Mystery: Family Ties: Mystery and Suspense

by James Kipling

  Asa felt his words as if a bucket of cold water was thrown at her. Unable to shake him off, she resulted in just turning her head away from him, looking at the door of the room. The man reached up with one hand and cup her chin, to force her back. Asa resisted him and finally he gave up. Carefully, Gabriel slipped out of her and moved down the bed. The moment Asa felt free, she tugged at the sheet and covered herself, turning her back to him and even closing her eyes.

  Gabriel felt it go, the intense sensation of a few moments ago was lost, the heat of the moment lost in the cold reality that came crashing over them. He dressed quickly, retrieving Asa’s clothes from the floor and placing them on the bed. “It wasn’t my intention to do this, when we came to your room,” he finally said. “I am sorry, if I hurt you…”

  Asa didn’t answer him and his eyes widened in surprise. “Did I hurt you?” He suddenly asked and sat on the bed, tugging at the sheet.

  “No, just leave me alone for a moment…” the woman hugged the sheet closer and refused to look at him.

  “Look,” Gabriel tried again. “You really got under my skin. With the stunt you pulled, you very well could get the first place among all the rest of the women I have ever known.”

  Asa finally turned her head, watching the man sitting on her bed with wide eyes. She bit her lips, in a desperate attempt not to cry and cleared her throat. “I don’t want anything from you.” She said firmly. “It was an accident that I met you, I had no idea who you were until a few days ago.”

  Gabriel wanted that to be true, he wanted it so much, but after being hurt so many times, the man couldn’t afford to be hurt again. “Don’t lie to me, Asa,” he said shaking his head. “How could that be possible? I told you my name from the very beginning.”

  “So, what? At that time your family name meant nothing to me…”

  “That didn’t mean that you didn’t google us or asked about us,” the man stared at her, making her uncomfortable.

  “I can say the same for you then,” she said stubbornly.

  “No, you can’t,” Gabriel laughed. “What would I gain from sleeping with you?”

  “Right,” she smiled sarcastically. “I haven’t got what you need, so I am no one? You were right, I really don’t like the man you turned out to be. Now leave me and don’t worry about anything, I am no longer interested in you.”

  “We will see about it,” the man said, still unconvinced and quietly went into the bathroom.

  Asa let the tears fall down, as soon as the door closed behind him, her hand clamping her mouth to stop the whimpers that were coming up. She held her breath, willing herself to stop hurting. The man didn’t deserve it that was for sure. She dressed quickly and left the room before Gabriel could come out of the bathroom.

  Chapter 29

  The next morning, Asa, Gabriel and a host of mounted police set off on horseback to the high pasture camp. The journey was long and treacherous, but everyone involved was well trained and prepared for it. Asa was the most inexperienced one, although the years spent in the reserve with her mother’s family had prepared her for it.

  Gabriel and Asa were at the head of the group, riding a few yards ahead of the others, so that they could talk. The long journey was giving them plenty of time to talk about what had happened between them. Both of them had been silent and insecure that morning, after a sleepless night. Asa had been unable to close her eyes after what had happened in the hotel. She couldn’t believe that she, Agent Asa Clark, had had sex with a suspect and liked it. It had never happened before and she wanted to believe that it wouldn’t happen again, but something was telling her that given the chance, she would do it again.

  Gabriel, on the other hand, was contemplating his own behavior and feeling angry for letting Asa make him act on feelings. He was still mad at her for hiding her real identity and was angry at himself for not being able to see the truth for himself. Gabriel really liked woman, but he loved his family and Asa was here to destroy it.

  “I think now is the time for us to talk about what happened,” Asa was the first to talk. “I want to explain to you why I acted the way I did.”

  “I am not really interested to listen to more lies, Asa,” Gabriel said calmly, without looking at her.

  “I never lied to you, Gabriel,” Asa shook her head. “As I was saying, I was sent here to investigate the case of the two missing FBI agents, agent Smith and Holliday. It was never in my plans to meet you or hide who I was. It simply happened.”

  “It has never happened to me, Asa, or to most of the people I know,” Gabriel said sarcastically.

  “Nothing was as it was supposed to be. We had no leads and I was feeling powerless. Then my boss suggested that I get to know the locals, so that I could find more information. The first time I went into a club, I met you and you never asked who I was. I wanted to tell you more than once, but it never was the right time.”

  “What about when you came to my home, when we spent the night together, when I took you on a date?” Gabriel asked. Asa could feel the hurt behind his words and wanted to tell him how she really felt, but it seemed too late now.

  “During those moments, I wanted to most of all, to be completely honest with you, but if you recall, we were doing other things then? And anyway, I didn’t want to mix my work with what we had. I was investigating a big case, Gabriel, and you were a distraction. Do you know that until three days ago, when the soil we found in the car of the missing agents was found to be a match to the dirt around your ranch.”

  “Dirt? All this because of some dirt?” Gabriel yelled at her.

  “Yeah,” she nodded. “That was when we came to your ranch with the search warrant. Before that, I never suspected your family.”

  The woman turned around to look at him and waited for Gabriel to do the same. “I am sorry, Gabriel…” her lips said sorry, while her eyes continued. I am sorry for lying to you, for hurting you, for going after your family… I am sorry about everything.

  “Although, I understand what you are saying, I cannot help feeling hurt by your insinuations about my family,” Gabriel pointed out. “I don’t understand, why it is so difficult for you to comprehend that we are just hard working cattle ranchers?”

  “Because all the evidence points against it, Gabriel,” she answered exasperated. “I already told you that I work only with the evidence I have. I will never go after anyone, if there is no good reason for me to do so. Gabriel, I remember your brother talking against the government’s control over people’s lives and how he is afraid that someday that very government might come to his home and take everything from him.”

  “So, what?” Gabriel asked. “There are many people, who think the same. Do you think that they all are terrorists?”

  “No, no, it’s just that all this evidence is against him,” Asa commented. “You see, we have information that somewhere in this area there is a terrorist organization, which is responsible for multiple small acts of terrorism and now for the bombing of the FBI field office.”

  “Believe me, Asa, I would never do something like that,” Gabriel pleaded with her.

  “I know that,” Asa answered. “I have always known that. And I want you to know that I will help you legally in any way I can.”

  “Is that how you say once again sorry for what you have done?” The man once again asked sarcastically.

  “No, I would like to think that this is how I say that I care about you and that I believe you,” Asa answered and let her horse fall behind. Gabriel turned around to look at her, but then just turned back ahead and let her do whatever she wanted. Gabriel was determined to show her that his family had nothing to do with the murders and bombing. It was true that his brother was intense sometimes and that his distrust of the system was well known, but Gabriel couldn’t see his brother as a murderer despite all that.

  Asa watched his determined stance and thought that the man was really beautiful, especially when he was in his element, amidst the vast expanse of the Monta
na plains.

  “Agent Clark,” one of the policemen called at her. “Shortly we will be near the highlands. Do you want us to proceed from different directions?”

  Asa thought about his proposition, but it seemed too soon to give such order and Asa just shook her head. “Let’s get closer and see what the situation is. If the suspects refuse to talk to us, we will think about other strategies. But, for now, I want to give them the chance to give us an explanation.”

  Chapter 30

  A few miles up, on the high pastures, David and Jane Kimble were having a beautiful moment together. It was one of those rare times, when David was feeling romantic and willing to forget all the grave problems of the world around them. He had used the morning to finish the work they had with the cattle and then had returned to the small cabin in the woods, where Jane was cooking lunch.

  “What are you doing?” The woman asked him innocently.

  “I really find it cute, when you play the innocent, Jane, but now we don’t have time for that.” The man circled the table and walked closer to her, standing just inches away from her. Jane immediately recognized the look in his eyes and turned around, taking the food off of the fire. David quickly pressed his chest against her back, successfully preventing her from doing anything else. They moved a bit to the left and now Jane was pressed against the wall of the cabin.

  “Please, David, I don’t think that we have time for that,” Jane asked in a shaky voice.

  “I am not doing anything you don’t want me to do,” the man replied and ran his hands down her sides. Jane tried hard not to respond to either his words or movements, but it was getting harder with each passing moment.

  “David, I thought that we put an end to all this?” She said, her voice shaky and pleading. David didn’t give an answer to her protests and pressed even harder against her. Jane’s body burned with passions, touch starved and craving for affection. It had been a long time since someone touched her the way David was doing right now and Jane couldn’t help but respond.

  The man, on the other hand, seemed cold and predatory, as he let his hands travel up her hips and around, until they cupped her breasts. In no time, his lips were exploring her neck, probably leaving red marks in their wake. It felt good to feel loved again and Jane let her body relax against the strong chest of the man. That day she had dressed in a simple shirt and blue jeans, which made her look like the perfect cow girl, but also were comfortable to wear.

  David didn’t pay any attention to her clothes and quickly opened her shirt to reveal the soft naked skin under it. The man didn’t bother to ask for permission, but sneaked his hand around pressing her against his body. Jane waited for his next move and wasn’t at all surprised, when the man lifted her in his arms. Easily, the man carried her to the battered sofa on the other side of the room and let her stand on her feet.

  By that time, Jane had already decided to go with the flow. She saw no sense in pretending that she didn’t want it. She knew it and he knew it. They both had been fighting the mutual attraction for a whole month now and finally they had snapped. When Jane had told him a month ago that she wasn’t pregnant yet again, David had acted cold and aloof around her, to the point that she had started to think that nothing else was going to happen between them.

  David removed his jacket and left it on the desk, circled the room and closed the curtains on the windows, leaving only the fire to illuminate the room with soft light. When he returned to the sofa, David had managed to remove his shirt and open his belt. His actions, however, didn’t make Jane feel disgusted or ready to bolt. The moment she had decided to stay, she had also decided not to let the guilt ruin the moment for her. Whatever was the reason for this sudden interest in her, she was going to enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

  The man brushed aside the hair on the back of her neck and lowered his mouth until his lips gazed again her delicate skin, making her shiver at the touch. Instinctively, Jane leaned forward to give him better access, reveling in the touch of him. David moved her onto the sofa and Jane collaborated, allowing herself to be undressed and laid down on it. Her senses were throbbing in anticipation and David seemed as anxious as her to feel her against his skin.

  David crawled slowly on top of her, his mouth painting her body with gentle kisses. “You taste sweeter than any fruit I have ever tasted.” He said softly, as her arousal grew stronger. The man continued to adore her body with hands and mouth, until Jane was trembling with desire. She was expecting him to undress himself, but the man gripped her thighs instead and spoke against her lips.

  “Look at me, Jane,” he said. “I want you to look at me, when I penetrate you, when we become one. I want you to see how much I want this.” He continued, his voice full of lust. “And don’t say that you don’t want it, because I know that you do, my love.”

  Jane looked up and never let her eyes move, while David gently entered her. Slow, hard thrusts followed, but neither of them interrupted the eye contact between them. Sensing that Jane was on the verge of orgasm, David pulled back, and then started thrusting harder, making her moan in pleasure. The man had intended to make it last, but after only a few hard strokes, they were coming in waves of intense pleasure.

  David let his body relax over Jane’s and the woman embraced him with trembling hands. The sex with him was something so pleasurable that after every time they had sex, Jane thought that she was dreaming.

  They stood like that until their bodies started to cool down and David moved from the sofa and helped Jane to do the same. The situation now was awkward and Jane hurried up to dress. David gave her some privacy to dress, but once she had put on her jeans and shirt, he turned around.

  “Jane, I am sorry if I forced you to do something you didn’t want to do,” he said sincerely, running his hand through his already messed up hair. It took Jane a few seconds to understand his words, as her mind was back to the time, when she was the one playing with his hair.

  “You didn’t force me into anything,” she finally said. “It just surprised me, as you haven’t touched me in so long.”

  “You don’t know why,” David returned to his old self. His jacket was still lying over the chair and David slowly put it on, remembering all the sweet moments from a few minutes ago. “I didn’t mean to hurt you, just... I want a baby so much.”

  “I know,” Jane said uncertainly. “But, I don’t know what to do…”

  “Yeah…” David said and then as if remembering something looked at her sharply. “Do you want to talk about what just happened?”

  “No, I know what you want and I am sorry that I am not able to give it to you,” Jane said bitterly and opened one of the windows and looked outside. “By the way, someone is coming up the mountains.”

  David felt almost physically the hurt and bitterness in her tone, but didn’t comment on it, Jane was his other half and he hoped that she knew it.

  Slowly, he exited the cabin and looked outside. A group of people was coming their way, but from that distance, David was unable to see who they were. One thing was for sure, few people knew this place and even fewer came here uninvited. The man returned back into the cabin and took his rifle from behind the door.

  Chapter 31

  Jane followed David outside carrying a gun too and looking determined to do whatever was needed to help her husband. She too was aware that nothing good could be coming from the group of people walking up the hill. She walked behind him to the place they were using in such cases. David had shown her the natural stone wall, situated in such a way to provide perfect view of the path, leading up and in the same time providing protection to the people hiding behind it.

  The group of people coming up slowly approached the place, where they were hiding. David and Jane were able to recognize Gabriel, riding in front and Asa, right behind him. Then followed a group of horse policemen and David noticed that everyone, except Gabriel was carrying a gun and a rifle.

  “Why is Gabriel with all those FBI agents and pol
ice officers?” Jane asked the question that was bothering both of them. “It looks as if he is being arrested.”

  “Yeah, but why? Why is the FBI holding my brother?” David asked. The law officers were just under the hill at that time and David pointed the rifle at them and shouted. “What are you doing here?”

  “Mr. Kimble?” Asa shouted back. “David Kimble. We are here to talk to you. Can you come down, please?”

  “Not before you tell me what is going on here?” The man answered.

  “Mr. Kimble, don’t make things more difficult for yourself,” Asa was all business again. “We need to ask you about the murders of two FBI agents and the bombing of the FBI field office.”

  “I don’t know nothing about those things,” David said angrily. “Get away from here.”

  “Listen, Mr. Kimble,” Asa tried again. “You need to understand that…”

  A gun shot took them all by surprise and Asa and the other police officers tried to find a hiding place, but not all of them managed in time. The police started shooting back and a tense shootout erupted between the groups. Asa watched how two of the mounted police officers fell on the ground, injured in the fight and just hoped that they weren’t hurt too bad. Unsure what to do next, the FBI agent searched for the only person there, she really cared about. Gabriel was standing in his previous place and was desperately trying to calm the situation down.

  “David, David, stop shooting,” Asa heard him shout and hoped that his brother was going to listen to him.

  A painful moan was heard from behind the stones and Gabriel started shouting louder. “David, are you okay? David stop this madness.”

  “Okay, okay, we are coming out,” everyone heard a woman’s voice calling.

  “Jane?” Gabriel called back. “Please, Jane, come out.”

  “Jane, this is Asa,” Clark called too. “We just want to talk. If you answer our questions and we see that you are not involved, there will be nothing to worry about.”