you guys decide whether or not I'm dog food? I've been up all night and I'm tired." So saying, she moved past them into the living quarters and dropped into one of the easy chairs in the living room.

Yuki came back in followed by the pilot, a marshal, and an as-yet-unidentified man in a suit that screamed 'government agent' right down to his dark glasses. Yuki said to Rudy, "That's all of them, boss."

Asa went over to the table and retrieved the carafe of coffee and a tray with enough mugs for everyone. Bill filled the electric teakettle with water and switched it on for Asa and Yuki to make tea with and then started another pot of coffee. As we got settled in, Beth took up residence on my lap again. She put her arms around my neck and I held her tightly in response.

"Okay Ms. Granger... Wait, what exactlyis your name anyway?" The exasperation in my voice was plain.

She grinned at me and said, "My given name is Melisande. Most of my friends call me Mel though. You can call me that if you would like."

"Okay Mel, why don't you explain exactly why you're here with the bad excerpt from government agent cliché school?" The agent flinched. "I just talked to you yesterday. As far as I know nothing has really changed. Dunne, Johnson, Jacquie, and Heather are all in custody. Lisa has her deal. Everybody involved is where they're supposed to be. So why am I having a conversation with you again so soon and why is he here?" I nodded at the man.

Mel took a deep breath and started, "We picked up Dunne and the others last night. By the way, Dunne was refused bail as a flight risk since he was attempting to leave the country. The others are all in custody and screaming for deals. What you may not know is that you are not their only victim. You also don't know how far Lisa's deception goes."

I looked at her and Beth asked, "Just what the Hell does that mean?" She was not happy by any stretch.

"Our psychiatrist says she has been under some very intense and severe mental and physical domination for a long time." Granger said andI didn't like what I was hearing.

I was livid. "Inever laid a hand on her! I wouldnever..."

She cut me off. "Whoa, hold on there cowboy! I never said or thought you did. Let me finish, okay? Did you know that Lisa was raped her senior year in high schoolbefore you had ever met her?" My astonishment was plain. "Hergood friend Jacquie gave her to her father as a play toy. He spent several months 'training' her, breaking her to his will. He has raped her several times a year ever since in order to maintain his hold on her. She has been under his thumb ever since. Her only escape was her girls and she never let him near them. It was her only rebellion to his power over her. She is very near to fragmenting her personality. There is a good chance she can be helped, given sufficient time and care, but she is very fragile right now."

Yuki and Asa both bore looks of outrage that did not speak well for Dunne's survival if they ever got hold of him. Bill was as angry as I had ever seen him literally vibrating in his rage and Rudy's face was a tightly controlled, inscrutable mask. I looked up into Beth's face and saw utter loss and sorrow there. For only an instant I was confused at this. But then I was utterly certain in that instant what was going through her mind. As I started to speak, she tried to stand.

I wrapped my arms tightly around her and stood up carrying her in my arms. Beth flailed about squawking a loud protest, "Alex, put me down, damn it!"

I looked at Granger and said, "We'll be back in a bit. Have some breakfast, Mel. I'm not sure how long this will take as she tends to be stubborn at times." With that I turned away from Granger's stunned expression and looks of confusion from the rest. I took Beth into one of the unused bedrooms, Beth kicking and screaming at me all the way. I kicked the door closed behind me.

The room was small holding only a double bed, a chair in one corner near the door, and a small nightstand. The walls were a soft yellow trimmed in pale green. I tossed Beth onto the bed and pulled the chair over and sat down on it in front of the door. Beth was now trapped until I chose to let her leave. I looked at her for a moment but she would not meet my eyes.

"You were going somewhere?" I asked in a soft sad voice. Beth turned her head and stared at the wall. "I thought you heard me when I said I wasn't giving you up. Not now, not ever!"

She turned to me, tears flowing and falling from her face, and said softly, "They made her do what she did. You'll go back to your wife and I'll be back on the outside watching again. I can't do that anymore, Alex, I can't! Iwon't go back to beingjust your friend. I'm going to go away. I can't watch you rebuild a life withher and know what I've lost.

"LOOK AT ME!" My voice boomed in the confines of the small room. Her head snapped up and her eyes met mine. "I have only onewife, only onefuture, and only onelove. All three are in this room with me right now. I said it before and meant it: If you go away I'll follow. If you move I'll buy the house next door. If I have to buy the fucking building you move into to do it, I'll be across the thrice damned hall!We will be together! Do you hear me?" I leaned in and took her face in my hands. "Nothing they said changesanything between Lisa and me.Nothing they can say will make me any less in love with you.Nothing they do will keep me from you until the dayyou tell me you don't love me and want me to leave! Don't you get it?"