Seeking Safety

by Karen Ward

  With the first brush of Barry's lips against mine, I am lost, all of my senses fly right out of my head and I feel as if it is spinning out of control with feelings and sensations unknown to me. I raise my hands to his chest then wrap one around his neck where I tangle my fingers in the hair at his nape. When his tongue pushes past my lips into my mouth, I think I am going to faint. I am dizzy with sensation. All I want is to get closer, to crawl right inside of this man. I tug on his neck pulling him even closer.

  After several long minutes, Barry drops his hand from my cheek down to the graceful curve of my neck and then follows his fingertips with his lips. He is breathing heavily and hears my breathing is just as ragged. He pulls my head to his chest and slowly our breathing returns to normal. "Oh Beth, I knew we were going to be explosive, but this is unbelievable!" He holds me in his arms for several long minutes without talking. Finally he says, "Come on, I better walk you back to you room. As much as I would like to take this further, I think it is too soon, for both of us."

  He grasps my hand and pulls me up from the swing. Then hand in hand we make our way back inside the house each lost in our own thoughts. At my door, Barry tenderly brushes his lips against mine, "Goodnight, Beth, sleep well." Then he turns and makes his way up the stairs to the master suite.

  A short time later, as Barry is standing under the icy cold spray of his shower, he thinks back over the kiss he shared with Beth on the patio. He can't ever remember any kiss that was as explosive. He has had his pick of women for years now, and he has sampled a good number, but he has never reacted to any of them the way he did with Beth. That one kiss carried him almost to the brink of no return. His control has always been something he has been proud of, that he could walk away at any time without regrets. Much more tonight and he wouldn't have been able to walk away from Beth. He needs to slow down and make sure about this whole thing before he gets in too deep.

  ******

  As I am lying in my bed later that night, I relive the kiss I shared with Barry. It was the most exciting and sensual experience of my life. I want to engrave every second of it on my mind because it may be all I ever have. Darren kissed me, but he never created the feelings of excitement in me that Barry's one kiss did. Wow!

  I know in my heart that a relationship with Barry Farrady is impossible. Even if he could actually care for a plain, unsophisticated woman like me, I cannot ever let myself become involved with him. He lives in the public eye and his picture along with whoever he is with appears in magazines on every newsstand in the country. Appearing on the cover of even one of those magazines would put me and Michael in grave danger and might even mean death for me and maybe even my son. The fact the group tracked us down in New York City is proof of that. I just can't take that chance.

  CHAPTER 8

  The following Saturday night, Barry, Virginia, Michael and I all travel through the private gate to the Murray's home for dinner. It doesn't take Michael long to make friends with Dani Jacob Murray's daughter. Michael has been very lonely since leaving the compound so I am glad to see him open up to Dani.

  I am pleased to meet Jana and Jenny Murray. It is nice to have someone near my own age to talk to. It is also nice to know that I am not the only one whose previous life was not story book perfect. My heart bleeds for Jenny when she tells me about losing her first child in an automobile accident that took the life of her first husband and almost took hers. When Jana tells me about nearly being killed by a mob assassin it makes me realize how lucky I am to be under the protection of Barry and his friends from Drake Security.

  After dinner while we are all sitting on their porch watching the horse's play in the adjoining pasture, Jacob mentions to Barry that Bob Kenner ran two men off their ranch earlier the same day. He said they appeared to have been scouting the area around the Rock Springs Ranch, possibly looking for a way onto the property. Barry thanks Jacob for the information and tells him he will let Scoot know and they can check it out. They may want Bob to try to identify the men from mug shots.

  Early the next morning, Scoot sits down with Bob and asks him to try to identify the two men. Bob picks out the two from a stack of pictures. He tells Scoot they were traveling on four wheelers which is the reason he noticed them at all.

  ******

  A couple of weeks have passed since Michael and his Mom came to the ranch and Michael loves everything about it. He has learned how to ride and to care for the horses. Bud, the new foreman, says Michael is a natural and will make a fine horseman and rancher some day.

  Michael and Barry have spent hours combing over the hills of the ranch on horseback and on four wheelers. Michael thinks that Barry is great too. He is patient, kind, and understanding and he has been teaching him survival skills. They have gone fishing in the river that runs through the ranch and he is teaching him what berries are safe to eat and which ones aren't. His real Dad never spent time with him like Barry has.

  He and Barry have spent a lot of time just talking too. He has told Barry everything he can remember about the compound in Idaho. Being a kid, he had been allowed in places at the compound his Mom was never allowed to go. His Dad had let him in the compound office and carried him to some of the meetings and he has related to Barry everything he can remember. He has drawn maps of the compound and the inside of the compound office. He has told him who lived in each of the cabins at the compound and identified the men that seemed to be the leaders. He has told him about all of the other kids who lived at the compound, what they did for fun, and who was mean to him and who was nice.

  Michael is glad his real Dad is dead. He hated him for the way he used to hit and kick his Mom. That last time when he had tried to step between his Dad and Mom, his Dad had hit him too. He will never forget that. He socked him right in the nose and made it bleed and then beat him across his back with a belt. It had hurt real bad and his Mom had cried. He still has scars on his back from that beating. Barry had asked about them when he had seen them at the pool. He finds himself wishing that Barry could be his Dad. His life would certainly be different if he was and he would never have to leave the ranch then.

  He dreads having to leave the ranch, but he knows it won't be much longer. His Mom told him they would stay a month but he can tell she is getting ready to leave. She has been slowly packing their clothes. He knows she is nervous having that reporter at the gate that is part of the militia. He can understand her fear because he is afraid too. It's just that he knows the ranch is the safest place they can be. Barry, Scoot, and the other guys will protect them.

  Michael and Dani Murray, Jacob Murray's daughter from the Rocking J Ranch have become fast friends. They are exactly the same age and spend nearly every afternoon riding together. One afternoon as they are riding across the back pasture on the Murray ranch, they are chased by two men on four wheelers. Dani is able to outrun the men, but Michael's horse is frightened by the unfamiliar noise and rears causing him to fall off. The two men grab him and leave on the four wheelers. Dani gallops as fast as her horse can carry her back to the barn yelling, "Daddy, Uncle Jason, Bob, two men just took Michael!"

  Jacob Murray asks, "Slow down, Dani, what happened?"

  Dani says, panting, "Two men just took Michael! They were chasing us and Michael's horse threw him. The men grabbed him and left on four wheelers. They took the old logging road at the back of the pasture. Please hurry Daddy!"

  Jason places a call to Barry while Dani is still talking and relates what Dani is saying to them. Within minutes they hear the helicopter pass overhead headed toward the back of the pasture and the logging road. Jacob, Jason, and Bob head toward the logging road on horseback.

  ******

  Michael is terrified and his heart is pounding with fear. He remembers these men from the compound but he doesn't know why they have grabbed him. His Dad is dead and he can't think of any other reason they would want him. He knows better than to try to fight these men. They are cruel like his Dad and he doesn't want another beating like the
one his Dad gave him the night he and his Mom left the compound. He knows without a doubt that Barry and the other guys will find him.

  I am hysterical. I am pacing back and forth in the great room of Barry's house. My heart is pounding with fear for Michael. Why did they take Michael? What do they want with him? Virginia is trying her best to calm me but I am inconsolable. Jana, Jenny, Neal and Dani Murray arrive within minutes. Jenny takes Virginia by the hand and heads to the kitchen to make coffee and Jana takes my hand and leads me to the sofa. Dani is holding one year old Neal and sits down in front of the fireplace to play with the baby.

  "Beth, you have got to calm down. You are not helping Michael by getting upset," Jana coaxes. "You have to try and think what reason they have for taking him. Anything you remember can be helpful."

  With tears in my eyes I respond, "I know, Jana, I'm just so scared. What if they don't find them? What if they are too late? What if I never get to see Michael again? They'll take him back to that horrible compound! Oh God, please help him!"

  "Everything's going to be just fine, you'll see. These men, Barry's friends, they're very good at what they do and Barry loves Michael. He will find him and keep him safe." Jana consoles.

  ******

  Barry's heart is pounding with fear. Damn! Damn! Damn! How could he have let this happen? Why didn't he warn Michael to stay on the Rock Springs Ranch where he would be safe? Damn! Beth is never going to forgive him. Hell, he's never going to forgive himself if something happens to Michael. Please God, keep him safe!

  Scoot is the pilot of the helicopter. Pinky and Barry have their sniper rifles loaded and ready. Goose is the lookout and says, "Look, over by the fence, I see them. It appears they are headed for that wash over on the other side of those trees."

  Scoot turns toward the area Goose indicated and they spot an armored vehicle hidden in the brush. "All right guys, you may only get one shot a piece. We have to get them before they reach the vehicle," warns Scoot.

  Pinky says, "I'll take the one on the red four wheeler, you get the other one Farrie."

  Leaning out on either side of the helicopter, anchored by belts attached to the helicopter's frame, Barry and Pinky take aim. Scoot yells, "Now!" just as the men hop off of the four wheelers headed for the truck dragging Michael between them.

  When the shots ring out both men immediately drop in their tracks on either side of the boy. Stunned to be suddenly free of their grasp, Michael looks up at the helicopter and sees the men leaning out on either side. He waves smiling as relief flows through his young body. Scoot lands on a flat area just about a quarter mile away and Barry bolts out toward the boy. Grabbing him into a bear hug, he says, "Thank God! They didn't hurt you, did they?"

  Michael shakes his head, grins, "No, I'm all right. I knew you would come save me."

  Scoot, Pinky, and Goose check the dead men and verify their demise and their identities. They are the same two men that Bob Kenner identified previously as having been scouting the area around the Rock Springs Ranch.

  As the three men approach Barry, Pinky says grinning, "Farrie, I sure am glad your skill is still in top notch form. That was a close one!"

  Michael looks curiously at Barry and asks, "Farrie?"

  Barry blushing says, "It's short for Farrady. That was my code name in the Marines just like Pinky, Scoot, and Goose are these guy's code names."

  Michael asks, "Did you really shoot one of those two men from up in the helicopter?"

  Barry blushes again, "Yeah."

  "Wow! That was awesome!" exclaims Michael throwing his arms around Barry's neck. "I want you to teach me how to shoot like that!"

  Barry responds, "Well, maybe when you are a little older as long as your Mom says it's all right."

  Jacob, Jason, and Bob arrive on the scene on horseback. Smiling Jacob says, "Well, Barry, We're glad to see all is well. We heard those shots and got here as fast as we could. We're glad it all turned out for the best."

  Jason adds, "The sheriff is on the way. He'll want to get statements from everyone."

  Barry nods his acknowledgement but says, "I think he's going to need to come to the ranch to get our statements. I don't want to keep Beth in suspense about Michael's safety. I'm sure she heard those shots too. Do you mind waiting for him here and asking him to stop by the ranch?"

  "Not at all," answers Jacob. "Get the boy back to his mother." Jacob understands completely the horror of not knowing the fate of your child. His daughter had been abandoned by one of his former girlfriends at a truck stop hundreds of miles from home when Dani was only eight. His current wife, Jana, was the one that found her hiding in the truck stop restroom and protected her until Jacob could get to her from Texas.

  Scoot asks, "Michael, are you ready for a ride in my bird?"

  Michael says, "You bet!" His heart is pounding with excitement. He takes off running toward the helicopter followed by Barry and the Drake Security team. They all climb aboard and fly back to the Rock Springs Ranch.

  As the helicopter takes off, Jacob Murray looks at his twin brother, Jason and says, "We need to get us one of those."

  Jason asks skeptically, "And just who is going to fly it?"

  Jacob responds, "We could learn. Doesn't it look like fun?"

  Jason grins and says, "How about if we get Scoot to teach us to fly one first and then we can talk about buying one."

  Bob Kenner shakes his head. Young men do love new toys.

  ******

  When I hear the helicopter getting closer I run through the back door of the house so I can see them when they land. My heart is pounding with fear because I heard what I think was gunfire. Please God, keep Michael safe!

  Bud Wilkes is waiting in the yard and I walk up beside him, shaking with fear. He says, "It's over. They are on their way back. They should be here momentarily." He glances over at me and sees me shaking with fear. He heard the shots too and recognized them as coming from the sniper rifles. He is confident everything ended well. He consoles, "Don't worry. Those boys know what they are doing. Your boy is fine."

  I glance up at Bud and he smiles at me. I nod my head and try to return his smile. His words comfort me some but I will not relax until I see Michael for myself.

  When the helicopter lands in the yard at the ranch, Bud has to grab my arm to keep me from running into the blades before they stop. When I see Michael step out of the helicopter no one is about to stop me. I am sobbing with relief and enclose him in my arms squeezing him tight. "Oh Michael, I was so scared. Are you all right? They didn't hurt you, did they?"

  "Aw Mom, I'm fine. Barry saved me just like I knew he would. He shot one of the two men from up in the helicopter before they could take me away." I am shocked at his words and look up to see Barry approaching.

  Walking up beside them and blushing Barry says, "Hey Michael, give Pinky credit too. He shot the other one. If Scoot hadn't flown us to the location we wouldn't have made it in time and Goose is the one that spotted you."

  Tears running unashamedly down my face, I thank each of the men in turn. When I get to Barry I put my arms around his waist and lay my head on his chest sobbing with relief. I feel his arms close tenderly around me.

  Barry hasn't allowed himself to touch or hold Beth since that first night when he had kissed her on the patio. She just feels too much like she belongs in his arms and the attraction he feels for this woman scares him to death. His arms have ached to hold her for days now. Holding her again is heavenly and his heart thuds heavily. He wishes their lives were different. The way things stand now he realizes they have no future together. He lives in the public eye with the Paparazzi following him everywhere and it would just be too dangerous for her and the boy. A sense of deep sadness flows over him.

  ******

  I don't know why I put my arms around Barry. He hasn't made any attempt to get close to me since that first night on the patio. If I am honest with myself, I have been disappointed that he hasn't attempted to kiss me again but at the same time, I
'm really not surprised. He is a famous movie star after all and I am nobody.

  Putting my arms around him just seemed like the most natural thing in the world for me to do. Just like seeking his comfort after having been so scared for Michael seems natural to me. Standing in the middle of the ranch yard wrapped in the safety of his arms is the only place I want to be at the moment. I realize a relationship with Barry Farrady is hopeless on so many different levels, but I need his comfort right now. I'll worry about everything else later.

  ******

  Michael is pumped up. Yes, he was scared to death when those two men grabbed him after he fell off his horse. They were friends of his Dad and he remembers how mean they could be. He was very relieved when Barry and the guys came to his rescue. It was so exciting being rescued by them in their helicopter. And riding in the "bird", as Scoot called it, was awesome! Barry is absolutely the greatest! He remembers seeing him hanging out of the side of the helicopter when he had looked up and waved. Now, seeing his Mom and Barry hugging, wow! Wouldn't it be cool if his Mom and Barry got married? Barry would be his Dad then. Yeah, he would love that! Then he wouldn't ever have to go back to New York City. He hates New York City. He wishes he could stay here on the ranch forever!

  ******

  Soon after Barry, Michael, and the other men return to the ranch, Barry and Scoot make a trip to the front gate to give a statement to the Paparazzi concerning the recent activity on the ranch. Barry explains to the group that two trespassers were killed by his security force when they tried to kidnap one of his guests. He allows them to ask a few questions and then to take a few pictures to go along with the story. Upon their return to the house Scoot contacted the FBI and ATF to update them on the attempted kidnapping at the Rock Springs Ranch.

  ******

  After Barry Farrady and the other man leave the front gate, Peter Williams, the reporter from Seattle, uses his cell phone to call Steve Simpson at the compound in Idaho.