Back in the cover of the underbrush, she examined her find. It was a pink child’s shoe, covered with shiny plastic jewels. A brand new miniature high-heeled slipper. Callie remembered the marquee in town, advertising the latest Disney Princess movie. As she held the shoe, she saw again a screaming child break away from her captor, heading blindly for the woods, then sobbing as she was dragged toward the back door.
Callie ran back through the woods to find Trent pacing back and forth in the clearing.
“Look! This is the proof we need. It’s brand new – a princess shoe made for that new Disney movie that’s out. It proves there’s been a child in that back yard recently. We can show this to the police.”
“I can’t call from here,” he said, frustrated. “I’ve already checked. The mountains are blocking the cellphone towers. We’ll have to head back toward the main road to get a signal.”
“You go. I’ll stay and keep watch,” she offered, knowing he needed to be doing something to feel useful.
“I’ll be back as quickly as I can.”
As soon as Trent was out of sight, Callie crept back to her hiding place at the edge of the yard. There was no sound or movement from the house, but her sensation of dread intensified with each passing minute.
Callie concentrated, sending feelings of reassurance and safety to the frightened child. She knew the risk – if her mind fully connected with Bethany’s, she too would become a helpless victim, drawn straight into the terror the child was experiencing.
“Granmere, I need your help,” she whispered. “Show me how to be a seer without losing myself. Give me your ability to look into the mind of another soul while staying conscious in my own mind.”
Callie drew in a breath and closed her eyes. Once again, it was as though she stood beside the man, seeing what he saw, hearing what he heard. Judging from the uneven stone walls and narrow windows set near the ceiling, they were in the basement. A tiny blonde child, eyes wide with fear, lay on a rough wooden table. Her arms and legs were bound, her mouth covered with duct tape. Her nose was running after hours of crying and she struggled to breathe. She wore jeans and a pink princess t-shirt that matched her single shoe.
He was humming tunelessly as he puttered around the room, rechecking his knots, rearranging the collection of knives laid out on a folding table nearby, savoring the moment as though it were foreplay. Smiling fondly, he approached the terrified child.
“This is going to be fun. You’ll like it. You’ll like me.”
He slipped off her shoe. Reaching for the closest knife, he slid the blade under the cuff of her jeans.
Callie jumped to her feet and ran hell-bent toward the farmhouse. The flimsy lock gave way under a surge of adrenaline and she kicked in the back door. She found herself in an outdated kitchen. Across the room was an open doorway with narrow stairs leading to the basement. She dashed down without stopping.
At the crash of the door, the man dropped his knife and charged for the stairway. Already halfway down, Callie met him head-on with a kick to the stomach, the force of her blow magnified by his momentum. He tumbled to the ground and she was on him instantly, striking out at every vulnerable spot. He managed to scramble to his feet and charged her again. Callie’s training took over and she instinctively delivered a sidekick to his left knee. His leg twisted at an unnatural angle. The man screamed, crumbling to the ground.
Callie dashed to the table. Without pausing to untie the knots, she hacked through the ropes. Ripping off the duct tape, she gathered the child into her arms and sprinted up the stairs, crooning softly all the while.
“You’re safe now, Bethany. I’m a friend. I’m taking you home to mama. Everything’s going to be okay.”
Callie stepped out into the sunlight to find a circle of police cars surrounding the house. Two officers ran forward, trying to pry Bethany from her arms. The frightened child clung to her neck, burying her face in Callie’s hair, refusing to let go. Callie sank to the grass and cradled the little girl in her lap, murmuring words of comfort over and over.
“You’re safe now. Everything is going to be all right. No one will hurt you.”
As she spoke, Callie surveyed the scene around her. Armed officers were half-carrying the man down the porch steps, supporting his weight, as he screamed curses. One leg dragged uselessly on the ground. Blood poured from a gash on his head.
An officer approached them, knelt down in front of her, speaking calmly as he looked them over.
“Are you all right? Did he hurt you or Bethany?”
“He never touched me and I got there before he was able to harm anyone else,” Callie replied, careful not to say anything that would further traumatize the child in her arms.
“Well, from the looks of it, you did a pretty good job on him. But it was incredibly dangerous to go rushing in there. What if he’d had a gun? You could have been killed before we ever got here.”
Callie frowned as the child’s sobbing intensified. “No one got hurt. We’re all fine. I’ll be happy to talk to you later. I’ll answer any questions you have – after Bethany is with her mommy,” she added pointedly.
“Your mommy is on her way, Bethany. She’s very happy that we found you.” The officer stood and helped Callie to her feet, leading them toward the nearest patrol car. Callie paused, her eyes searching the crowded area.
“I need to let my… my… fiancée know that I’m all right.”
“Your young man has been frantic, but we couldn’t let him near here until the crime scene was secured. He’s waiting back in the woods, with an officer assigned to make sure he didn’t try to do anything as stupid as what you did.”
A squad car roared into the yard, barely pulling to a stop before the rear door was thrown open. A harried young woman burst out, crying and calling “Bethany! Bethany baby, mommy’s here!”
Struggling out of Callie’s grasp, the toddler dropped to the ground and ran toward the familiar voice. “Mommy, mommy, the bad man made me lose my new shoe.”
Callie laughed and turned to the officer. “Is it all right if I come to the police station after I’ve seen my fiancée? I need to let him know I’m all right.”
She headed for the woods without waiting for his answer. Bursting into the clearing, Callie found Trent pacing back and forth under armed guard. She smiled and rushed toward him, then stopped in shock as he grabbed her by the arms, furious.
“What the hell were you thinking? I told you to stay here and wait for me. But no, you had to go off like the Lone Ranger and put yourself in danger along with that child.”
“Trent, I had to go. He was going to hurt her. I saw it. I couldn’t wait.”
“And you were going to stop a serial killer all by yourself ?” he replied, his voice harsh.
“I had to try. I couldn’t stand by and let him…” She stopped, unable to put into words the horrors she had envisioned.
Trent turned to the officer. “Give us a moment here.”
His guard nodded. “I’ll be back at the house. Come up when you’re through.”
Callie watched him leave, then turned to Trent. “Through with what?”
“I told that cop I was going to paddle your ass if you came back alive. He understood. He’s got a headstrong woman of his own. I’ve never spanked anyone before, but by God, if there was ever a time someone deserved it, it’s now. I’m going to finish the job I saw your Granmere begin. Next time, maybe you’ll listen to reason instead of putting yourself in danger.”
In one swift motion, Trent sank down on a fallen log and pulled Callie over his lap. Yanking down her jeans and skimpy black panties, he peppered her bare bottom with firm smacks from his open palm, lecturing all the while.
“You will NEVER EVER do anything so dangerous again! Are you crazy? You told me all about this guy. Knives, ropes… I’ve been out of my mind with worry.”
Callie was too shocked to protest at first. But as he continued, spanking her even harder as he poured out his feelings, she re
alized the pain she felt was nothing compared to the pain she heard in his voice.
“You could have been KILLED! Our life together might have been over before it even began.”
Every word was accompanied by a stinging blow that set fire to her naked ass. Callie lay unmoving across his lap, listening in amazement to the tirade. Any defiance she felt disappeared as his words began to penetrate. Callie gradually realized that Trent needed to let out all the fear and frustration he’d been forced to endure while waiting helplessly in the clearing. Despite the harsh blows he was delivering, Callie felt the love and caring behind them. She had fought the demons in her life alone for so long that she never thought about the effect her impulsive actions would have on him. The adrenaline rush she’d been operating under vanished from her body and she was suddenly shaking and sobbing.
“I’m so sorry, Trent. I never meant to worry you. I was terrified, but I had to do it. I couldn’t abandon that child, knowing what I knew.”
Trent stopped instantly and gathered her into his arms.
“Shh, it’s okay. Everybody is safe now. You were so brave, baby. I panicked when I came back and found you gone. I knew you had gone into that house and there was nothing I could do to help you. The cops wouldn’t let me near the place. I had to wait here, imagining all kinds of terrible things.”
He held her tight, stroking her hair and her back. As her tears subsided, she became aware of another sensation building. She still felt the burning pain his hand inflicted on her ass, but the throbbing between her legs was growing stronger. Callie pressed her body closer to his. Trent responded by moving his hand lower, slowly caressing the tender cheeks he’d just been punishing.
“I’ve never done anything like this before. But I’m not sorry I did it. I swear I’ll spank you even harder if you ever put yourself in danger like that again. There’s something about you that pushes buttons I never knew I had. I want to be with you, Callie. I want to go on wild adventures with you. I want to feel your arms wrapped around me as we fly through the mountains on my Harley. I want to watch your face when you eat another piece of strawberry cheesecake. I want to hear the sounds you’ll make when I bury my head between your legs for the first time, stroking you right here with my tongue while you’re spread out on that old quilt in front of the fireplace.”
He moved his hand between her legs as he spoke, sliding his finger along, feeling the wet heat. Callie squirmed at the unfamiliar sensation but Trent held her tighter.
“I want to live out every hot, sensual moment I’ve seen in these crazy images - images that keep appearing in my head whenever we’re together. Ever since I first laid eyes on you, I’ve been under your spell, Voodoo woman.”
“If there’s a spell, we’re both under its power,” Callie murmured.
She reached down to the growing bulge in his jeans, running her hand boldly over the outline of his rigid cock, then touched his lips with the tip of her tongue.
“I want it too – everything we’ve seen. But you’ll have to teach me what to do, how to pleasure you.”
“I have a feeling you’re going to be a fast learner,” he replied, covering her hand with his own as he guided it all the way up and down, deepening the stroke. He opened his mouth, allowing her tongue to explore. Then with a sigh, he gently pulled away.
“We’d better stop now, while I still have a little willpower left. Let’s get you back to the police, let them take your statement. Then I have a surprise for you.”
Callie sat back and met his eyes, grinning.
“A surprise? I love surprises!”
Back in town, Callie spent several hours fielding questions from two detectives. She used the cover story of a quest for the perfect property for her mythical uncle to explain their presence at the old farmhouse, then described finding a tiny shoe in the yard. Callie told them how she’d heard about the search for a missing child from the chatty waitress at the diner. The detectives exchanged a look.
“That would be Jess. She’ll talk your ear off if you give ‘er half a chance. The newspaper only comes out once a week here and Jess considers it her duty to fill in the slack. But your boyfriend told us he left you in the clearing and went to call for help. Why did you go back - break into the house all by yourself?”
“I told him I’d keep watch on the place. I hid in the bushes at the edge of the Forest Service where I could see the house in case they left.” Callie improvised, knowing she was the only one who had seen duct tape covering the child’s mouth. “I heard screaming – and I just ran in without stopping to think.”
“The door was unlocked?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t stop to check. I just kicked it open.”
Another look. The second detective jumped in.
“You kicked it in? Is that how the man got hurt – you kicked him too?”
Callie nodded. “He was charging up the stairs… coming at me with a knife. My training took over, just like it’s supposed to. My father taught martial arts. I sat in on his classes from the time I was about five years old. He died a few years ago, but I kept on practicing alone.”
“He taught you well. You broke the guy’s leg. He’s been screaming at us to charge you with assault. Don’t worry – ain’t gonna happen,” he added, seeing the look on Callie’s face. “Far as we’re concerned, he broke it when he tripped and fell down the stairs. Matter of fact, he got quite a few bruises from that fall.”
Finally, the detectives seemed satisfied and allowed her to leave. Callie found Trent in the squad room, describing his newest, as-yet unreleased virtual game to a rapt audience.
“You’re kayaking down the rapids in the dead of winter, racing to stop a serial killer. He kidnapped this hot chick you’ve fallen in love with and they’re holed up in a cabin downstream. The roads are impassable, blocked with snow. It’s the only way to get there. You’re swept along, flipping upside down as you go over the falls… You’ll even feel the icy cold as your hands cling to the paddle.”
She stood in the doorway, listening to him spin the tale, marveling at his ability to weave in details she knew he’d only glimpsed for a few seconds as they sped through the Gorge. Was it just this morning? It seemed a lifetime ago. She stepped into his line of sight as he ended the story.
Trent promised to send them a prototype for their break room, complete with all the necessary virtual gear. “It’s the least I can do to thank you guys for getting this woman safely back to me,” he said, putting out his arm to draw her close.
“Make sure you do whatever you have to do to keep her out of harm’s way from now on,” said one of the officers with a wink. Callie recognized the cop. He was the one who stood guard over Trent in the clearing. Trent deliberately slid his hand down her back, brushing her ass. Callie blushed, even though she knew no one else could see.
The Harley’s storage compartments were bulging. “What’s all this?” she asked.
“Part of my surprise.” Without another word, Trent hopped on the bike and handed Callie her helmet. They cruised out of town, heading in a different direction than before. In no time they were winding through the foothills. Trent slowed, taking an unmarked lane that led uphill and around a curve. He coasted to a stop in a secluded clearing. A small stream bubbled along one side, with clumps of bright purple irises blooming in the shallow water on the banks. Ahead, on a rise, stood a cozy log cabin with a cedar shake roof. Yellow jasmine carpeted the patch of sloping ground to one side. A flagstone path guided the way through the front garden to a wide welcoming porch, complete with matching red rocking chairs.
Trent stepped off the bike and reached for her hand. Callie stared in shock.
“It’s the cabin,” she stammered. “It’s the cabin I saw.”
“It’s the cabin WE saw,” Trent replied with a smile. He headed for the door, then stopped. “Come on, don’t you want to see the inside?”
“Can we just go in?”
“I sure as hell hope so. The key worked fine an
hour ago.” He grabbed a couple of grocery bags from the storage compartment and led the way up the path.
“It’s ours for the next week… and I hope I bought enough food so we don’t have to leave here for at least three days. Because that’s how long it’s gonna be before I let you out of my arms once this door closes behind us. I intend to live out every scene in those X-rated home movies I’ve been seeing – and add some new ones.”
Callie stepped inside. There was the fieldstone fireplace, logs piled up ready to light. “You even laid out the quilt in front of the fire.” She turned to Trent, amazed. “You did all of this while I was in the police station?”
“I saw a flyer with pictures of this vacation rental in one of the real estate offices I was in this morning. I knew as soon as I saw it that this is where I wanted to bring you to make love to you for the first time. Planning this was the only thing that kept me from punching out that cop and charging to your rescue.”
He gathered her into his arms. “Once I knew it was over, that you and Bethany were safe, I rushed back to the real estate office while you were talking to the cops. The agent drove me out here to see it and I signed a lease on the spot.”
He nuzzled her neck and whispered, “The creek leads to a little waterfall out back. Bet the water is cold enough to make your nipples hard this time of year. Wanna skinny dip later?”
Callie stepped away. “Hold on a minute,” she said sternly. “You weren’t truthful with me about something earlier. I need to know why you got so upset when I told the waitress the names of our imaginary kids.”
“David was my grandfather’s name. With my own father out of the picture, he was the closest thing to a dad I ever knew. He died when I was eleven. I always thought if I ever had a boy, I’d name him after Grandpa.”
“And the girl?”
“I had a premonition of my own when I held your hand last night while you were sleeping. You were singing to a little blonde girl cuddled on your lap. She called you mommy – and you called her Kaya.”
Callie's Gift Page 6
