This is a work of fiction based on the characters established and defined in the movie Proof of Life. It is strictly for entertainment purposes. Please do not copy, publish or alter this work in any way without the written permission of the author. As it takes place in a fictional Latin country, all dialogue will be in English with references to when they are actually speaking Spanish. All computer expertise is TOTALLY the imagination of the author.

Jungle Dance - Part One

By: Songbyrd

Prologue – Jungle Villages, Tecala, Mid August

“Are you sure you’re ready to leave? Classes don’t start for another six weeks. You could stay a little longer.” Emily pleaded with her baby sister.

“I know, but I need some down time to get things in order at home and I really need to be there two weeks prior to the start-up of classes. Otherwise, it’s total chaos in the department, and you know how I am about chaos in my department.” Victoria said with a smile, she knew how much her sister missed her right after she left from one of her visits, it was the same every time.

“But I miss you already.” Emily’s eyes pooled with tears as she stood grasping her sister’s hands, not willing to let her go.

“Oh, me too; I wish I could stay with you. But Em, this is your calling, not mine.” Victoria longed for her sister to come home and stay close and safe. “I worry about you among all of these drug dealers and illiterate cutthroats.”

“There are a lot of good people here too and they wouldn’t be illiterate for long with the world’s best English Teacher in their midst,” Emily coaxed. Victoria laughed. Then she hugged her sister tight.

“Sorry Em, this isn’t my area of expertise, nor do I want it to be. I told you when you decided to move down here that I’ll visit, but that’s all.” She looked over her shoulder to see the small plane boarding. “I need to go; I don’t think they’ll wait for me.” She pulled reluctantly from her sister’s warm embrace, wanting to go, but not wanting to leave her behind.

She walked away with a sinking feeling. She had a funny feeling she’d never felt before. She turned and looked back before she boarded the small plane to see her sister standing there, her pale skin looking so out of place among the dark faced natives. She waved good-bye.

“Senorita, please, we need to leave.” The young man spoke softly from inside the plane reminding her that they would not wait. Victoria nodded, and moved to the back of the plane. It was a small plane with no such thing as seat assignments; besides it was a short hop. She stored her backpack under the seat and fastened her seatbelt. She preferred the back; the plane only seated a dozen or so- a few behind her and an older couple in the very front. She was by the window with no one next to her; she looked out to see her sister still standing there, looking to catch a final glimpse. They made eye contact and waved. A sense of dark foreboding she couldn’t shake overtook her. Her heart started to race. SHIT! What was going on? She had always been a good flier! It was one of the reasons she liked to travel. She took a deep breath to try to calm herself. She saw the plane lift off the ground and her sister fade from view. A tear snuck out and trickled down her cheek, all alone. She brushed it away.

The tiny plane moved with grace down the small airstrip. No bumps or grinding. Victoria leaned her head back and felt her heart start to relax. Where had that feeling come from? She slipped into a light doze. They were soaring above the beautiful lush jungles when out of nowhere there was a loud pop. Victoria snapped awake and glanced at her watch; they’d been in the air about 45 minutes when she felt the plane dip. She quickly looked around; the others were doing the same. Then she saw the flames. The engine was on fire! The plane started to lose altitude; she could hear the whine of the engine losing its power. Victoria felt the lump in her throat tighten and her heart begin to pump wildly. The young man managing the passengers was frantically trying to render assistance as he informed them that they were preparing to land.

Victoria looked out the window. LAND? WHERE? All she saw was jungle. Trees and more trees. (Now she knew why she’d felt strange. Her body knew she was going to die, her heart had tried to warn her.) Fear the likes of which she had never known gripped her entire body. She buried her face into her lap and grabbed her knees. OMIGOD!!! She thought of her family; Emily, Jessica, Steven, and Kevin. Her mom and dad. HOLY FUCK! She didn’t want to die in God forsaken Tecala of all places. Then she heard the rendering of the plane as it broke through the trees and there was screaming. So much screaming; was it her, or someone else? She didn’t know. She saw her house with its lovely white fence and daffodils in the spring. She forgot to make her bed before she left. The sheets were still in the dryer. They were her favorites; white with eyelet lace trim. Who would take care of her cat? Regret filled her as she had never fallen in love nor had a child! Then Victoria’s world went black.

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Chapter 1 – Same Jungle, A small distance away

Terry felt the leaves brush against his face, the moisture from the humidity leaving a damp trail on his cheek and neck. His footsteps crushed twigs and such on the jungle floor. His M-16 was starting to get slippery from the wet leaves as well. He could hear Dino about ten meters behind him. It was routine, they were always cautious in Tecala. They could never let anyone know they were here given what happened with the Bowman case.

So the path back to their small headquarters was always one of stealth and caution. Dino stayed at the hangar and kept track of things there while Terry stayed at the small stilted hacienda placed on the side of a hill, hidden in the trees. They used it for all of their computer transmissions to the main office in New York. They kept track of e-mail etc from the house, all with hijacked phone lines and bootlegged electricity, and a multitude of batteries and generators. Unless you were really looking for it, you wouldn’t see it. That’s the way they wanted it. Dino had managed to set things up so they could readily tap into the military command center or any of the other government agencies in Tecala. They were all relatively crooked anyway.

Terry remembered the fuss when Peter Bowman had been held and OCTONAL took over the construction of the pipeline. The ELT had managed to get a shit load of money from somewhere and laid a major offensive against the construction of the pipeline, and OCTONAL had pulled out after less than a year because it was too fucking dangerous. A day didn’t go by that someone wasn’t killed or kidnapped. So the United States’ attempt to bring oil as a major economic development to Tecala was at a standstill for the moment. The drug trade was thriving. The K&R business was booming down here as well. Just about all the agencies were busy here. Luthan Risk had at least two negotiations; Inherent Risk had at least two or three as well. Those were the ones they knew of. Dino and Terry had one each. ELT’s negotiators were working overtime. But it was soon going to backfire on them because all of the people worth kidnapping would soon be gone and Tecala was going to fall, and fall big. Dino and Terry were going to see to it.

Terry and Dino’s company, Intervention Consultants, Inc was doing well, but their desire for ‘no more fucking front lines’ had not quite materialized as yet. So here they were, back in the black jungles of Tecala.

“So mate, did you manage to pack anything to eat that doesn’t mold in this humidity?” Terry asked as they stopped, leaning against a large tree and lighting a cigarette. He kept them in a plastic bag to keep them dry. He inhaled, feeling the comfort of the smoke fill his lungs. For some odd reason, he smoked more when he came to Tecala. Didn’t really know why. Maybe because he hated this fucking country, always had. He’d been here two months and it didn’t look like he would be leaving any time soon. Damn it, he missed Henry. They e-mailed regularly, but it wasn’t the same.

Dino handed Terry the standard Peanut Butter and Crackers, they ate and then lifted their M-16’s to continue their trip when they heard a horrendous explosion behind them, the splintering of wood and metal tearing. They scanned around in full combat stance. About a kilometer away they saw the tail of a small twin engine plane make a flaming dive into the brush and trees. They could see the black smoke billow into the sky.

FUCK! Terry glanced over at Dino, and they exchanged a glance. “What do you think mate? Drug or passenger?”

“I didn’t see an insignia of any kind. But that doesn’t mean anything, it was just the tail. We better check it out.” They knew they had to be careful because they didn’t want to be seen by anyone who might be connected to the ELT. It was so risky. They didn’t want to be seen by anyone. But the humanity in them wouldn’t let them stay away if people were hurt. It was too ingrained, to help the helpless.

They moved quickly towards the source of the smoke. Guns at the ready, they approached and saw the smoldering plane. No flames. The wetness of the foliage seemed to extinguish the fire. All that was left was acrid smoke ascending over the trees. The pilots had managed to bring the plane all the way down into a small section of low- lying brush, avoiding the large mahogany trees. Dino looked at Terry; the pilot was good. Probably ex- military of some kind. When they got closer to the wreckage, they heard moaning. There were definitely people aboard and the windows told them this was a passenger plane, not cargo.

They flung the M-16’s over their shoulders and drew their handguns. As they were able to survey the damage, the plane had ripped apart. The cockpit was nose deep in the brush with the wings in a jumble of torn metal broken away from the main fuselage. Upon inspection, both pilots were dead, as was the one attendant. They recognized him from the burgundy jacket still on his lifeless body. The inside of the plane was intact; it was very close quarters. An older couple in the front was dead. Terry grimaced as he took their identification from them to notify the authorities when he was able to do so. Then on second thought, decided to leave it. They could send an anonymous message with the location of the plane and keep their names out of it.

Dino found a man alive in the very back, but as he looked at Terry he just shook his head that he had died right then, Shit! Terry was just about to reach Dino when he felt something grab his leg. He looked down to see, holding tight on his boot, long manicured white fingers splattered in blood.

**************************

Victoria couldn’t move, she had something on her back; she was sprawled on the floor, her head pounding, her cheek flat on the cold vinyl of the floor. She could see the small strip of emergency lighting right by her fingers. She couldn’t hear anything but the crackling embers of the plane. She had no idea where it was in relation to her, but she was alive. Her midsection hurt and she could feel something sticky dribbling down her leg; blood probably. Then she heard voices, American voices, Thank God! Were they friendly? If not, then she was as good as dead. But then she’d die anyway, she had nothing to lose. She could barely move, her arm was still on the black vinyl floor. All she could see was a foot, a black booted foot. She reached with every piece of energy she could muster and grabbed with all her might.

She heard speaking, couldn’t identify the words but knew they’d noticed her. She felt warm fingers pressing against her neck, checking for her pulse. Then she heard close to her, “Dino, she’s alive. But I think she’s pinned under the seat. Help me here, mate.” She heard them moving and pulling on things, then the weight that was keeping her down was lifted. She groaned. She heard the voice again, not American, not English but something else. Irish maybe.

“Can you hear me luv?” He was running his hands down her body, they were warm and gentle. He squeezed her arm and she winced, she nodded, but didn’t say anything. “I’m sorry if I hurt you, but I’ll have to pull you to get you out.” He explained. Victoria could only groan. She hurt all over. “Dino, help me lift her out. Christ, it’s a miracle she’s alive at all.”

Then she felt her body move, sliding across the damp floor onto something softer and full of warmth. She opened her eyes, all she could see was dark green; she was in warm arms, holding her close. She raised her head and gazed in dark green orbs, her eyes barely open. But she managed to croak, “Thank you, oh God, thank you.” Then she relaxed her head onto the muscled chest and her world was again dark.

“Fuck, Terry, what in the fucking hell are we going to do with her? We can’t take her all the way back to the city. How would we explain her? No one is supposed to know we’re here!” Terry stood, lifted her and noticed the leather bag that had been under her. It had to be hers. He nodded towards it with his head, and Dino grabbed it.

“Well we sure as fuck can’t leave her here. She’ll die and you fuck well know it. So we take her back to the house and see if we can help her. Then we’ll figure something out. To be honest, I hope she lives, because I wouldn’t know what the fuck to do with her if she dies.” Terry’s words made sense; they really didn’t have a choice. Neither of them would leave her there to die at the hands of the scavengers and elements. He positioned her in his arms; she just surrendered more into the hardened warm shelter his arms provided.

Terry carried her easily the two miles or so back to the house, her golden hair dangled over his arm from beneath the baseball cap she wore. She didn’t stir but cuddled in closer to Terry’s chest for the duration. Dino was on point, fully armed with gun at the ready. When they neared the house, Terry held back while Dino conducted full reconnaissance on the perimeter of the home. They did the same upon entrance; taking nothing for granted. Especially in the jungles of Tecala. When Dino was convinced everything was secure they moved with precision. Terry moved quickly to the back of the house where the two bedrooms were. He placed her in his bed because it was bigger and closer to the toilet.

She rebelled against losing the warmth and Terry knew he was going to need to remove her clothing to assess her injuries. It was going to be tricky, because she didn’t have a change unless there was something in the carry on. He doubted it, because women rarely packed things they needed.

“Dino? Check her bag and see if she has a change of clothes in there,” he said. Dino immediately opened the large leather back pack and was amazed at the volume of supplies inside, all in waterproof containers and clearly labeled. Passport and pocketbook in one with currency for local and American; tickets and various government paperwork in another. She had anything and everything neatly compartmentalized should she find herself in an emergency. He whistled, “Holy Shit!" This is one fucking organized woman.” His voice filled with admiration.

In a side pocket they found a plastic bag with four pairs of underwear, if you could call them that. Dino pulled a pair out and held them up, nothing more than two little lacey triangles with elastic on the sides. Both of them raised their eyebrows. Upon further inspection they found a spare bra, a light cotton shirt and drawstring pants along with various items she might need; small containers of shampoo, soap, lotion and of course sunscreen, toothbrush, toothpaste and even a small container of cosmetics. It was clear this woman knew how to travel. Terry then went over to her and started to unlace her shoes.

Her socks were practical, heavy cotton. Her boots were low rise breathable canvas. Her clothes were practical as well. Light cotton cargo pants, with white shirt and another shirt as a light jacket. As Terry slowly removed her socks he looked at her for the first time, she was very lovely. Her face was relaxed and he could see the beginnings of a bruise above her left eye, but it just made her more appealing, vulnerable and feminine. He removed the hat and pulled the band from her hair. It was longer than he had earlier thought. A beautiful golden brown, streaked from hours in the sun; kind of a mix of honey and ripened wheat. When he started to move her arms to remove the jacket she groaned. He leaned over into her ear.

“This is going to hurt luv, but there’s no other way. I need to see you to assess your injuries.” He spoke softly.

Victoria heard his gentle explanation, but she shook her head. She pulled on his sleeve to bring his ear close to her mouth, “Cut it off, I don’t give a fuck.” Then she closed her eyes.

Terry had to smile. “Okay luv, I’ll cut it off.” With that, he took out his knife and cut the garment from her crash ravaged body. Upon inspection after removal, he found she just wore a heavy white tank shirt, it was spotted with blood. He could easily see her arms, which were bruised, scraped and spattered in semi-dried blood. He could also see different stages of tan lines all across the top of her chest. Again he smiled, no vanity here. He moved his hands, gently squeezing her arms looking for breaks. She winced some but not enough to indicate a break. She seemed just badly battered. He raised the lower half of her shirt to look at her abdomen. It was tanned brown and he could see a large red welt across her lower abdomen. The seat belt. SHIT! She could be bleeding internally. There was nothing he could do but wait and see if her condition worsened or improved. He didn’t have anything to give her for the pain other than ibuprofen and booze.

He took the knife to her pants, cut them up the sides and pulled them off. Terry couldn’t believe his eyes, God -what beautiful legs. Perfectly shaped calves over two gorgeous knees with a light brown tan. He saw a bruise on the right knee with a small gash, there was blood down the side of the leg. Thighs that were made to surround a man’s waist with; well, he wouldn’t think about what she looked like with just that pale pink scrap of lace she called panties.

Dino came into the room as he finished removing the trousers. He whistled, “Holy Fuck Terry, when was the last time you got a gander at a pair of legs like that?”

“Shut the fuck up, she’s awake. She can hear you. What did you find in her bag?” Terry tried to divert his attention somewhere else, even though he agreed with Dino. This was going to be difficult, an incredibly beautiful woman, injured with no way to get her out, yet. Terry felt the perspiration start to bead up on his forehead and upper lip.

“Only everything, according to her passport, she’s Victoria Elizabeth Montgomery. Born October 24, 1969 in Stanfield, Washington where she currently resides. Currently employed by Stanfield University. She entered Tecala this trip on June 14 of this year. Her airline ticket has her on a flight back to the states the day after tomorrow. Which it’s obvious she isn’t going to make.” Dino explained.

“What do you mean? This trip?” Terry asked. Dino followed him into the toilet as he retrieved a wet wash cloth and bowl to clean away the blood.

Dino leaned against the door and explained, “Christ Terry, her passport reads like a K&R travel guide. She has been in Tecala every summer for the past three years. Before that, Romania, Russia, Italy, Turkey, and here...” He pointed to the dates. “She spent two months in fucking Chechnya.”

Terry sat down on the bed and cleaned her up the best he could. He washed away the blood with warm water. She only stirred when he cleaned and bandaged the cut on her knee. He used a butterfly and then wrapped it in gauze to keep it clean. Then he covered her with a light blanket and let her rest. He watched her for just a moment as she snuggled into the covering and was in a deep sleep. Then he looked at Dino.

They looked at each other. Questions on both their faces. What did it mean? Who was she? What was she doing down here? Well, until they could find out, they needed to shelter her away from what they were doing. That wasn’t going to be easy. SHIT!! Just what they needed, an unknown person with unknown connections to unknown parties. Because if word got out what they were really doing down here, the shit would really hit the fan and both Terry and Dino’s lives wouldn’t be worth shit.

*****************************

Victoria slept for two days. Terry watched her like a hawk, the first night he slept in a chair next to the bed so he could wake her every hour just to give her liquids. He was sure she had a concussion and wanted to be certain that she could get through it. Any other motives he wouldn't dare think about. The fact that she was incredibly beautiful to any man's eye was irrelevant. The way she would move in her sleep, the innocent seduction of her body on his eyes without her knowledge was enough to keep Terry in the room, not to mention hard as a rock.

He would leave for a few minutes to take a cold shower, come back and find that she’d have kicked off the light covering and would be in just that white tank shirt and miniscule bikini panties. The tank shirt would pull down to the point where her breasts were almost completely exposed. He could see the tan lines from various clothing items. He could only wonder if her tips were tanned or rosy pink. He licked his lips wondering how they would taste. Sweet as honey, probably. SHIT! What was the matter with him? He was spinning fantasy about a woman injured and totally dependent on him. He’d been down here in the jungles with no one but Dino for company for far too long.

Terry was lying in the extra bed, it was about four a.m. and all he could think about was Victoria. Such an old fashioned name. An English name. Was she really American? She was traveling under an American passport. Did she just have an English background? Her passport had been everywhere; what was she doing in those places? Hardly places for a tourist. And the way she packed; she was a seasoned traveler, that’s for sure. He knew there was a logical explanation, the alternative was just too ludicrous to contemplate.

He closed his eyes and wondered what color her eyes were. He had never seen them completely open. He imagined they were blue, probably a light clear blue, given the golden color of her hair. He was smiling to himself in the fantasy when he heard a soft thud come from Victoria’s room. He leapt out of bed not thinking about his own state of undress in his rush to get to her. He found her on the floor. He rushed to her side. He saw she was awake and wincing as she was holding her bandaged knee.

“FUCK!” Her eyes were squeezed tight. He could tell she was in pain.

“Don’t move, I’ll help you.” His voice was soft, so he didn’t startle her. “What happened?”

“I lost my balance; tripped over the edge of that damned rug and banged my knee on the chair. SHIT! It hurts.” She squeezed her eyes closed tightly in an effort to circumvent the pain.

“Let me take a look.” He flipped the switch on the bedside lamp, illuminating the room in a soft glow. Then he bent down to the floor, not realizing when he did so the soft cotton of his jockey shorts pulled taught against his groin leaving nothing to the imagination about his physical assets.

For the first time Victoria got a real look at her savior. Her head was still a bit fuzzy, but a woman would have to be blind not to see that this was a man of all men. Broad shoulders, slight furring of the chest, wonderful strong biceps. Tight abdomen and thick thighs. His hair was brown with a touch of red and just unruly enough that you wanted to run your hands through it. She recognized the accent- Australian. She loved accents. This one was no exception; deep resonant with a lilt that sent a shiver down her spine to parts that hadn’t had a shiver in a very long time.

“It’s bleeding again,” she stated with a grimace. Christ it hurt. She saw the bright red starting to soak the gauze.

“I agree. Let’s get you over to the bed so you can be more comfortable and we’ll fix you up straight away.” Without another word he simply picked her up and carried her to the bed. Victoria could feel the hair from his chest tickle her bare arm. It was a heady sensation. She was sorry it was such a short distance to the bed. The fuzz cleared so she looked him right in the eye; what an incredible shade of blue- or was it green? They were framed by dark lashes. SHIT!! Her mind was going places it hadn’t been in a very long time.

Terry placed her carefully on the light cover while trying not to think about the lovely picture she painted in her very skimpy state of undress. Then he looked down and noticed his rock hard cock peaking out of his jockeys. FUCK!!! He lowered his head without looking at her and said, “I’ll be right back, luv.” Then he rushed into his own room. He closed the door and took a deep breath trying to quell the racing of his heart. What was he going to do with her? He couldn’t keep her here. If he wasn’t careful he would end up in bed with her. At that fleeting thought, his cock reacted in the age old way. He sighed. He got a look at her eyes- lavender- an unusual lavender with silver flecks. They were just as beautiful as the rest of her. SHIT!! He had really done it now.

But she needed him, he had to get a grip on his urges and see to her injury. He quickly donned jeans, a polo shirt, took a deep breath and went back to see how she was doing. She was leaning against the pillows exactly the way he’d left her, one leg slightly bent to keep from making it bleed any more.

When he entered she opened her eyes, “It isn’t too bad. I think another butterfly will suffice,” she stated as she was examining it herself. She seemed very awake.

Terry sat down on the edge of the bed, slowly removed the bandage to look at it as well. “It’s not that deep.” He replaced the bandage and then sat back in a nearby chair to talk to her. His curiosity was working overtime. “I’m Terry Thorne.” He smiled.

“Victoria Montgomery.” Then she seemed to pause; she closed her eyes and went on, “I don’t know how to thank you. I would’ve died if it hadn’t been for you and your partner. Thank you just isn’t adequate. But I thank you just the same,” she stated bluntly, and meant every word. Her eyes were direct just like her words.

“You’re welcome. Can you talk about what happened with the plane?” He asked softly. He sat back and gazed at her features. She’d pulled the blanket up over her body and his seemed to calm down a bit.

“I’d only boarded the plane about forty-five minutes earlier and I was dozing when I heard this pop and the next thing I know the plane is careening into the jungle with flames flowing out of one of the engines. SHIT! It was the scariest thing I’d ever experienced. I’d been visiting my sister in Collahara. She’s a nurse and has been living there for the past three years, much to our parents’ dismay. Before that, it was Chechnya. Christ, she picks the most God awful spots to be a guardian angel. I asked her once, why couldn’t she be a nurse in places like Tahiti or Rome, or how about Cancun?” Victoria joked, not realizing the relief coursing through Terry at her open explanation.

Terry laughed, “Those aren’t the places that need help.”

“Isn’t it the truth. When she graduated from nursing school ten years ago she was adamant that she make a real difference in some tangible way. She joined the United Medical Service and does her thing here, there and everywhere. I visit her every summer. However I took one summer off and went to Italy and Turkey. I love to travel. But this is the end of it. The year I went to Chechnya I had an appendicitis attack, and spent a week in a hospital there.” She saw him grimace at the mention of the word hospital.

“Ah, I see you’ve been there. A picnic it wasn’t. Luckily my sis is a nurse so she was able to take care of me. Otherwise I think I would’ve left in worse shape than when I arrived.” Then she was looking around. “Uh, I don’t mean to be picky but do you mind if I have a shower? I feel dirty and would love one. Also, I could use a change of clothes of some kind. Absolutely anything will do.”

Terry nodded, rose and went into the other room to fetch her bag, they’d replaced everything just as it had been, or so he hoped. When he walked back in to give it to her, she was asleep. She was in a completely relaxed position of repose. On her side, her hands curled under her head with her knees bent. He set the bag down on the floor as he saw her shiver. He covered her with another blanket and went back to bed. But it would be long time before he too would find sleep.

**********************************

Victoria woke to the sound of voices. They were speaking Spanish. She just translated in her head as they spoke, their voices carried down the hall; her door had been left open. She just lay there, not moving.

“Terry, are you sure she’s telling the truth? Her passport could mean anything. It could be innocent like she said or could be something else all together. How do you know for sure?”

Victoria had only been listening with half an ear until they started talking about her. Then she perked up, she wasn’t prepared for what they said. Who did they think she was? A drug dealer? They had her passport?

“Christ Dino, you see conspiracies everywhere. No, I’m not sure. We only spoke for a few minutes. She was pretty natural about it. Only time will tell. If we don’t tell her anything then there’s no problem.”

Tell her? Tell her what? Victoria’s mind was racing at a hundred miles an hour.

“Keep her away from the radio and the computer. Don’t give her a chance to contact anyone. If our location is breached then we are both fucked and you know it.” Dino’s voice was strong.

They had a radio and computer? Where?

“You’re right, we don’t trust her with anything. I’ll keep the telephone hidden and everything will be fine. We have to get her out of here as soon as possible. But getting her back to the city without anyone knowing we’re here will be tricky. If she says anything to anybody, with the exception of Dover, then we can kiss our asses’ good bye,” Terry concluded.

They had a telephone as well. Out here in this godforsaken place?

“Dover would shit bricks if he knew what we’re up to. I know he wouldn’t tell anybody but I don’t trust anyone else in that fucking embassy. Are we still on for tonight?” Dino asked.

She didn’t hear a response.

“Alright then, 10:00. I’ll be back uptown or do you want to meet me downtown?”

“I’ll meet you about 9:30 and we will gear up downtown,” was Terry’s response.

Downtown? Uptown? What the hell did that mean? What exactly were these guys doing here anyway? Who the hell was Dover?

Just then Victoria felt her stomach rumble and she stretched her body, only to be met with painful resistance. Her knee was throbbing like a drum and her arms were so sore she couldn’t hardly lift them. She pulled the sheet away and caught a glance at her knee. She spoke out loud, “Holy Fucking Shit!” It was swollen up to three times the size of the left. The gauze had pulled away and she could see the swelling just above the cut, the butterfly bandage had come loose. The skin was stretched tight. And it hurt like a son of a bitch.

Terry and Dino stopped talking as soon as they heard Victoria’s exclamation. Dino bid Terry goodbye. He really didn’t want her to see him; the less she knew about them the better. Terry rose from his chair to check it out. He stood in the doorway watching her. She was on the bed with the covers pulled away, her legs bent.

“Good morning.” His voice soft. “What’s the matter?” Then he got a glimpse of her knee. “Holy Shit!” He rushed to her.

“No kidding. I think the bang against the chair did something besides hurt. I must have twisted it as well because it hurts like a son of a bitch.” She was trying to hold back the tears because it really hurt.

Terry sat next to her on the bed and put his hand out to touch it, it was hot. “Let me get some ice for a pack and see if that helps. All I have is ibuprofen, do you want some?” He looked back at her as he walked back to the kitchen to fetch some ice.

“It’s better than nothing.” She felt helpless and wasn’t sure it was a good idea to get too dependent on this man. He was very sexy and seemed very kind. But who was he? He didn’t trust her; should she trust him? Only time will tell.

He returned quickly with a bag of ice and he set it gingerly on the swollen joint. She placed her hand over it. Their fingers touched and Terry felt a sensation so warm and fleeting he wondered if he could’ve imagined it. The exposed leg was still tantalizing but she was obviously in a great deal of pain. Terry felt bad for her as he left again and retrieved the pills with a glass of water.

She took them and swallowed. “I’m sorry to be such a bother. I still want to take a shower but I think a bath is in order because I can’t seem to walk, nor can I lift my arms to wash my hair in the shower,” she admitted.

“That might be a problem, I don’t have a tub. That is the only loo. I’ll help you with the shower any way you want.”

“Right now, I don’t think I’m in a position to be finicky, I appreciate it.” She confessed. “How about this, I’ll stay dressed and you can wash my hair and then I can do the rest. If you have a chair that will fit in the shower.” She suggested.

Terry thought for a minute and said, “That should work. Let me find a chair.” He smiled as he left her on the bed.

Terry left to set it up and Victoria leaned back and pondered her situation. Either this guy was the greatest actor in the world or he was down here doing something positive and didn’t want certain people to be aware of what he was doing. She prided herself on being a pretty decent judge of character and Terry had a good heart, she was pretty sure. Otherwise he would’ve left her there in that smoldering airplane wreckage. Then she saw her bag on the floor.

“OMIGOD! What a life saver.” She leaned over to reach for it, in the process lost her balance and tumbled to the floor with her knee hitting the floor first. Victoria yelled in pain. Terry came rushing into the room to see her writhing in agony on the floor.

“Holy Christ! What the fuck did you do?” He reached down and gently picked her up. When she looked at him there were tears coursing down her cheeks. He smiled tenderly, “Do I need to put rails on the bed?” He chuckled to try to relieve her distress.

She leaned her forehead onto his chest and tried to calm her heart. “I’m sorry for being such a pain in the ass. You’ve been so kind and I just keep making things hard for you. I’m not used to being dependent on anyone and this is really difficult for me.” Her words were muffled in his chest. “I saw my bag, reached for it, lost my balance and went ass over apple cart to the floor. God, I’ve never been such a klutz in my life.” Her fingertips were resting on his chest for balance making his heart race.

Terry’s entire body tingled with having her so close. “You’re not a klutz, you’re recovering from multiple injuries. I’m sure you had a slight concussion. I know it’s difficult to depend on people when you’re not used to it.” He set her on the edge of the bed. Those eyes, drenched in tears made her even more intoxicating. He handed her the bag.

“I apologize Victoria, I went through your bag looking for a change of clothes before I cut your others. If it’s not in its right order, that’s why.” He thought hiding the fact about her bag wasn’t a good idea. So he was straightforward about it.

She swallowed at his honesty, “I understand. I learned a long time ago with the places I’ve been, to have something with me at all times to sustain me if my luggage should decide to take its own vacation. Happened when I went to Turkey 5 years ago. What a mess that was. So I carry a small container of everything with me on the plane, just to be safe.” Her explanation made perfect sense.

“Your pack job was impressive Victoria, I travel a lot and you’re better at it than I am.” He stated honestly.

“Please, only my parents call me Victoria, I’m Tori to everyone else. I always feel like a character out of an Emily Bronte novel when people call me Victoria.” She had calmed somewhat.

“Okey Dokey, Tori, lets see if we can get you a shower without you falling on your ass again.” He looked at her and she laughed, as did he. “Everything is all set.” She had dug her toiletries out of her bag and in the blink of an eye he lifted her again and was carrying her to the shower.

There was a light chair, more like a stool with no back sitting in the tiled shower with steam running down. He set her down and she hobbled in and sat down with her back to the showerhead. She handed him the small container of shampoo and then she saw him unbutton his jeans and step out of them and then step in behind her. She didn’t turn to look at him; it would be way too obvious.

“God, that water feels so good.” She moaned as she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Her long neck stretched with her shoulders raised. Terry looked down her body and saw the water soak into her top, the splatters of blood ran pink as she surrendered to the spray cascading rivulets along her silken skin. The wetness surrounded her breasts and then covered them like a wave covers the shore. The peaks were soft and he could see the rosy areolas through the saturated cotton of her shirt. He closed his eyes to try to focus his mind on the task at hand.

The water drenched her hair, he pooled a small amount of shampoo and sunk his hands into her golden locks. He reached deep to her scalp, his fingertips kneading and massaging. The soap made foam that slid down her shoulders and flowed across her chest. “Christ you have magic fingers Terry. Don’t stop on my account.” He chuckled but said nothing. Tori just moaned and continued to drown in the sensation of Terry’s hands in her hair. She was totally unaware of her own innocent seduction on his senses.

Over and over again he pulled the soap through her strands then he would stand back and let the water rinse her. His eyes would rivet on her breasts that were so clearly delineated by the soaking of her shirt. She had no bra on and it was as if she had nothing on at all, or maybe it was sexier than wearing nothing. The water made the pink lace she was wearing transparent as well and he could easily see the luscious furring between her legs. He really needed to get out of here before he lowered his lips to that beautiful shoulder and slid his hands down her chest to those luscious mounds of perfection. But instead of retreating he just re-soaped her hair and reveled in the wonderful feel of that soft hair in between his fingers. It was like the finest spun silk. When was the last time he had a woman’s hair in his hands; this soft, this luxurious? Had he ever? “Do you have conditioner as well?” He asked in a hushed whisper right next to her ear. He saw the goose bumps form from his voice, her nipples stood out like they’d been called to attention. Beautiful!

“It’s the small green bottle on the floor.” He leaned over to pick up the bottle by her foot. He turned his head and was at eye level with her breast. He could see her chest rise and fall with her breathing. She didn’t look up, but was absorbed in the warm water spraying over her. God she was incredible; natural and sensuous. He stood and put a small amount in his hand and then stretched it over her hair. When the water rinsed the excess, her hair was even more silky than before. Terry realized how long he had been luxuriating in her hair and quickly finished.

“Oops, got carried away there. Let me get out of here so you can finish before the hot water is all gone.” And then he was gone. He closed the milky glass door and took a deep breath. He turned and saw her movement in silhouette as she leaned over to remove her under pants. Then he heard her groan as she tried to remove her top.

“Shit! Terry! Do you have some scissors? I can’t get this fucking shirt over my head.” She called. “I need some help.”

Terry took a deep breath and opened the door, she was leaning modestly over, all he could see was the wet cotton stretched across her back and the symmetrical round firmness of her buttocks. “ Okay, I will grab this from the bottom back here as you lean over so you don’t have to raise your arms.” He gently brought the cotton over her wet hair to the front. Then he stepped away and closed the door. “Is that better?” He said through the door.

“It is, great. Thank you so much.” She called back.

Terry left her in the shower. He returned to his room to get dressed. This was getting more and more difficult. How long was he going to be able to continue like this? He had no idea. He needed a break from her, but that wasn’t possible. SHIT! What was he going to do tonight? How was he going to explain his absence that late at night? He went to the kitchen; she was probably hungry so he set about making something simple. Just eggs and potatoes. She would not like his cooking; fuck, he didn’t like his cooking.

Tori sat on the edge of the seat and let the water calm her. What was Terry doing to her senses? Shit! She never ever recalled being such a clumsy oaf. He seemed to have a direct affect on her equilibrium. She lathered her body and recalled the feel of his hands in her hair; the smooth massaging of her scalp. It was so much like a lover’s caress, she could’ve just left the shower and taken him straight to the bed. Her thoughts wandered to that chest and what those hands could do to more sensitive parts of her anatomy. She snapped her eyes open. Christ, she barely knew this guy and she was fantasizing about him making love to her. Making love, hell, she would settle for hot, mind boggling sex. She was sure Terry Thorne would be capable of either. She rinsed and turned off the water. Then she sat there, clean and naked. How was she going to get back to the bed? She stood up on one leg and pushed the door open. The towel was right there, within her reach. A big fluffy light blue towel. He was so thoughtful. Then she felt her stomach rumble loudly and realized it had been 3 days since she’d eaten anything substantial. She wrapped the towel around her modestly and then carefully tried to hobble from the shower. But she couldn’t put any weight on her leg at all. This was so exasperating.

She wasn’t sure what to do, so to avoid falling again and not wanting to bother Terry further she lowered her body, oh so slowly to the floor and sat down. Then she proceeded to scoot across the floor on her ass towards the door.

That was how Terry found her, sliding across the cold tile floor. He chuckled at the humorous picture she painted. She was an independent woman; it made him like her all the more. The towel was more modest than the wet t-shirt, but knowing there was dripping wet skin underneath made Terry’s temperature rise. She was still sexy as hell no matter what she wore; or didn’t wear.

At the sound of his voice she craned her neck sideways and saw him leaning against the doorjamb, softly laughing at her. Then he spoke.

“What the hell are you doing on the floor?”

She was slightly miffed that he would laugh at her. “What the fuck does it look like I’m doing? Learning to knit?” she snapped, hating for anyone to see her so weak and incapacitated. Her tone just made him laugh harder. She glared at him.

“Why didn’t you just yell? I was right in the next room.” He explained.

She stopped moving, took a deep breath and relaxed her position on the floor so she could speak to him clearly. “I didn’t want to bother you anymore. It seemed simple enough to just scoot across the floor to the bed and get dressed. You’ve done so much already and I’m just stubborn enough to want to do something on my own.” Her voice serious, she looked up at him; she could see the compassion for her plight in his eyes.

Her look sobered him immediately. She didn’t really trust him. It never occurred to him that she wouldn’t trust him completely. He was a trustworthy guy but she didn’t know that. He squatted down to be eye level with her. He was just close enough to see the few droplets of moisture flowing in between her breasts. “Look, it’s not a bother. Actually, it’s nice to have company out here in the middle of fucking nowhere,” he stated simply. And on that final comment he leaned over and picked her up. She was able to put her arms around his neck.

“Thank you. Do you have an old shirt that buttons down the front. I can’t pull anything over my head and I want to be dressed. I feel better that way.” She asked when he set her down on the edge of the bed.

“Sure, no problem. He walked over to the closet, opened it and pulled out a pale blue button down. He handed it to her.” The gesture was automatic, but Tori looked at him strange. “What? What’s the matter?”

“This is your room? I’ve been sleeping in your bed?” She asked. She lowered her head into her hands.

“Yes, I moved into the spare. It doesn’t matter,” he said softly. Why did this bother her so?

“It’s just that I’ve been such a royal pain in the ass. You’ve given up a lot for me and I can’t do anything but say thank you. It isn’t anywhere near enough.”

“Okay, you’re being way to hard on yourself. Shit happens! That’s a fact of life. You’ve been around enough to know that. I was in the right place at the right time and that’s also a fact of life. I don’t do anything I don’t choose to do. You’re obviously a very independent woman and not comfortable with relying on anyone for anything and I can’t say I would be any different if the situation were reversed, But you’re in a spot right now where I can help you. If you pamper that knee for a couple of days, it should be fine. Look, the swelling is already down. So stop apologizing every five fucking seconds, get some clothes on and I’ll have eggs for you.” He walked over to the door. Then he turned, “Call when you’re ready.” Then he left, closing the door behind him.

Well, that was straightforward enough. She opened her bag and decided to make herself look presentable. She’d looked like the walking dead long enough. She sat back on the pillows and brushed her hair. Moisturized her skin, just some lip gloss and then worked at getting dressed. The undies were easy enough, she wondered if Terry had found them when he was looking. She smiled at the idea. She scooted to the edge of the bed, and very gingerly placed her arm into the sleeve, the first one was easy but she was struggling with the other. But she succeeded.

“Terry, I’m ready.” She stood up, balanced on one leg. The shirt hung down to her mid thigh, her knees still exposed. She needed to re-wrap it, maybe in an ace. She knew she had one in her bag. Later, after she had something to eat.

Terry was waiting to hear her call. He was actually looking forward to her company. He opened the door and saw her standing there, balancing on one leg. The look of her in his shirt was enough to topple his equilibrium. Those beautifully sculpted legs with just a hint of tan made his shirt look better then he had ever seen it. He could picture her with her leg bent around the post of a bed with only a few buttons buttoned. Her glorious golden hair soft and flowing around her shoulders. Maybe the shirt would be off one shoulder to expose that incredible neck that made a man just want to slather with his tongue. He swallowed. “Well, look at you. Do you feel better? Your knee doesn’t look near as swollen as it did earlier,” he observed.

“I do feel better. I think that if you just come to my side so I can lean on you, I can make it to the table.”

But Terry just bent over and picked her up anyway. He loved the feel of his hands on her bare skin. He would enjoy it as long as he had it. “Christ! Fuck that. This is easier.” In a matter of moments he had her seated at a small wooden table with two settings. Nothing fancy, just two plates with serving ware and a glass. “I’m not a very good cook but it’s filling. No complaints or I won’t feed you again.” He placed a plate in front of her.

She looked at it and laughed.

“What are you laughing at? It doesn’t look that bad.” He looked at the diced potatoes and eggs.

“Oh no, it’s not that. I was preparing myself for some God awful concoction and it is simply eggs and pots.” She picked up a fork and took a bite. Not bad. “Do you by chance have any salt and pepper?”

“Sure,” he leaned back in his chair and grabbed two little metal shakers and handed them to her.

Tori applied them liberally and then dove in with relish. She was starving. “These are really okay, after the creative stuff I had at my sister’s, this is a feast. My sister is a horrid cook. So after about four days of her crap, I took over. It was fun working with the different ingredients. I loved the fresh produce. Cripes, she didn’t know what half of it was and she’s been here almost three years. She told me she was there to fix bodies, not cook. I told her if she cooked better she wouldn’t have so many bodies to fix.”

Terry laughed as she chatted on. He loved listening to the sound of her voice. It had just the right timbre to it. It sort of washed over him like a caress. He ate his eggs without comment.

“I remember when she did this six month thing in St. Petersburg, Russia. God the food, it was fantastic. She lived in this hostel with nine other nurses and they’d hired this cook. Holy Shit! I didn’t know what half of it was but it tasted fantastic. I gained ten pounds that trip.”

“Really, most people don’t like Russian food.