Blonde Bomb Tech

by Lara Santiago

  Sabrina was able to salvage only two and a half outfits to wear, not including underwear. Under her clothing, she wore the only undamaged underwear she owned. She carried the salvaged clothing in her arms because her gym bag and luggage had been shredded too.

  Jake waited patiently inside the house, leaning against the side opening of her living room archway as she looked for anything else that wasn’t destroyed. He offered to let her stay with him before the police and media arrived. She had nowhere else to go, and besides, it put off the inevitable soul-searching she’d have to do over the drama of her life’s secrets.

  “So what did Hennessey say when you called him?” Murphy asked.

  “He asked me if I wanted to go into protective custody, but I declined. Tomorrow we start looking in to my parents’ backgrounds more thoroughly, right?”

  Murphy nodded. “You got a place to stay tonight?” he asked politely, glancing at Jake with a slight smile.

  “Yeah. You can reach me on my cell or pager.”

  She called Hennessey first because it was protocol, and Murphy because it was a partner thing. Murphy insisted on visiting the big mess that was now her house.

  “Be safe, see you in the morning,” Murphy said, smiling at Jake as he sauntered past.

  “Thanks, Murphy.”

  Sabrina locked up her house and laughed bitterly as she turned the lock. She could have left it wide open. There was nothing left of value to steal.

  Jake drove her to a mini mall to pick up a few toiletries and some underthings before taking her to his apartment. Once there he cleared a space for her in his bathroom and said, “I hope there won’t be lots of girly stuff out everywhere.”

  “As if.”

  “So where does this put us?” he asked.

  “In limbo.”

  “Couldn’t we just forge ahead, heedless of the dangers?” He placed his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. Sabrina turned in his arms, plastered her body up to his, and let him comfort her.

  “I guess so. For now. Until the next catastrophe.” She put her face in his throat and breathed in his clean inviting scent.

  Sabrina thought she’d never felt so safe anywhere in the world as in Jake’s arms. There was plenty of time later on for him to find out she was damaged goods. There was plenty of time for that disturbing news to surface. Until then, she certainly appreciated the reprieve from the pity party she’d planned earlier.

  “Thanks, Jake…for taking me in,” she whispered.

  “No problem. Now to get you to stay.” He stroked her slowly and seductively as he held her fast to him as if he might never let her go. After a few minutes, though, he loosened his grip. His hands massaged a path from her shoulders down to her ass, cupping each cheek and pulling her close into his body tenderly. His lips grazed her mouth with slow chaste kisses, repeatedly, as if he had all the time in the world to make love to her mouth. She wanted to melt into his body and never leave the soothing circle of his arms.

  “How about a massage to take your mind off things?”

  “Great idea,” she murmured, adding, “but only if you’re naked, too.”

  Jake gave her one last long sensuous lip-licking kiss before he slowly undressed her and led her into his bedroom. Sabrina helped him undress before he pulled the sheets back.

  She flattened herself face forward on the center of his bed. He crawled over her, his fingertips caressing her calves. He tickled the backs of her knees, eliciting a giggle from her before he stroke along the backs of her thighs, massaging his way to her butt.

  “Ted’s right, you have the most delicious ass I’ve ever seen.”

  Her head shot up. “For a ball breaker.”

  “You haven’t broken my balls,” he whispered and kissed the back of her neck. “And I want you to know that I appreciate it.”

  She laughed as his hands kneaded the tight muscles along either side of her spine. She groaned in appreciation. “That feels so good.”

  “How about this?” His fingers slipped underneath to where her breasts flattened against his sheets. He rubbed her erect nipples until a pulse started throbbing between her legs.

  “Fabulous,” she managed on a sigh of blissful sensation ripping down her body at his touch.

  Jake flipped her over onto her back. “Now for this side.” On his knees, he still towered over her. He leaned down and kissed her mouth lightly. He ran his fingertips lightly down her torso, skimming past her breasts to tickle her thighs.

  He kissed her chin. He kissed her chest. He kissed a path to her sensitive firm nipples and licked them with only the tip of his tongue before taking the entire nipple in his warm mouth. It drove her insane with sudden need. A gush of moisture shot between her legs with each pull of his lips on her breasts.

  “What kind of massage is this?” she asked.

  He released one peak long enough to say, “Lip massage,” and resumed sucking.

  Sabrina watched him suck on her nipple. His talented fingertips skimmed down her body to explore the slick folds below. She watched that, too. He kissed a path to the other nipple, distracting her, then stroked her clit once, earning a sharp gasp of pleasure from her. He smiled at her response.

  His mouth released her nipple only to kiss a trail down her body. He kissed her belly button and another rush of moisture came in anticipation of his trajectory. She glanced down to see his head settle between her legs and moaned, unable to suppress the tingle of pleasure that radiated up her belly at the moment his mouth slid over her clitoris.

  “And what massage is—” He licked her once, cutting off her train of thought.

  “Tongue massage,” he stopped long enough to say before he resumed. He licked her lower lips repeatedly, lapping up the creamy moisture she couldn’t stop. His fingers moved inside her slick pussy and she couldn’t form words any more.

  She clenched the sheets at her side as the sandpapery feel of his face between her legs pushed her to the edge of bliss. He fastened his lips around her clit, sucking on her slowly and methodically until she arched her back in sublime pleasure. His fingers pumped inside of her and he sucked on her clit until a sharp, powerful orgasm blazed through her. She screamed Jake’s name as the climax overwhelmed her.

  Sabrina released the sheets, grabbed his head and led him back up to kiss her mouth. The tangy flavor of her arousal between them as they kissed spurred her to lift her hips in invitation. She wanted him embedded to her navel.

  He grabbed a condom donning it quickly. She grabbed his cock and led it to her aching pussy. He plunged deeply inside to the hilt.

  “Let me massage you,” she whispered her vaginal muscles clamping on him from her orgasm.

  Jake groaned and thrust into her aggressively with the next stroke. He filled her completely, making her vibrate with pleasure as each thrust went deeper, deeper, and deeper yet. She reached between them to finger herself, scratching another insatiable itch which initiated from his penetration. Faster she stroked, and soon cried out once more in climax. Jake growled his release on the heels of hers pumping deeply inside. He slumped on top of her as if completely spent, gasping. She slid her arms around him and held tight.

  “I love you,” she heard him whisper. She closed her eyes and hugged him even closer, unable to say the words in return. He kissed her shoulder and squeezed her tight once before pulling away to enter the bathroom.

  He said he loved her. She loved him too, but it was too hard for her to say the words.

  “I love you too, Jake,” she whispered quickly before he came back and settled in next to her. Someday, maybe, she’d have the courage to say it out loud to his face. But then again, it would only be that much more painful when they separated.

  * * * *

  The next day at work started with more grief piled on the already unfair situation Sabrina found herself in. It began as it often did, with Councilman Peters screaming at Captain Hennessey in his office behind closed doors. Peters put in another Oscar-worthy appearanc
e, dramatically storming out of Hennessey’s office, only this time his smarmy face was wreathed in triumph. That couldn’t be good for her.

  “Ms. Morgan! It has come to my attention that the mad bomber has supposedly targeted you.”

  “Supposedly?” Sabrina already didn’t like how this started out.

  “Sabrina, Councilman Peters feels that…”

  “Tut, tut, Captain Hennessey. Allow me to inform her of her new status. Until further notice, you are on suspension from your bomb tech duties.”

  “What?” Sabrina looked at Hennessey who closed his eyes and sighed deeply. Another bad sign.

  “And you will be removed from the current investigation until such time I am satisfied you are not in any way directly or indirectly responsible for these bombings.”

  “You did not just accuse me of having anything to do with these bombings,” Sabrina said angrily, as she looked to Hennessey. He rubbed his hand down his face and pinched the bridge of his nose again. Really not a good sign.

  “If the bomber has targeted you as some pumpkin person or whatever, then you need to have a thorough investigation done on you. If we are investigating you, then you cannot be a primary on this case. You’re lucky I’ve allowed you to stay in the sheriff’s office at all.”

  “Oh really? Do you honestly believe I had anything to do with destroying everything I own? And I mean everything. What kind of sick pervert slashes the dirty clothes basket for God’s sake?”

  “Well, I understand the perk to that little event is you’re now able to shack up with that fireman you just met. How long have you known him? A week? None of the respectable women I have high regard for would ever ‘live’ with a man who wasn’t her husband,” Peters said in a furious loud whisper as he leaned in closer and glared at her.

  “So when you lived with your mother, you didn’t respect her?” Sabrina wanted to say so badly it nearly burst from her lips before she could stop it. He was an evil little prick. Proud to have contained her remark the first time; she should have known her resolve wouldn’t last long.

  Sabrina frowned. Wait a minute. How did Peters know she was living with Jake anyway? Her eyes cut to Hennessey, but he had a shocked look on his face and shook his head in denial.

  “Since when is it any of your business where I live or for that matter how long I’ve known a guy? Or are you more concerned about me ‘knowing’ a man in the biblical sense.”

  “You better watch your mouth,” Peters said hotly. He glanced down at her lips with considerably more interest than she would ever invite from him.

  “Why? I didn’t say a single ‘fucking’ swear word before. Or is this little tantrum all because I’m not interested in fucking you…that makes you so angry?” she added in a low whisper.

  Interesting concept, she thought, as Peters gazed at her mouth like he wanted to take a bite out of her. Disgusting. And her mouth, had just run over to take advantage of her anger.

  Peters’ eyes bulged out a moment. His nostrils flared and he looked like he was about to have a stroke. His face brightened to a vivid red and he stuttered incoherently for a moment before he turned and left the office in a huff.

  “What did you just say to him that I’m going to have to apologize for?” Hennessey asked, sidling up next to her and crossing his arms after the Councilman left the office. Across the room, Murphy tried to hide a smile as Councilman Peters brushed past him and out of sight.

  “You don’t want to know. There’ll be no apologies for what I just said.” Sabrina looked down at the floor. “Besides, what’s he going to do, take me off the bomb squad? Put my life in the limelight as the primary suspect? Oh no, he already did that! Maybe he could take my birthday away, it’s the only thing left.”

  * * * *

  By the end of the day, the media had gotten wind of the story. It broke on the evening news and the possible link of the ‘mad bomber’ to the ‘blond bomber’ was now out in the open. Sabrina rated a whole below-the-fold story for the evening edition of the paper. An all around sucky day.

  Hennessey asked her to take some personal time away from the sheriff’s office. She protested at first, but acquiesced in the end. She had a big mess to clean up at her house, anyhow, and no way was she going back to routine investigations when she was so personally vested in this big one right now.

  And God forbid she be relegated to the filing room.

  The ensuing media frenzy touting the serial bomber in the news all the livelong day with the third bomb gave Sabrina a headache. They publicly vilified her as the one responsible for the squad’s continued inability to stop the bombs. It was suggested she might be partly responsible as a fixation target of the bomber. Like it was her fault. Damn vultures.

  Peters spent the day on camera fanning the flames of her failure to further his own agenda as well as the private one he now waged against her.

  Hennessey’s response when accosted as he exited the sheriff’s station was that Sabrina held the position as lead bomb tech, but was taking a leave of absence in light of circumstances surrounding the case in which he was not at liberty to discuss. “She is the best tech we have. If she can’t defuse the bomb, no one else will be able to either. I’m sorry Councilman Peters felt it was necessary to pull her off the team. I sincerely hope there will be no loss of life in any future threats.”

  * * * *

  Sabrina spent the next two weeks cleaning out her house, arguing with her insurance on its value, and abusing her credit cards to replace her meager belongings.

  Then she did something she hadn’t done in years. She went to the library and researched bomb defuse techniques. She read several books on past bomb threats, studying configurations and the psychology of the bombers who got caught. It always calmed her. It gave her a small measure of control in the world full of uncertainty. A lot of the books were old, but she always learned something new.

  The bomber was quiet while she was away. She called Murphy to check in, but there wasn’t any new information. The lab called and said they were poised to apply some new digital scanning technology on the diary. They were hopeful they’d have more of the text identified, but they still tinkered on the software to get the thing to run. Murphy said he would call her if anything exciting happened.

  Sabrina enjoyed her two weeks off so much she told Hennessey she was taking another one. “Call me when I get to defuse bombs again,” she’d said.

  “Don’t get too comfortable being a bum. One more week, that’s it,” he’d replied.

  Halfway into her third and final week away, Jake came off of a three-day shift at the fire station and they went over to Joe and Kathleen’s for dinner. They fell into a regular routine. She enjoyed living with Jake. She hadn’t had a single bad dream or night terror since she’d moved in with him. When he worked and lived at his fire station, she snuggled around his pillow. His scent apparently enough to calm her through the nights when he was out being a hero.

  Suzanne called her to express her sympathy at the break-in at her house and the subsequent loss of all her belongings. She offered to donate some kitchen things she’d received as duplicates when she’d gotten married.

  Sabrina wondered at the new feeling of family that warmed her when she now talked to Suzanne. They were, in fact, sisters, after all. Sabrina had gotten the official word on the DNA test from the blood work a week ago.

  “Have you ever been back to the location?” Suzanne asked her in a hushed voice.

  “Uh. No, I haven’t. I’m not even sure of the exact address. I’d have to look it up.” Sabrina knew the street name from the police reports she’d seen a couple of weeks ago.

  “Would you go with me to visit the site tomorrow or would it be too painful for you?”

  Sabrina had been dreading this all week. Tomorrow was the anniversary of the death of their parents. The subject had been on her mind. Her birthday was near the end of the month. The desolate helpless feelings about her parents always kicked up just before her birthday.


  She’d been waiting for her nightmares to kick into high gear again too, but she’d had quiet nights. Being with Jake certainly helped, but maybe a visit with Suzanne would help her heal just a little more. It didn’t seem as breathtakingly painful this time, knowing someone else would be there experiencing the moment too.

  “You know, a month ago I would have said it was way too painful, but I think knowing I’m not the only one going through it makes me think it would be good for me. Cathartic if you will. I would love to go with you.”

  “Great. Do you want me to pick you up?”

  “No. I’ll drive. I’ll take you to lunch for your birthday.”

  “You remembered.”

  “Well, yeah. You are my sister, after all.” Sabrina thought the word sister rolled off her tongue well.

  * * * *

  “So is it inappropriate for me to ask how you like living with Jake?” Suzanne asked the next day after lunch, as they strolled along the upper deck of the local mall.

  Suzanne had talked her into a shopping expedition as well, on the pretense of finding replacement items for her apartment. It was as good of an excuse as any for shopping. Sabrina found she liked looking at things with Suzanne.

  She had done some shopping with Harry years ago. After he left, she hadn’t done much shopping over the years. She’d ordered lots of stuff on-line so she wouldn’t have to be out in public showing off her ignorance of social behavior. After spending time with Jake and his family, she had gained confidence in social situations. Suzanne was a big help too.

  “No. I like living with Jake. I probably wouldn’t have moved in so fast if it hadn’t been for the circumstances, but we’re making it work.” For now at least.

  “Ray and I lived together for a couple of weeks before we got married because the lease was up on my apartment. I felt like I was living in sin or something. It was fun and I liked it,” Suzanne said, blushing.