by Ciana Stone
Morgan watched him disappear into the crowd of people and reached behind the seat for her purse. As she tossed it onto the passenger seat, she noticed a piece of paper lying on the seat. She unfolded it. On it, Trevor had written, "I still think you should have more faith in Dad and I still think Victor is a bastard. But I love you. Trevor"
With a smile and a sense of relief, she tucked the note in her purse and pulled into the flow of traffic. She had a lot of work to do so she headed for the clinic.
Chapter Four
The Mountain
The old man was right, Cord thought. The journey up the mountain was proving to be much more difficult than he’d imagined. The path was narrow and winding, and at times would completely disappear from view, covered by giant mounds of rock from landslides.
Trying to cross the rock piles was slow work. Sometimes he’d spend hours climbing up and down the piles, careful not to put his weight onto an unsecured rock. When he finally reached the other side, he’d realize he'd only covered twenty feet or so.
Other times the soil would be so loose and unstable he had to climb spider-like, his hands digging into any small crevice or hanging onto any outcropping he could find so he could make his way along without putting his weight on his feet. One false step would send him hurtling over the edge.
Days cease to matter, and he lost track of how long he’d been there. His entire existence existed on following the path up the mountain.
The supplies he started his journey with quickly ran out and food and water became harder and harder to find. For days he would exist on just a handful of seedy berries or a tough root he found. The wind blew constantly, and the air became colder as he climbed higher.
He’d lie awake at night huddled in the thin blanket, shivering and hungry. What am I doing? Why not just go back down and forget the mountain?
But even as he asked himself the questions, he knew once the sun rose, he’d continue to climb. The mountain obsessed him. Without the journey he’d have no purpose, no reason to be.
So, Cord followed the path, conquering each of its challenges and discovering that the solutions to each challenge normally involved a lesson he’d learned from Joe. He thought of Joe often. Every time the old man's face appeared in his mind, he wished he’d thanked Joe for his kindness, for all he'd taught.
He realized the old man's trickery had enabled him to come as far as he had. The work of building the shed had strengthened his body, enabling him to overcome the physical obstacles that stood in his way.
After what seemed a lifetime, Cord came within sight of the summit. The path had narrowed to mere inches, making his progress slow and harrowing in the strong wind and thin air. Then the path disappeared altogether.
Digging his fingers into the rock and sparse soil on side of the mountain, he inched his way along, refusing to be stopped and afraid to look down. One slip, one bad move would mean certain death. There was no margin for error.
His arms strained as his fingers sought purchase. Suspended from the side of the mountain, his body swayed with the force of the wind. It took all the strength he had just to hold on.
Finally, he worked his way around a jutted out-cropping and could again see the path, only a few yards away on the other side of a deep fissure. Too far to jump. He looked around for another route.
He climbed higher and located a small shelf projecting out from the side of the mountain. Slowly, he made his way toward it, reaching up with one hand to grab the edge and testing to make sure it would bear his weight.
Once satisfied that the shelf would hold, he allowed himself to swing out, catching the edge with both hands. Dangling from the outcropping with the wind blowing his hair around his face and in his eyes, he strained to pull himself up.
Finally, on the ledge he collapsed on the uneven surface. High above the clouds themselves he lay in exhaustion and slept.
Cotton Creek, Texas
"You have a call," Sandy announced.
"Who is it?" Morgan asked. The last couple of weeks she’d talked to Stork and the two FBI agents, Smith and Samuels, more times than she cared to even think about.
She thought things would’ve died down by now, but the reverse was proving to be true. It seemed like every magazine and newspaper she picked up had something about Cord in it. The publicity hadn’t mentioned there was nuclear waste missing, but she felt sure it was only a matter of time. The CIA and the FBI wanted Cord and there was even a large reward for any information leading to his whereabouts.
Morgan wished she could just run away somewhere and escape all the questions from the government and all the talk and gossip from everyone else. She even wished that Victor hadn’t had to take his business trip. She missed him more than she thought she would.
Her feelings for Victor were a mystery, one she had yet to solve. Sandy interrupted her thoughts. "It's Mr. Vinsetti, I think."
Well, speak of the devil. "Thanks." Morgan punched the flashing button on her phone. "Morgan Windwalker."
"Hi there, Morgan Windwalker," Victor's voice came back to her, making her smile. "We're landing in Cray County now, and I couldn't wait a moment longer to hear your voice."
"It’s good to hear from you."
"Are you free? I want to see you."
"Yes. What did you have in mind?"
"Come to my house and find out for yourself," he said, then added, "I have a surprise for you."
"A surprise. Does it have wheels?"
"No," he laughed. "Something much better. What time can you be there?"
"Well," she looked at her watch. "I'm finished here so I just have to go home and change. I can be there in a couple of hours. Is that okay?"
"Perfect. I'll be waiting."
"Okay, see you soon," Morgan hung up the phone. Suddenly, she was in a much better mood. She'd really dreaded going home. The last couple of weeks it seemed all she did was walk around the empty house and cry. Everything she looked at or touched reminded her of some happier time. And that had made her grieve for what she’d lost.
Work filled a lot of her time, but there was only so much time she could spend at work. And unfortunately, the publicity surrounding Cord affected her business. She didn't blame people. No one wanted to be involved with someone under investigation by the FBI, or whose husband was on the most wanted list.
But, as bad as it’d all been, she realized the past few weeks had probably done her more good than she wanted to admit. It'd made her face the fact that Cord was really gone, and her marriage was over. What to do to rebuild her client base was a problem she would tackle once this whole mess with the government was settled. Until then, there was no point in trying.
What to do about her personal life was something else all together.
The Mountain
When Cord woke, he was numb from the cold. The wind whistled around him as he sat and looked around. From his perch on the narrow ledge he could see out over the entire valley. An eagle's eye view, he thought. A sudden vague memory surfaced, something about flying, but he couldn't bring it into focus.
He gave up and continued to enjoy the view. The sun was just rising, and the valley was beginning to show streaks of light crossing its length like ribbons of gold on a dusky brown background.
A shiver reminded him to get moving. Sliding to the edge of the ledge, he dangled his feet and legs over the side. What looked like the beginning of the path was barely visible below him and on the opposite side of the crevice that had prevented him from continuing yesterday.
He estimated the distance. There's no way I can make the jump. Knowing he had to find another way, he scooted back against the face of the rock and leaned against the wall to think.
Just as he leaned back, he heard a grating sound. And before he had time to realize what the noise was, the wall of rock behind him gave way, sending him tumbling backwards in a black void.
Cray County, Texas
Victor was waiting outside the front door when Morgan arrived. She handed her keys to th
e waiting attendant as she stepped from the car. "Hi!" She walked toward Victor. "Have a good trip?"
A laugh bubbled up inside her as he put his hands around her waist and raised her in the air, spinning her around until she was lightheaded. He kissed her before he allowed her feet to touch the ground. "Did you miss me?" he asked as the kiss ended.
"Yes, I did."
"Did you miss me a lot?" he continued and took her hand to lead her into the house.
"Yes," she smiled, "I missed you a lot."
"Terribly, desperately?" he teased as he reached for the door.
She played along, "Oh, yes, terribly."
"You left out desperately," he said, holding the door open for her.
They walked through the house to the rear terrace where a table set for two with a bottle of champagne waited. "Well, what about you?" she turned to him. "Did you miss me?"
Victor dropped the game. "So much you cannot imagine," he spoke almost too softly to be heard. "I counted every moment until I would see you again."
His response surprised Morgan. "You’re teasing me.”
In reply, he took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. His hands roamed over her body, sending currents of desire racing through her.
Victor raised his head and looked into her eyes. "I would never tease you about that. Haven't you figured it out by now?"
"Figured out what?" she didn’t know what he was talking about.
"That I love you."
She was speechless. She knew he was interested in her. But love?
Yes, I love you, she heard his voice in her mind.
In total amazement she stood transfixed, looking at him. He smiled down at her and took her face in his hands. "You know it's true, don't you? You can feel what's inside me."
He watched as she struggled with not only her feelings for him, but with the ability he knew she possessed. During the last couple of weeks his scientists had worked around the clock trying to determine why the drug worked on her the way it had.
One night before he left, he slipped a sedative into her drink to knock her out. Once she was asleep, he obtained a blood sample from her. The sample was necessary to do testing. So far, the scientists had no clues. They postulated that the ability was always there within her and that the drug had merely activated it. They would not, however, stand firm behind that theory because, as they reported, either the sample was tainted or there was something different about Morgan Windwalker.
That roused Victor's curiosity, but he filed it away for something to contemplate later down the road. For now, he needed a way to counteract her newfound ability. The best defense proposed so far was for Victor to create a mental barrier to block any thoughts from her he didn't want her to hear. Those thoughts he wanted her to hear, he could let past the barrier.
It seemed like a good idea. That way she’d think she could read his thoughts, when in actuality he would feed her only what he wanted her to believe. The scientists were doubtful that he could create a strong enough barrier. But they’d never dealt with Victor.
Now he was conducting his first test. Eagerly he waited for her reply, seeking to find out not only if the test was successful but also just how honest she would be with him.
"Yes," she finally ended the wait. "It sounds crazy, and it seems impossible, but I can. I can hear you in my mind,"
She wanted to tell him it wasn't just his thoughts she could hear. Over the last few months it’d happened more and more. She would be in a room with other people, and suddenly she could hear their thoughts. It didn't always happen, but when it did it was very unnerving.
But she didn't have time to tell Victor about it. Just at that moment a tall fair-haired man, interrupted them.
"Everything has been done as you ordered, sir. What time shall I have the car ready?"
"I'll call when I'm ready," Victor told him. "That is all."
Morgan watched as the man nodded and left. "What was that about?"
With a smile, he took her hand and pulled her over to the table. "Part of your surprise," he said holding her chair. "Champagne?"
Morgan returned the smile and decided not to press. Whatever the surprise was, she could wait. "Isn't it a little early for champagne?"
"Not when you have something to celebrate," he replied as he poured for each of them.
"What are we celebrating?" she accepted the glass he offered.
He held his glass up to touch the rim to the rim of the glass she held. "A toast."
"To?"
"To us. To you and I and our wonderful future together."
Morgan looked at the handsome man seated across from her. A million thoughts went through her mind in that one moment. He was unpredictable, a bit frightening in his passions and as unreasonable as it seemed, she couldn't break the attraction.
She had no clue why she tolerated and even dismisses his arrogance and even his cruelty. Morgan wasn't a person to excuse such behavior and yet with Victor she did. When she looked at him she saw his beauty and his brutality and as crazy as it was, it excited her.
She and Cord had enjoyed a life that was as much a partnership as two people could have, or so she thought. He respected her opinion, never tried to force her down a path she didn't want to talk, and their lovemaking was the stuff romance tales could not come close to touching. He was gentle and gave more than he took.
Victor, on the other hand, was as dominant and demanding as a man could be. He pleased her. There was no doubt of that, but with Victor, she found herself willing to submit. Yes, there were times when they battled for control, and more often than not, he won. Did it make her a freak that she secretly craved his brutal dominance? She didn't know the answer and maybe she didn't need to.
He loved her. She saw that in his mind. So, now was the time. Morgan knew it was time to walk away from all the hurt and anger, as well as the life she’d once had. That life was no longer available to her. It was time to stop wishing for what she could not have any more and look toward what was open for her.
It was way past time to stop whining and feeling sorry for herself. Yes, Cord shit on her, but she was still alive and damn it, she wasn't going to just lay down and die. So, she'd look in a new direction and see if there was a chance of happiness for her. With Victor.
"Yes," she agreed. "To us."
The Mountain
The descent seemed endless as he fell into the darkness. At last the plunge ended. Letting his body roll, he then bounded to his feet. Thank you, old man. He knew without question what he’d learned from Joe had allowed him to survive the fall unharmed.
He'd fallen into a deep cave with narrow tunnels leading off into three different directions like the spokes of a wheel. The cave he stood in acted as the hub. Each opening led farther into the bowels of the mountain. Crouched in the junction, he considered the three paths.
Faint echoes emanated from the mouth of each tunnel, rumbles from far in the distance moving through the passageways in ever-varying strength. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the noise. Behind his closed eyelids an image of Joe appeared from within his mind.
"Looking at the untasted fruit is like looking at the unknown."
"Yes," Cord understood the meaning of the cryptic words. "Before tasting you know nothing of the fruit."
"And looking on the fruit once it's been tasted?"
"Then you’ve learned." Cord immediately replied, and added to himself, or it's too late.
The vision vanished with Joe's soft laugh fading in his mind. Cord opened his eyes and lowered himself into the first hole, feeling the walls of the narrow channel with his hands and feet as he descended. The light from above quickly faded, leaving him in total darkness.
Finally, his feet touched the bottom. His eyes were useless in the absence of light, so he reached out with his other senses, trying to determine what lay around him.
He could hear the scraping, bouncing sounds of loose rock falling in the distance. The echoes were faint and disto
rted. Reaching out on both sides, he felt the walls of the passageway on either side of him. The walls ended in front of him on both sides and above him there was nothing. In front of him he encountered only empty space. He realized then that the slope had taken him down to another type of junction. Like a straw opening up into a glass, the tunnel had deposited him in an open space.
He debated what to do next. Squatting down, he felt along the ground at his feet, and found several pebbles and small rocks. He scooped them up, stood and tossed a pebble forward into the empty space.
After a long pause he heard the pebble land. Moving cautiously, he inched one foot forward. Only inches in front of him, the ground disappeared. Can't go that way, he thought, not wanting to experience another free fall.
He tossed another pebble, this time to his left, and listened intently for the sound of it falling to the ground. Once more he carefully inched in the direction he had thrown the stone. And once more he located an edge several feet in front of him.
Backing up in the direction he’d come, he turned and threw his last stone, this time to his right. As with the previous paths, this one too turned out to lead nowhere. The floor he stood on was nothing more than a narrow ledge. His only course of action was to climb back the way he had come.
Cotton Creek, Texas
Victor poured the last of the champagne. "Ready for your surprise?" he asked after taking a sip from his glass.
"I'm not sure," Morgan said, leaving her glass untouched. "To tell you the truth, I'm not used to drinking like this and I'm feeling a little woozy."
"Then we should definitely go inside where you’ll be more comfortable." He rose and walked behind her to pull back her chair.
Morgan stood, turned to Victor and wrapped her arms around his neck. She let her body melt against his. Since just a short hour ago when she decided to let go of the past, she’d been more relaxed and at ease than she could remember feeling in a long time. She felt she owed it all to him.
During the last hour she’d watched him, how his eyes gleamed with that strange inner fire. He was such a handsome man. It still amazed her that someone like him would be interested in her. After all, she wasn't anything special. A middle-aged woman whose life had suddenly fallen apart all around her.
