Rain nodded, pressing the button and watched the small door open as Taka led her inside. Once inside she took in the guns and knives lined up against one wall, two laptops, cell phones, five large black duffle bags with reds tags and stairs that led to God only knew where.
“Our panic room, there are three more, they all lead to a sub-basement, from the sub-basement it travels parallel to the sewer systems and spills out into downtown Salt Lake City, we have an office there. There at the office we have a garage, cars, other laptops, emergency kits.”
“Wow,” Rain said. “Who created this?”
“Me, Levi, Rain, Song, Dayton, a few others. There are five other safe houses around the country, we have other friends. And two safe houses on every other continent, except Antarctica. If it gets that serious…” Taka trailed off, chuckling softly. “Only God can intercede. You must be exhausted. I will show you the weapons around the house, there is one in the shower behind the soap dish, one under each night stand, one in the closet. It’s about the same in each room.”
“Taka,” Rain said as she followed the woman back into the bedroom. “Is this how…is this what's in store for me? For my baby?” She asked.
Taka sighed, she looked outside the window, wrapping her arms around her slight body. “I wish I could lie to you, Rain, but I can’t. It’s hard, the isolation, always looking over your shoulder. But for now this is what we have. Until the agency is destroyed, this is what we have.”
Rain nodded. “Thank you, Taka.”
Taka nodded, patting Rain before impulsively hugging the woman. “I’ll probably hug you often, and drive you crazy talking, I’m glad you are here even though I am sorry at the reason why. But you aren’t alone, Rain.”
“Thank you.”
Taka left her soon afterwards and Rain went to the shower undressing and stepping into the marble shower, she stayed under the hot heat for nearly thirty minutes before hearing a knock on the bathroom door, knowing without opening her eyes it was Enlai.
“Rain,” Enlai said walking into the bathroom. He was naked, and opened the glass door of the shower pulling her into his arms and she willingly fell into him.
“What is wrong?” He asked.
“No, Enlai, no more, don’t worry about me. I’m toughening up,” she said, her head upon his chest as he caressed her slight back, kissing her forehead. “Finally.”
“You are already tough, strong,” Enlai said, bringing his lips to hers.
“Not really,” she teased back. “But I have a good teacher. Taka told me about the children,” she said, staring at him.
His lips tightened, there was a shadow that drew over his eyes. “They had no right,” he said.
“That is what will happen to our child if they find me?” She asked.
He nodded again.
“I won’t be found.”
“I know.”
They didn’t speak anything more of the agency, he was leaving in sixteen hours, and she wanted to pretend as if there was no agency, if it was just the two of them. “I brought up some dinner Taka prepared after we finish,” he said, soaping Rain as she stood still under his ministrations.
She returned the favor, kissing and caressingly touching him in pleasure, his body was perfectly sculpted, heavy with muscles, sinews. She kissed his neck, his check, his stomach, kneeling before him to touch and taste him intimately as he moaned in pleasure.
“No more,” he said, pulling her up, before sitting upon the bath bench and settling her on top of him. He entered into her, slowly, gently, gasping at the pleasure as she rocked upon him, kissing him, loving him, forgetting her past, the future, everything except the feel of him.
When they finished he washed both of them off before turning off the shower and drying her off before himself, wrapping her in a warm white robe and himself in another towel where they went into the bedroom a large silver tray upon the bed covered with ornate silver, plate warmers.
“Get in bed,” Enlai said and Rain nodded, sitting up under the covers it was quickly darkening outside and he closed the blinds, locked the door and joined her in the bed on top of the covers, his muscles flexing as he set out the food, handing her a plate of masala chicken, wild rice, buttery rolls and a gorgonzola salad.
“Oh, my,” she said the food so delectable she could do nothing except smile and eating. The food was as delicious as it looked and smelled. When she was finished, he unearthed another plate warmer and inside were warm, fluffy brownies with roasted coconut, caramel and pecans decorating the chocolate sweets.
“Remind me to make Taka the godmother of our child,” Rain said as she bit into the moist dessert, moaning in pleasure.
Enlai simply nodded, sitting back and watching as she ate a second brownie before following it down with a glass of milk.
“Good?” He said.
“Divine.” She returned, leaning against Enlai after he placed the tray on a small table in the corner of the room. “If she cooks like this while I stay I will gain twenty pounds in less than a month,” Rain said.
“She will and you should gain weight, for the baby.” He said, kissing the top of her head.
“Sure, you will say that when my stomach is so large I can’t see my toes.”
He laughed. “I can’t wait, Rain,” Enlai said. “You are beautiful now, you will be beautiful then.”
She accepted his compliment, nodding, before yawning once again.
“Go to sleep, babe, we are safe here.”
She slept.
She woke up in the middle of the night; the bedside clock reading two in the morning, Enlai was sleeping deeply beside her. She knew that she shouldn’t waken him, but he would be gone soon, she wanted to store up as much of him as possible.
Flitting her mouth over his, she kissed his neck, his shoulder as he lay on his side, turned towards her. He didn’t awaken before she flicked her tongue over his nipple.
“Hmm,” he said deeply. “Rain,” he muttered sleepily. “What are you doing?”
“Enjoying you,” she said, kissing his lips, flicking her tongue inside of his mouth as she pushed him onto his back to seduce him.
“I like when you do that,” he said.
“And I like it when I do it,” she said.
They woke again late nearly nine. Enlai was more relaxed than she had ever seen him almost as if they were vacationing. They showered, dressed and went downstairs to meet Taka and Levi, Taka making a large breakfast as they greeted the couple.
“Slept late,” Levi teased winking at Rains kissed bruised lips and Enlai’s sated grin.
“Of course,” Enlai said.
“Stop it, Levi,” Taka scolded well naturedly. She was dressed in fashionable jeans, a frilly white dress shirt, her pants protected by a gold and blue striped apron as the delightful smell of bacon wafted to meet the couple.
“Taka, the dinner you fixed was so delicious last nights. I never tasted anything so well made. And the brownies,” Rain said.
Taka smiled. “Thank you,” She returned. “I’m glad you’ll enjoy it. I’ll stuff you silly while you are here,” she said. “Now you two sit, breakfast is almost ready, I knew you’d sleep in.” She said as she whipped up a fresh batch of pancakes upon a griddle.
“Taka makes the best pancakes you will ever taste, blueberries and she buys this all natural real and pure maple syrup.” Levi said, reading a paper that he handed Enlai half of.
“Let me help,” Rain said, she saw another apron hanging up and wrapped it around her waist.
“Perfect, you have bacon and egg duty,” Taka said, pointing her towards the ingredients and Rain instantly began to help as Taka and her chatted sociably as they prepared breakfast.
“This looks delicious,” Enlai said as they served the men breakfast; fresh fruit, blueberry pancakes, softly scrambled eggs, bacon and biscuits. They ate in relish as if knowing the coming days will bring hardship, pain, their conversation light, without the heavy weight of what was to occur upon them.
/>
“Enlai,” she said. “Belle,” she began.
Enlai instantly stopped eating. “Is she okay?” He asked.
“Yes, but she just entered the city limits, she needs an address.”
“Give her the office address,” Levi said, writing it down for Rain. “Enlai and I will meet them there,” he said.
That quickly the past forty minutes of light hearted conversation ended. Rain nodded, taking the piece of paper and going upstairs. “I will be back,” she said.
She quickly raced up the stairs, instantly thinking of Belle. She found the family inside a black jeep, the children asleep in the back. “I’m here, Belle, drive towards 814 S. Main Street. It is in the heart of downtown, a large business office. Go to the seventh floor. Enlai and Levi will meet you there. Are you okay? Do you think you were followed?” She asked.
“I don’t think so, we were very, very careful, Rain, but I don’t know.”
“It is okay, Enlai will explain everything,” she said. “Just get there and be careful.”
She went back downstairs, Enlai and Levi were already heading out, but she pulled Enlai to her, grasping his hands. “Please, Enlai, be careful, this is my dearest friend,” she said.
He kissed her, nodding against her lips. “I will bring them to you,” he said.
She nodded and watched them walk through the garage.
She was nervous but helped Taka clean the kitchen and put away the food, Taka beginning to bake chocolate chip cookies for the babies as Rain cleaned the already clean house, dusting the furniture, washing the dishes that she had left in her and Enlai’s room, straightening their room and washing their towels and robes until she had no more to do, but she refused to read Belle’s or Enlai’s minds. She didn’t want to know if something was wrong, she was too scared.
Finally, she heard the garage door open as she paced upstairs and she raced from her room, as Taka pulled out another tray of cookies, looking serene, calm.
“It will be good to have children in the house,” she told Rain, as she set the cookies out to cool, one of many, including sugar cookies perfectly decorated in pink and blues.
“They are beautiful children. She has a small baby, Olivia is nine months.”
Taka nodded. “I’ll try not to steal her,” she said quietly before brightening up. “You know it’s silly, I just think, maybe once all this settles, Levi and I can adopt. He was…is a wonderful father. We could adopt.”
Rain nodded, patting the woman’s shoulder in empathy. “One day, Taka,” she said. “One day, soon, I promise you,” she said comforting the woman before they heard the door that led into the mudroom open, the disarming of the alarm, children’s voices excitedly talking, the deeper voices of the men.
“Aunty Rain,” Leah and Michael cried, the children seven and five respectively running towards her as Rain collapsed to the floor as she engulfed the children to her, kissing over them, not able to withhold her tears that they were safe, healthy.
She heard Belle’s voice talking to Enlai, before she stood, her best friend with Olivia in her arms, the baby sleeping peacefully, her favorite doll that Rain had given her grasped in her hands. Taka immediately introduced her to the children, asking if they wanted milk and cookies and they nodded excitedly as she led them to the table where she poured them glasses of milk and let them pick the cookies they wanted.
“Rain,” Belle said, smiling, looking tired but no worse for war as tears fell down her best friends beautiful face and Belle wrapped her in her free arm, careful of Olivia. “None of that, Rain, we are here.”
“It is my fault you are here, Belle, my fault, I am so sorry for doing this to you and the children.” She whispered in her friend’s ear.
“No, it was destiny, fate, I always told you. We love you, Rain, you are my sister in heart. Everything will turn out okay. The children are young, they are resilient and so are Mark and I. Enlai and Levi explained. It will be hard, we do not doubt that, but look, we aren’t alone, you aren’t alone. See all these people who love and care for you. We are family, closer than blood, sister, and this is what family do. Understand? We are family.”
“Belle, Belle,” she said. “Thank you, there are no words that can describe the depth of my feeling, but I will kill first before I let anyone hurt you or Mark or the children.”
Belle laughed, squeezing the woman. “Yeesh, Rain, let’s hope not, but if it happens, trust me, I’m betting on you to protecting me and my babies and my love. I know you and Enlai will.”
“We will, I’ll figure out a way to return you to your life, somehow.”
“No more of this, we’ll take it one day at a time. And who is this sweet lady feeding my babies the prettiest cookies I have ever seen?” She asked as Rain pulled away, wiping her face from tears, pulling Olivia into her arms that was just waking up.
“Belle, this is Taka, Levi’s wonderful wife.” Rain said, smiling as the two women found a connection, smiling and hugging each other. Taka ushered Belle into a seat as she was introduced to Mark, the room filled with laughter, conversation, the excited chatter of the children, the women oohing over them and Olivia who was crawling around, teasing their large golden retriever, Yoda who seemed genuinely happy and content with the small children and new people in the house who he sniffed each, licking hands, wagging his tail in joy.
Taka stuffed them with sweets, fruits, coffees, teas, gourmet cheeses and bread. The children, Yoda, Taka and Levi went outside and played in the backyard as Mark and Enlai talked and Rain and Belle spoke quietly to each other.
“How long are we staying?” Belle asked, the fire cheery as she sipped upon a soothing tea.
“Two weeks,” Enlai said. “Levi will have to train you to on what to expect, what to do, you can move into your own safe house either here in the states or abroad, you pick the place.”
“Anywhere?” Mark asked in amazement.
“Anywhere,” Enlai returned.
Mark and Belle shared a glance as Rain looked expectantly between the two of them. “What?”
Belle smiled, but it was Mark who spoke. “It’s been a secret of ours, for years, Rain, Belle and I, we are sick of the city life, we want wide open spaces for the children, closer to nature, tranquility. We’ve wanted to move to Australia for quite a while.”
“Australia?” Rain asked in amazement. She vaguely remembered Belle broaching the topic a couple of times in the past five years but it had been few and far in between.
“Yes,” Belle began. “We knew, the family would be against such, throw a fit, but now, it appears as if this may be a perfect opportunity.”
“That’s so far,” Rain said.
“But it’s a perfect place, Australia is one of the safest continents, just due to its distance,” Enlai said. “You got, it,” he said. “I’ll start processing.”
“Well, at least we have two weeks,” Rain said. “The house is large, you all have your own side of the house, a kitchenette, three bedrooms and a den, here, I’ll show you around.” She said, leading Belle away to the opposite end of the house. She showed Belle the rooms, they had removed and changed all the weapons into the house to locked positions due to the children and Belle enjoyed the airiness of the bedrooms, the tasteful and clean decorations.
“Taka has beautiful taste,” she said.
Rain nodded. “Her cooking is impeccable. She should have been a chef, all I have done since arriving is eat and I am not complaining. She is wonderful and so is Levi.”
“They are to be trusted?” Belle asked. “How do you know them?”
“They worked at the agency with Enlai. The agency betrayed them, Enlai and his brother help them escape.”
“So this, all of this is real? Enlai said he works for the agency that is haunting you down? How can you trust him?” She asked.
Rain paused. “I have read his thoughts.” Rain admitted. “I hate doing it but I did and also Song, Levi and Taka. I have to, to protect me and…” She said.
&nbs
p; “And?” Belle said.
“The baby,” Rain admitted a small smile on her face as Belle’s eyes widened in shock and amazement.
“You’re pregnant, but how? Enlai? But you’ve only been gone a little over a week! You’ve been celibate, unless…Rain, what have you been doing?” The words coming out in a jumble of excited phrases.
“It has, but I told you, my body isn’t normal, I’m pregnant.” She said.
“Oh, wow…oh, wow,” Belle said, sitting down heavily on the edge of the bed before screeching and jumping up and down. “A baby! A baby!” She said, clapping. “I’m so happy,” she screeched, hugging Rain excitedly. “Rain!” I’m so happy and then immediately begin to cry.
The Beginning Of Rain In December Page 11
