Innocence Taken (15 page)

The trunk opened. She raised a hand to block the bright light shining in her eyes. She felt Maria shift. She tried to grab her daughter; a hand slapped her. She whimpered. Her daughter disappeared. The trunk slammed shut again. Darkness consumed her. She hit the trunk. She screamed for Maria. She cried out as the pain of loss wracked through her again..

The man removed the girl from the trunk. He had no need for a dead body. He was going to leave her in the lake. As he picked her up, he caught a flash of her vagina. It, in turn, caused him to bulge. Even in death, he had standards. She was still too young for him.

He placed the girl on the ground, stepped back so he could view the forbidden pleasure better, and unzipped his pants. The penis leaped out. He wrapped his fingers around it and pumped and pumped until the pent up need exploded from the tip.

Many hours later, he was back on the road. The mother remained in the trunk. The daughter was not with her. He had left her floating in the lake, a morsel for the alligators located there. Since he was getting close to his destination, he tied ropes around the woman's extremities and secured them to the frame. He did not want her to banging against the metal, thus alerting others of her presence. A gag covered her mouth. He had future plans for her.

Thinking about the mother passed the time while he drove the rest of the way toward the woman of his dreams. He grew more certain with the passing of time that she was the one to complete him, the one he would spend hours upon hours sharing his many ways of pleasure with.

Nature was bored. They remained in the camper to avoid the obnoxious reporter outside. She had slept for almost twelve hours. It was much needed rest. She felt like a human again. She stood by the little stove. A frying pan with two hamburgers in it sat on top. They sizzled and popped as they cooked. It was early afternoon.

"That smells good."

"It's my own special recipe."

"A special recipe for hamburgers ... what will they think up next?” Web shook his head. He smiled to show he was teasing.

Nature grabbed a hand towel. She spun it tight in her hands and popped it at the man standing near the window. It hit his butt. He yelped with pain. She tossed the towel down and picked up the spatula again. She assumed an innocent look.

"What was that for?"

"Just because."

Web rubbed the spot where the towel hit. He returned his attention to the window. The van remained parked across the way. It had not moved since its arrival. He frowned. “I thought they'd get bored by now and leave. I guess you're big news."

The mention of the reporter caused Nature to sigh. She was frustrated at being cooped up. Any time she tried to go out, a man jumped out of the van and started her way, mike in hand. She ducked back inside to avoid him. That was a day and a half ago. She was sick of it.

"Maybe we should make a dash for it. Get to the cab and head for the interstate. I want to go home.” She flipped one of the burgers. “The police obviously don't need us. They haven't returned."

"Officer Stack asked us to wait."

Nature slammed the spatula onto the counter. She spun around to face Web. “I don't care! I'm tired of this place! I want to go home!"

Before Web could say anything, she was out the door heading toward the van. The reporter got out. He started toward her. He stopped and waited when he saw she was coming his way. He held the mike ready. The camera operator was setting the camera on his shoulder. She reached them as Westerly was getting out of the camper.

"Mrs. Kranderson, what do you know..."

Suddenly, the reporter was spinning toward the ground, his sentence incomplete. The mike flew into the air. It landed with a thud. The camera operator gawked.

Nature stood over the downed man, her fist held ready to deliver another punch. She was furious. “Why can't you just leave me alone? Go make someone else's life a living hell!"

The reporter rubbed his jaw. He made no attempt to get up. He glanced at the camera to see if it was rolling. It was. He looked back at the angry woman. “I only wanted to get your side of the story."

"You don't need it. Get it from the cops if you want it that badly ... or make it up. That's what you're good at."

"But Mrs. Kranderson ... I want to report the facts."

"Facts.... I'll give you facts!"

She lunged toward the cringing man, but arms grabbed her from behind, preventing her from reaching him. Westerly dragged her back to the camper. She fought. She shouted. Once inside the vehicle, she cried in frustration. Westerly remained by the door to keep her from leaving again. He moved the curtain and watched the reporter get to his feet. The man smiled after talking to the camera operator. He picked up the lost mike. Straightening, he started talking into the camera. Web groaned. He knew what he was reporting. He didn't like it.

Something bounced off his back. Westerly turned to see a spatula hit the floor. A very angry woman stood with a pot in her hand. She cocked her arm and launched it at him. He ducked.

"What did you do that for?” he shouted.

"You should ask!"

"I tried to stop you from making a complete ass of yourself but ... too late.” He gestured toward the window. “That reporter is having a field day right now. He has footage that makes you look like a crazed lunatic. If a national network gets hold of that ... there goes your reputation."

"I don't care about my reputation!"

"What about helping those girls? Do you care about that?"

The two stood glaring at each other. Nature broke the staring contest. She flopped onto the bench.

"I do care. I want to find that sicko as badly as you do. It's just that my nerves are raw. I haven't had my usual down time between sessions. I haven't had any time to recover.” She leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, hiding her face with her hands.

"Neither have those girls. They went through hell before they died. Remember that whenever you decide to be an ass again."

He turned away from her and returned his attention to the window. He was tired. Tired of being here, tired of idiot people, tired of death. He had been with law enforcement for more years than he cared to count. In that time, he saw so much death ... including that of his family. A revengeful maniac had followed him home. He came back after Web left for work and killed his daughter. He almost killed his wife. After she got out of the hospital, she filed for a divorce. That was 15 years ago. He still wasn't over it.

Arms wrapped around his waist. He felt Nature hug his back. He reached up and placed his hand over hers. He forgot that her gloves were off.

She felt his pain and loss surge through her. She wanted to pull away.. The fact that he was someone she cared about prevented it. She wanted to help. The vision of Web finding his murdered daughter and his stabbed wife wracked her insides. The vision of him falling to his knees trying to shake Megan awake, the vision of his hands covered with her blood, and the vision of him throwing his head back, screaming long and loud, caused her to shudder. The death of her husband had been hard. This was a sheer nightmare.

The vision changed from the house to one at the hospital. She saw Web sitting at his wife's bedside. She saw the wife wake and him reach for her hand. She pulled it away. She turned her head, refusing to look at him. Web reached for it again. She put her hand under the covers. His face fell. It wasn't enough that he had lost his child, now; his love was lost to him too.. The killer's revenge was complete. He had lost everything, including himself for a while.

Nature felt the tears run down her cheeks. The man in her arms turned to face her. She felt his lips on hers, gentle at first, then with more urgency. He pulled her close.. She felt his hands move over her body. She felt him lift her shirt. She didn't resist. She wanted him as much as he wanted her. She no longer cared that they worked together. They had something in common, something that would reduce any chance of messing up their working relationship. They shared the pain of loss, loss of loved ones.

Web kissed Nature. He reached under her shirt and felt her smooth skin. Her nipples rose to his touch. He pulled her shirt off. He bent over and kissed each breast. She bent back, she didn't stiffen like before.

What he was doing was wrong. He knew it. It could mess up everything they had accomplished, but it had been so long since he had been with anyone.. So long since he allowed himself to feel this way. He was finally able to admit it, admit that he loved Nature. He was finally able to break free of the grief and open the door to his heart..

He picked her up and carried her into the space in front of the table. He laid her on the floor, stretching out beside her. He looked for any sign of rejection in her eyes. He saw none. Smiling, he bent over and kissed her again, soft, and gentle.. She reached her arms around his neck. She curled his hair with its splashes of gray around her fingers. He rubbed her breasts, squeezing them, feeling the erect tips in his palm.

Nature grabbed his hand and guided it lower. He took the hint and unsnapped her pants. The zipper echoed across the camper. They smiled. He stood to pull on a pant leg. She arched her back to make it easier for him to remove the clothing. His disappeared after she was naked. She lay there admiring the firm body standing above her. She knew he was in his fifties; he still looked good.

He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, releasing it slowly. He was afraid she would stop him like the last time. He wasn't sure he could take it if she did. When he felt her hands brush against his erect penis, his heart raced. He leaned his head back as he felt her soft lips surround the swollen skin. He experienced untold joy when the lips sucked him deep then withdrew, repeating the process again and again. He grabbed the cabinets on either side to prevent his knees from buckling. He moaned when he felt her fingers teasing his balls.

Web could not believe his luck. A short two days ago, he was smashed from drinking away her rejection, her sudden panic at their making love. Now, she filled him with a love he had only felt once before in his life.

Nature saw his head lean back. She saw his legs quiver with excitement. She wanted him now. Releasing his penis, she worked her mouth up his body. When she reached his nipples, she circled each one with the tip of her tongue. She loved the sensation of his body against her tongue. It was something she had not done for 11 years, not since the death of her husband. It felt almost weird, but, at the same time, it felt right.

She placed her hands on Web's head and pulled his lips toward hers. They touched. Their tongues snaked around each other. They both were hungry, hungry for something neither had had for some time. Web broke the kiss and buried his face into her neck, wrapped his arms around her, and guided her to the floor. He lay on her, kissing her again, like a man who had found water after crossing the desert without any.

Nature opened her legs, wrapping them around his. She brushed against his hard penis. She wiggled her hips, helping it find its mark. When she felt the tip against her opening, she grabbed his ass and pulled. Web followed her lead. He pushed gently. When the tingling of ecstasy filled his every fiber, the gentle rocking of his hips took on a new motion. He started pumping harder and faster. The woman beneath him stiffened.

A new aura flowed through Nature when Web entered her. She felt the blend of several men. She felt her husband with his love for her, she felt Web with his love and pain, and she felt the man. The memory of what the man had put those girls through, the suffering and torture, filled her. In her heart, she knew the man was not here ... that Web would not cause her to endure the same pain. That thought, and the feelings emanating from the one in her arms, allowed her to block out the bad and accept the good.

Web knew she was going to reject him again. He could feel it in the stiffness of her body.. If she did, he would leave. He was not able to handle the emotional roller coaster ride any longer. He cared about Nature too much. He would not be able to stay around her if he could not have her. He closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable struggle to begin. When it didn't, he opened them. She was looking into his with those beautiful brown eyes of hers. Love and acceptance filled them. He was overjoyed. It showed in his passionate lovemaking.

Their lovemaking continued long into the night. On the stove, a pan with cold hamburgers, sitting in a pool of white grease, was on a back burner, forgotten. Outside, two men sat in a van. Wrappers of takeout food covered the dash. They were cold and they missed their families.

"How much longer do we have to do this?” The man who operated the camera asked.

"As long as it takes,” the reporter said. “The upper echelons think this one will be a huge story."

"At the moment, all I think it is, is a huge pain in my ass. I need a shower and my wife."

"All you think about is sex."

"You're one to talk. I heard you moaning out last night.” He assumed a dramatic pose, “Oh ... oh ... Monica ... Monica ... oh baby ... take it baby ... take it."

The reporter smiled. “Jealous."

"You know it."

Both men settled into their seats. They spoke of their families, the couple in the camper, and about the missing girls. After a while, the only noise inside the van was the sound of snoring.

Nature caressed her fingers across Web's shoulder. A sense of completeness ebbed through her. She didn't realize how much she had missed it. It was nice. Her light caress woke the sleeping man. He glanced at her, his eyes thick with sleep. He smiled.

"Morning sunshine,” he muttered.

"Morning to you bright eyes."

"Did you sleep well?"

"Not an ounce.” She lied.

She kissed him. He responded with renewed passion. They made love again. The rising sun heralded their release with its rays of pink and yellow. Afterwards, they showered in the small stall, laughing and giggling like kids.

Nature glanced out the window when she finished dressing. There was no movement in the van. “Web ... do you see anything going on over there?"