Love's Dangerous Territory

by Love's Dangerous Territory [Whispers] (mobi)

  They paused at a fast flowing stream. Though the water was frigid, Christy dunked her sweaty head into the current and shuddered. She scrubbed at her dirt-streaked hands. The water had turned so cold her head buzzed with pins and needles; she sneezed involuntarily. She splashed water onto her face in an effort to clear her mind. Thirst overwhelmed her and she drank deeply, shaking as the coldness inhabited her flesh, seeping into her bones. She was so hungry and tired. Lando had moved off as if in search of something. Christy watched from behind a cluster of rocks. Shortly, Lando returned and started a little fire. Once the fire was established, he took out a small knife he had stuck in his boot, once belonging to Howard.

  He sharpened a tiny stick less than the size of his baby finger on either end to a point. He then turned over a few large rocks, digging deeper in the ground with a thick twig and, after finding a large worm, he wrapped it snugly, impaling it around the sharpened stick. Using a fine shoelace that had belonged to the cop, he tied it in the middle of the nicked stick, and rose. He seemed to stop abruptly, as if thinking of something.

  “Well, my slimy little friend, you're going to catch me some lunch,” Lando said loudly. He then moved off with purpose.

  Christy waited until he was out of sight, then raced to the fire to warm herself. She sat as close as she dared without burning limbs or hands. She threaded her fingers through her wet hair in an effort to dry it. Christy had become used to Lando's incessant need to talk to himself. It proved to be very handy. At the last stop he had complained loudly about a missing package of two crackers and had stomped about angrily, looking for it to no avail. Christy had discovered it on a rock almost in plain view. She had found his voice, deep and rough, to be comforting now instead of so frightening. At least she was aware she was not all alone, even if he was too dangerous to approach.

  Shortly, she heard Lando's familiar, hacking, loud cough. Christy scrambled for safety. Out of sight, she watched as Lando set up two forked sticks over the fire and draped a large fish, perhaps salmon, across the stick suspended between the two others. Her mouth watered longingly as the tantalizing scent of the cooking fish wafted to her nose. She was famished.

  For a brief moment, Christy considered showing herself. She thought perhaps if she approached Lando slowly and begged him for mercy he would not harm her. Her heart saddened. He had no mercy, at least not for her. First he had wanted to kill her, even in her helpless state, then he had left her for dead, uncaring and unfeeling, when all she had needed was a shoulder to lean on.

  Maybe if she offered him herself, she thought frantically. She had seen he had been interested.

  No, she would just be raped brutally before he killed her, and she would die starving and hurting and terrified.

  Christy watched as Lando gorged himself on the fish she wasn't even certain he had bothered to fully cook. He noisily smacked his lips, sucked on his fingers, and proclaimed it to be the best thing he had eaten in months. Perhaps his incessant chattering wasn't so comforting anymore.

  Christy almost wept in her despair. Maybe she could catch her own fish. She wouldn't be able to cook it, as a fire would be too dangerous, and she had no matches. Thankfully, she enjoyed sushi. She realized helplessly she had no culinary skills; their family had a maid and butler. She was never required to learn anything really domesticated. She had spent her years trailing her mother at charity functions, learning about the importance of fund-raising for those in desperate, dire need, and how to socialize with precision.

  Feeling flustered, she tried to remember what he had done with the tiny stick, though she had no knife and grimaced at the thought of the slick, slimy worm. Maybe a sharp rock would suffice, and she found herself to be hungry enough to touch anything.

  While she was pondering her rapid thoughts, she noted Lando was already stomping out his fire, eager to get moving. He grabbed at his things and was again on the move. Christy jumped to her feet, panicking. She couldn't lose him. Her head swam suddenly at her quick motion and she thumped to the ground, landing sharply on her bottom. Sobbing, Christy resisted the urge to cry out to him to wait for her. She again rose, only this time slowly, and with careful movements, she hopefully approached the bones of the fish he had left on a rock in plain sight.

  Excitement filled her. There was still meat on the large fish, a lot. Perhaps Lando's stomach had shrunken and he couldn't eat it all. Christy stuffed the remainder down her own throat, choking on a few small bones, not really caring why it was left. The fact he could have saved some for himself for later never even entered her mind, she had been so grateful. She ate quickly while trailing after him.

  Lando heard Christy following him. She moved about as quietly as a pack of rowdy boys. She was lucky he meant her no ill will or he would have discovered her the first time she sneezed. He stayed near the stream, not wanting to give up a water and food supply. This would make taking care of both of them much easier. As he had left, he noted with concern she had fallen. He was always in tune with her actions, wanting to make sure she stayed close to him. She was becoming tired sooner. Lando hoped with the fish and fresh water she would be more rejuvenated. His pace was unhurried now, as he was only looking for a place to spend the night. He wanted to fish again. His belly still rumbled from hunger. Hopefully, he could catch more.

  The day was cold. The sky had turned overcast and Lando detected the sweet, metallic scent of snow in the air. He would need real shelter if the snow flew. So would she. It was with great relief he spotted a small cave surrounded by a large cluster of rocks. A snowflake landed upon his brow, reminding him of how close winter actually was.

  Lando gathered sticks and twigs, larger pieces of dry wood. He piled them all at the back of the small cave. He also made certain there was a large pile stacked beside the opening of the cave within arm's reach. Once his fire was established, he began to build a frame constructed to fit over the opening of the cave, to contain warmth. He bound together workable sized pieces of wood with rope from one of the parachutes. Howard had not been joking. He could have constructed a tent, but felt it would not provide enough protection or warmth. Once done he again set out to fish.

  Christy was unsure what was happening. She had watched as Lando raced around, gathering wood. She had wondered at the type of door he placed over his cave. Mystified, she had seen him race from the cave without muttering a single, outspoken word, and head for the stream. She wondered if the snow had him concerned. Only a few flakes were falling. It wasn't as if a blizzard was blowing. Maybe his tummy, once having a taste of the fish, was coveting more. She knew hers was.

  Christy was too afraid to venture into the cave. She would be unable to leave undetected quickly enough when he returned. She longed to warm herself by the fire. She could feel its warmth beckoning by the opening. Teeth chattering, she was wishing she could sleep in there tonight. The eerie sound of the wolves howling wasn't quite as enchanting when she felt so vulnerable and exposed. Christy backed away slowly, knowing night would soon be upon them, and she would need her own type of shelter. But she would be unable to move too far from Lando.

  She would need to be aware of when he left. Her options were limited. She knew she would not have come this far without his careless and mistakenly left offerings and the protection of the fires.

  Lando felt victorious. Not only had he caught three more fish, he had stumbled onto a rabbit's burrow. Thrusting a sharp stick down the hole, he had speared it, and carried the now cleaned and gutted food back to the cave. Lando had filled his crude bowl at the stream and filled a condom with water for later use if necessary. The condom he had found in the officer's wallet.

  Once he had dumped his bounty inside, and after skewering the rabbit for roasting, he realized he had one more thing to do. The snow was beginning to fall with greater intensity; soon a blizzard would rage, he was certain. With grim, steely determination, he left the cave. It did not take him long to find her huddled form. As he had predicted, Christy had not ventured far. She
was curled at the base of a large pine tree, hoping its large branches would offer some kind of protection from the snow and wind that had picked up. She would have been unable to hear his approach over the noise. Lando deftly leaned down and yanked her surprised body out from under the tree, giving her no chance to escape.

  Christy screamed with fright. She had become terrified as she realized the snow was picking up, soon falling in heavy sheets until visibility was nonexistent. The temperature was dropping at an alarming rate. Shaking violently, she had pulled herself into a tight ball, softly sobbing as the air became unbearably frigid, each breath an assault to her freezing lungs. The fierce wind shook the limbs of the tree in its intensity, showering her with endless snow until she was fearful of becoming buried alive; she didn't think she could possibly feel any more miserable. When her arm was captured painfully and she was pulled viciously out from under the tree, she howled with new fear. Lando had somehow found her, and he would kill her.

  “Let me go!” Christy screamed. How had he found her? Why did he want her dead so badly? She wouldn't tell anyone he was still alive, if that's what was driving him. Did he need to silence her, feeling it would be his only way of real freedom from the police?

  “Wait! Oh God, stop. Please don't kill me, I won't tell. I will say anything you want me to, I swear. I will tell them no one survived but me.” She continued to yell, and struggled violently. It was useless; he was so big, so powerful. His strong arms pinned her small ones easily. He clutched her legs in a death grip and she could not kick out. She screamed for him to leave her be as he strode with purpose towards his shelter. Perhaps he did intend to rape her first, she thought frantically.

  “I'm sorry. Please don't be angry, I didn't follow you to give you away, I didn't want to be all alone,” Christy cried out, petrified.

  Lando took her struggling form into the small cave, where he callously dumped her down and pulled the door across. She was trapped, there was no escape. Once released, she crawled frantically past the blazing fire, scooting as far from him as possible. Christy continued to scream until her throat protested once more in agony. The pain had gradually been subsiding, yet returned with a vengeance, until her voice trailed off to a pitiful, hiccupping whimper. Her hands became bloodied as she clawed at the sides of the cave.

  Pathetically, she hit at the hard, cold stone in an effort to escape him. She could barely see through the tears cascading down her cheeks, flowing like a river at a frantic pace. Finally exhausted, in defeat she slumped to her knees with her hands held before her in a pleading gesture. She continued to sob pitifully. She had tried so hard to live. Lando remained unmoving.

  “Please don't kill me, don't hurt me, don't...don't beat me,” Christy pleaded, her pained voice once again no more than a hurtful rasp. She remembered how agonizing the blow had felt coming from Chad, a man who had professed to love her. How could she ever hope to survive a blow coming from a larger, even more powerful man? Her already aching body could not withstand any more brutality. Her head bowed, she waited for the worst to befall her.

  When Lando had entered the cave, he had practically thrown her struggling form off to the side, sensing her deep terror and need to flee from him. He pulled the covering across the front of the cave, effectively sealing them in together. He then watched as Christy pitifully clawed at the far sides of the cave, trying to find a nonexistent exit. Lando sat near the opening, blocking her way, refusing to allow her escape. He had no choice. She would freeze to death this night if he did not intervene. He hoped if he sat very quietly and unthreateningly she would not clasp at her heart as a few others had done and expire from her fear of him. Let her come to you, the voice in his mind cautioned with reasoning.

  Lando watched as her small body slumped to her side, then pulled tightly into the fetal position, her tiny, shaking, bloody hands splayed before her as if to ward off an imminent, vicious attack. She shook uncontrollably. She begged and pleaded with him, crying out from her terrible fear of present and past. She would do anything...anything. If only he would spare her life and cause her no more pain.

  “Do you beg my mercy?” Lando questioned loudly over her incoherent frantic words.

  “Yes...yes...please have mercy. I beg you,” she sobbed pitifully, stilling suddenly.

  “You will do as I say?” he again voiced loudly. Lando began to feel a sense of relief. That she hadn't just succumbed to her terror was promising. Though she was frightened, she was listening to him. He knew he could coax her into doing as he said.

  “I will do as you say. I will listen. Please...please,” she whimpered fearfully, hopefully.

  “You will obey me without hesitation?” Lando demanded. If he commanded her to stay, yet she ran away in fear, she could be caught in another storm, unaware. He did not want to have to go looking for her. That would be an inconvenience and he would undoubtedly be very annoyed. He had spent a great deal of time and effort keeping her alive.

  “I will obey you I swear, I swear,” Christy cried out.

  Christy's sobbing calmed, and he knew she was concentrating on his voice . He knew his had become a familiar voice over the last few days. Though he knew he terrified her, he had been the one to feed her with his dropped offerings. He had spoken to her, albeit offhand. He had waited for her to catch up with him. Perhaps deep down, both had known Christy was following him all along.

  “I will not kill you or hurt you, Christy.”

  Christy looked up at him through misted eyes; her chin quivered. “Promise?”

  “I promise,” Lando said steadily.

  Head bowed, very carefully, Christy approached him. She crawled slowly towards his powerful body in deference. Lando waited, breath held, to see what she would do. Upon approaching him, she reached carefully and clasped at his jacket with a shaking hand. Her eyes lifted to his, then fled, lifted, and he knew she was fearful he would yell or strike at her or shove her away.

  When he did none of these things, Christy crept closer. She tentatively placed her weary head on his shoulder as he had seen her do with Sam when she had been frightened. Still, he did not push her away or hurt her. Christy grasped at him in need; she gave a soft hiccupping cry. Her small arms pulled him close; he could feel her warmth. Her chest pressed firmly to his, and she uttered an almost inaudible plea. It was apparent she sought his compassion, a kindness.

  Never having offered another kindness, Lando hesitated slightly. Then, sensing her desperate need for reassurance, he placed his strong arms around her. She cowered against him. She again wept pitifully for him not to cause her any harm.

  “Be still, sweetheart. I won't hurt you,” Lando soothed encouragingly. He rested his chin upon the top of her head.

  “Please don't leave me,” she begged desperately. Her arms tightened around him further. He remembered that was often a plea of hers while she slept. He wondered who had abandoned her.

  “I won't leave you. We aren't going anywhere,” he informed her.

  The blizzard raged outside their small shelter. The temperature dipped well below freezing. The two within the small cave huddled as one, both fearful of different things. The night closed in upon them with a vengeance. The fire burnt brightly, offering warmth that filled the small area comfortably.

  As Lando held Christy's shaking form closely, he realized subconsciously he had won the most important conquest of his life. He had, in fact, succeeded in saving a life. After having taken so many, he couldn't believe the ultimate, intimate euphoria in this one act. The all powerful rush at having dominance over someone's life intensified when that life was allowed to keep breathing by his own hand. Ceasing an existence became nothing...the absolute challenge of existence danced before him as auspicious as a rainbow after a violent storm.

  He decided suddenly, since he had spared her life, it now belonged to him. She belonged to him. She was, in fact, now his. Never before had such an intensity engulfed him; it was intoxicating. Lando's grip on her tightened painfully, possessive
ly.

  “Lando?” she questioned on a soft, quiet plea.

  He liked the quietly voiced sound of his name upon her delicate lips. Breathing in her exquisite scent, Lando held her grasped firmly to his broad chest, though he gentled his touch, realizing she was distressed. Mine! The voice in his head screamed triumphantly. Damn! He wished he could turn that voice off!

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  Chapter Four

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  Christy watched as Lando pulled a Swiss army knife from his boot and cut into the crisp, cooking rabbit. Red and fatty juices dribbled lazily down its side to land, sizzling, dancing about on the hot coals beneath. Her mouth watered. She swallowed heavily, her hungry eyes mesmerized, then unconsciously licked her dry lips. Christy had never before eaten rabbit, yet, could tell it was going to taste wonderful.

  Lando blew gently on the aromatic meat. The steam floated about his face, reddening his cheeks. He placed a small amount into his mouth and chewed carefully, testing it to make certain it was fully cooked. Christy watched him intently with wide, hopeful, famished eyes. Lando cut a large chunk of its hind quarters and offered it to her, while she hung back against the side of the cave. His look was encouraging, as if he perhaps thought she might not accept it.

  Christy practically pounced on the meat, grasping it from him, and then scurried back again quickly to the safety of the cave wall. She stuffed large amounts into her mouth, shoving in piece after piece, filling her cheeks, chewing noisily. She stopped only for a brief moment as her choking, agonized throat protested. She grimaced in pain, pausing momentarily, and then shuddered. Taking a smaller bite, she chewed with more caution.

  Lando was eating slowly, watching her intently. He cast his glance to her fingers that were bloodied, yet not from the rabbit. She shifted self-consciously, trying to hide them. She remembered clawing at the stone in the back of the cave in an effort to escape from him while engulfed in her absolute terror. Her fingernails were ripped and crusted over; her knuckles were swollen and bruised. She knew she must look a sight. Her hand lifted to tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. She felt a smudge of grease down her cheek.